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.
Nutrients and Supplements
Here in the UK we’ve had a distinct downturn in temperatures of late, and this is something that will make us more reluctant to venture out. And even if we do, we’re likely to be very well wrapped up and protected from the elements. The net results is that at this time of year we […]
Uncategorized
Asthma is a condition characterised by constriction in the airways of the lungs. Inflammation in the airways is another common feature, and this may also be accompanied by the presence of some mucus that can obviously add to the obstruction of airflow in and out of the lungs. Common symptoms of active asthma include shortness […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Accumulated weight around the mid-riff (abdominal fat) is associated with an increased risk of chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. One of the mechanisms that may cause the build-up of fat around the middle concerns secretion of the hormone insulin, which is produced principally in response to rising levels of sugar in […]
Healthy Eating
The focus that the medical and scientific establishments put on cholesterol as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (e.g. heart disease and stroke) can means that other risk factors may not the attention they might deserve. For example, blood fats known as triglycerides have been linked with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Just a couple of weeks […]
Healthy Eating
I was lecturing today and at one point was exploring some of the adverse effects on health the artificial sweetener aspartame may have with regard to human health (for more about this, see here). One of the attendees was lamenting the fact that she had, for several years, drunk one and a half litres of […]
Healthy Eating
There are lots of different types of fat in the diet, including what are know as polyunstaturated- fats. These fats come in two major forms in the diet: omega-6 and omega-3. The main omega-6 fatty acid in the modern-day diet is known as linoleic acid. Rich sources of linoleic acid include plant oils such as […]
Weight Loss
Previously on this site I have drawn attention to the fact that the body mass index (weight in kg divided by the square of someone’s height in metres) is not a particularly good gauge of health status. For a start, the BMI tells us noting about the body’s composition, and it is entirely possible for […]
Exercise and Activity
Activity and exercise come in many different forms, but my number one favourite is walking. This is at least partly based on the fact that walking is something almost everyone can do, and doesn’t require any special skills or for someone to be ‘sporty’. Another reason for my enthusiasm for walking is that fact that […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition characterised by symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, wind and altered bowel habit. In conventional medicine, there is no real consensus on what causes IBS. IBS is what might be termed a diagnosis of exclusion. In other words, it’s the diagnosis that individuals end up with when tests […]
Sleep
For a long time now I’ve been a fan of sleep. Not just because of its relatively immediate impact on energy levels and sense of wellbeing, but also because of the research which links adequate sleep with improved health in the long term. Short sleep times have, for instance, been linked with an increased risk […]