We have made headway so that most people know that you need folate (also called folic acid) in your diet, especially if you are planning a baby or already pregnant. Folate, a B vitamin which is vital for the formation of red blood cells as well as other important functions in the body, is found […]
Iodine deficiency has long been overlooked as a public health problem, but people need to start taking this issue more seriously. Iodine is a necessary trace mineral which is essential for the formation of thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Symptoms of a deficiency include lethargy and tiredness, difficulty concentrating and unusual weight gain. In the […]
I lead the colourful life of a nutritionist. I am a living experiment and I definitely practice what I preach. I would not expect anyone to do anything that I would not be prepared to do myself. I haven’t always been slim and fit. When I was a teenager, I was a stone overweight. It happened gradually, […]
There are dozens of supplements available from health food stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, the Internet and via mail order. All can be bought without any medical advice. This seems amazing when you consider that certain supplements can be harmful when taken in excess, others interact badly with prescribed drugs, or can be affected when taken with drinks […]
Have you heard about the NHS trust that recently introduced an incredibly brutal, and possibly illegal, form of drug rationing to save money? Patients suffering post-operative pain will get half the dose normally required to keep them comfortable, kidney dialysis will be done twice a week rather than three and all diabetics will get the […]
The market for OTC anti-ageing ‘beauty’ nutritional supplements is growing but can you really expect to pop a pill and see the results in the mirror? All beauty pills contain active ingredients that they say have a positive effect on the skin. Ones you may expect to work – like those containing collagen for example – are actually pretty […]
Glucosamine is a popular supplement taken by many people to ease the pain of joint complaints including arthritis. However, the evidence that it actually works has always been a little flimsy, although a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine did suggest that 80 per cent of osteoarthritis sufferers with moderate or worse knee pain, showed […]
Popping a vitamin pill is something we do to try and stay healthy. It is no surprise that the over-65s are around twice as likely as the under-24s to take supplements. But do they actually work? In the case of antioxidants, including Vitamin C, A, and E, there is conflicting evidence about their health benefits. A number of […]
Calcium pills, which are taken by around five million people in the UK, are popular among those who don’t get enough calcium in their diet. However, there are potential downsides to popping the OTC pills, according to researchers. Taking the bone-strengthening supplements may double the risk of having a heart attack. There are around 124,000 heart attacks in the […]
As a fitness professional, I have always been interested in how I can get the best form of omega-3 fats in my diet. Found mainly in marine oils, they are essential for human health. Dozens of scientific papers have linked omega-3 fats in the diet, known as called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) […]