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.
Food and Medical Politics
Before a new drug is unleashed onto the market, it must first be determined that it is, broadly speaking, beneficial and safe. The drug’s sponsor, usually a drug company, submit relevant studies to an appropriate body made up of doctors, scientists, statisticians, toxicologists and the like who assess the evidence and then decide whether to […]
Brain and Behaviour
I don’t have a brilliant memory, but occasionally something someone tells me does somehow stick in my mind. One such memory I have concerns a patient I saw some years ago. He had had a brain tumour (I forget what sort) removed, and was interested in supporting his convalescence and general health through nutrition. During […]
Healthy Eating
The omega-3 fats found in oily fish such as mackerel, herring, sardine and salmon appear to have broad-ranging benefits, particularly with regard to the health of the cardiovascular system and brain. Omega-3 fats in fish come in two principle forms: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While these fats can be found abundantly in […]
Cholesterol and Statins
The idea that high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream puts us in mortal danger is perhaps one of the most firmly entrenched medical ‘facts’ of our time. Repeatedly, consistently and frequently we are warned that the cholesterol in our blood will bung up are arteries and increase our risk of heart disease. Another reminder […]
Healthy Eating
I read today that we Britons are failing to eat the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each according. According marketing organisation TNS just 12 percent of people in the UK are getting their recommended quota. Plus, another 12 percent, apparently, eats no fruit and veg at all. On average, we’re only getting half […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Perhaps compared to many other doctors, I take the view that conventional medicine is less effective and more hazardous than we are generally led to believe. But I most certainly don’t dismiss it. There is no doubt in my mind that things can be done with conventional medicine that other forms of therapy cannot do. […]
Food and Medical Politics
Driving in my car on Monday I had the radio on and was listening to a discussion on, among other things, pharmaceutical drug costs here in the UK. Obviously, they’re sky high. Well, of course, drugs are generally expensive to develop, test and market, but could other factors be at play too? One of the […]
Food and Medical Politics
Flu vaccination was in the news last week. Apparently, some scientists at Oxford University in the UK have developed a vaccine that might protect us against all strains of the flu virus. Clinical trials are just getting underway now. This news was greeted with much excitement from the press, as expected. The British Medical Journal […]
Food and Medical Politics
Some of you may have noticed that there has been a move in healthcare towards evidence-based medicine. And at least part of this concerns basing treatment regimes and recommendations on what scientific evidence appears to show. A big chunk of medical research is devoted to the gauging the effectiveness of pharmceutical drugs. And if we […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Back in July I wrote about a study (the so-called SEAS trial) in which two cholesterol agents (simvastatin and ezetimibe) taken in combination appeared to increase risk of cancer. The full results of this study were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine [1] and can be read here. Alongside this research, […]