Articles in ‘Health’

Adding to the growing body of research that proves our microbiome is a powerful ally in fighting disease, scientists have found that an easy-to-get nutrient in our food causes our guts to produce powerful insulin-regulating compounds. For decades, medical science has been focused on developing treatments that are administered to patients from outside their own bodies. Now, however, more and more research is being focused on ways to marshal the…

I understand from your latest panui that you are currently assessing the evidence you have gathered in order to prepare your final report. Although the Hatchard Report submitted evidence to the Commission, our request for a meeting with yourselves was not granted. As I was in a unique position to offer invaluable information to the Commission, I believe an opportunity was missed. I would like to set the record straight in a last minute sincere…

By around the age of 65, things start to shift. That’s often when people begin thinking about retirement, or at least stepping back a bit. You’re in your comfort zone at work – not pushing yourself as much, not learning new things – and that lack of challenge accelerates ageing. But far from being too late, your sixties might actually be the perfect time to consider your health. · 63-year-old GP and longevity expert Dr Sabine Donnai explains…

Despite the advice of two of the most successful pop anthems of the last two decades, when it comes to depression, no one can just “shake it off” or “let it go.” If we jump back to 1988, we’ll find the advice “don’t worry, be happy” to be just as worthless. People can’t simply “think their way” out of depression, and hectoring them to do so probably makes them feel worse, which can lead to terrible results. That’s because depression isn’t…

Caffeine appears to do the opposite of what you might think when it comes to the heart. Scientists have found that a cup of coffee a day actually protects the heart from atrial fibrillation – a condition that can lead to stroke and heart failure. University of Adelaide and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers have led a randomized clinical trial of 200 adults from Australia, the US and Canada with AF to test coffee's…

Your heart is the centre of your body in more than one way. It keeps blood flowing to your limbs and other organs, but it also dictates the health of your entire cardiovascular system. As your heart ages, it thickens and becomes stiffer (as do your arteries), making it less efficient at its job. If your heart is ageing poorly, you will see very negative outcomes for your health. The “age” of your heart is dependent upon what you eat and how…

The Therapeutic Products Act will be repealed before the end of 2024. The Minister responsible, Hon Casey Costello, is planning to develop two pieces of legislation to replace the TPA – one to cover Natural Health Products and another to deal with medicines and medical devices. Ms. Costello is looking towards a lasting and robust solution that appropriately balances oversight and efficiency. The coalition government has confirmed that…

Over 50 prominent UK academics have signed an open letter to Baroness Heather Hallett, chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, calling for urgent action to address the shortcomings of the probe so far. The signatories of the letter say the Hallett Inquiry suffers from bias, false assumptions, and a lack of impartiality. “The Covid Inquiry is not living up to its mission to evaluate the mistakes made during the pandemic, whether Covid measures were…

The Paleo aka caveman diet has received a lot of press, and basically involves eating like our caveman ancestors. This style of eating may help you lose weight, and reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc. The paleo diet is a high-protein, high-fiber food plan that doesn’t involve counting or reducing calories. The core foods are lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds and healthy fats (e.g.…

Forget crash diets and expensive gym memberships, these habits are the key to boosting wellbeing and creativity in the new year, we have put together some resolutions that you might actually stick to. 1. Get to grips with new tools · This doesn’t mean activating that cordless drill you got for Christmas. We’re talking about a set of bite-sized visualisation exercises, which can transform your hang-ups into boundless new year confidence, courage…