Dr John Briffa's blog, A Good Look at Good Health — writing on food, cholesterol, weight, energy and the science behind everyday health, from the drbriffa.com archive. Filter by topic, browse by category, or search the library.
Healthy Eating
Red meat has almost certainly featured in the human diet for a large portion of our evolution, and its primal nature is one reason why I believe this food can assume some place within a ‘healthy’ diet of today. However, I am well aware that red meat is usually viewed as distinctly unhealthy fare, and […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Last week I focused on how reactions to specific foods can precipitate the undesirable gut feelings collectively known as ‘irritable bowel syndrome’ (IBS). While IBS is commonly triggered by food sensitivity, this condition can also be related to other internal issues. One other frequent underlying factor in IBS concerns the microbes that reside within the […]
Healthy Eating
While my career path veered away from orthodoxy more than a decade ago, I remain a regular reader of the British Medical Journal. One thing I like about this particular publication is it’s ability to email-alert me to any nutritionally-related content. Recently, the BMJ published an editorial on the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) […]
Nutrients and Supplements
A recent report from Surrey University informs us that British women get significantly less sleep than their male counterparts. This may not come as too much of a surprise bearing in mind that it is usually mums, rather than dads, who provide the bulk of child-care duties during the night. However, it turns out that […]
Food and Medical Politics
As a result of increased awareness about the impact our diet has on health and concern about the some of the constituents of processed food, the Government has committed itself to more transparent food labelling. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) – the government body chiefly responsible for setting food policy in the UK – has […]
Children's Health
I recently had Radio 4 on for a bit of oral wallpaper, and found my ears pricking up during an item on quangos. According to a recent report published by the Efficiency in Government Unit (EGU), the UK now has more than 500 of these ‘quasi-autonomous, non-governmental organisations’ which soak up billions of taxpayers pounds […]
Brain and Behaviour
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) – the body that assesses and makes recommendations about NHS care – has recently suggested that doctors should desist from treating patients newly diagnosed with the brain drain condition known as Alzheimer’s disease. After reviewing the evidence, NICE’s panel of experts have come to the conclusion that the […]
Healthy Eating
My attention was recently caught by research carried out in Kenya which shows that supplementing children’s diets with meat assisted their growth, and also led to improvements in their performance in problem-solving and intelligence tests. As a result of this and other research, the lead researcher of this study has described brining up children as […]
Brain and Behaviour
In a previous column I highlighted the unhappy association between antidepressant use and heightened risk of suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents. Evidence has just come to light which suggests that this link may not be confined to the young. Research published recently in the British Medical Journal shows that the taking of selective serotonin […]
Healthy Eating
Whether we’re comfortable talking about it or not, I reckon most of us feel better for having a good dump each day. A diet rich in fibre is generally taken as a core component of bowel regularity, and drinking plenty of water is often recommended to help ensure fluid function in this department too. However, […]