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.
Sleep
For a long time now I have seen decent sleep habits as one of the pillars of good health and optimal wellbeing. Just recently two studies were published which highlighted the potential importance of sleep again. One of these was published on Christmas eve in the Journal of American Medical Association [1]. This study found […]
Healthy Eating
I came across a report yesterday regarding a study (as yet unpublished, as far as I can make out) which assessed the effects of eating chocolate on subsequent appetite. What this study appears to have shown is that dark chocolate, gram for gram (and pretty much calorie for calorie) is most satisfying than milk chocolate. […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Antibiotics can be life-savers and reduce illness and suffering, but they are no without risk. For a start, the widespread (and sometimes indiscriminate) use of antibiotics over the last few decades has contributed to the emergence of anti-biotic resistant bacteria that themselves can prove fatal. Antibiotic-related allergy is another issue with potentially fatal consequences. Another […]
Healthy Eating
The British Medical Journal has a reputation for publishing serious science, but its Christmas edition is traditionally a lighter-hearted affair, comprising articles and studies that would generally be considered too frivolous to make it into regular editions of the journal. One of this year’s offerings comes from Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll, assistant professor and […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Diabetes is condition characterised by higher-than-normal levels of sugar in the bloodstream. It’s a problem caused by either not enough insulin and/or insulin not doing its job. Either way, the result is generally raised levels of sugar. One effect of this is a greater tendency to combine with protein in tissues (called ‘glycation’) which can […]
Exercise and Activity
There’s a common thought out there that overweight individuals are eating too much, or not exercising enough (or both). However, when it comes to matters that pertain to body weight, things are not necessarily as simple as they seem. For instance, my experiences in practice have led me to believe there are individuals wandering this […]
Brain and Behaviour
I was talking to a husband and wife yesterday about what they might do to tidy up their diets a bit in order to improve general levels of energy and vitality. One of the most important things here, I think, is for individuals to ensure that they maintain relatively stable levels of blood sugar throughout […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a term used to describe a constellation of supposed risk factors for disease including excess weight around the midriff (abdominal obesity), raised blood pressure, raised levels of blood fats known as triglycerides and raised blood sugar. The condition is associated with an enhanced risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) as […]
Uncategorized
Last week one of my blogs focused on a recent study which explored the relationship between vitamin D levels and risk of cardiovascular disease. This issue is timely for those of us who are in our winters, and who may therefore be running short on sunlight and vitamin D. This issue is perhaps even more […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Cholesterol-reducing drugs are big earners for the pharmaceutical industry, despite the fact that cholesterol reduction is of dubious benefit and these drugs don’t work too well in terms of savings lives. In addition, some evidence of late has called into question the mantra that ‘lower is better’ when it comes to levels of supposedly unhealthy […]