Articles (Ecologist)

Food is supposed to be good for you, which is why many people believe that functional foods such as cholesterol-lowering spreads are a ‘good thing’. But are they? Pat Thomas reports   As a nation in search of better health, we are increasingly turning to functional foods and drinks – nutriceuticals, as they are known […]

Pat Thomas, Health Editor of the Ecologist, responds to Felicity Lawrence’s article in the Guardian on the link between junk food and mental health. Sir, Felicity Lawrence’s piece (Omega-3, junk food and the link between violence and what we eat, Tuesday October 17, 2006) is at once encouraging and discouraging. Encouraging because it returns our […]

Modern bodycare products are designed to go deep into the skin. Every day we absorb any number of harmful chemicals in the name of beauty. Pat Thomas reports Your skin absorbs up to 60 per cent of the chemicals that come into contact with it and sends them directly into the bloodstream. Research suggests it […]

The human gut is a unique ecosystem and the hallmark of any healthy ecosystem is the presence of a diversity of micro-organisms. If you are a slave to probiotic drinks you could be encouraging an unhealthy imbalance. Pat Thomas reports. Almost 70 per cent of the immune system is found in the gut. The gut […]

Pat Thomas launches an organic offensive against the toxic ingredients in what we buy – including pet products Pets are exposed to the same chemicals in their diet and grooming supplies that people are. As consumers have become increasingly attracted to, and comfortable with, the use of natural and organic products themselves, they are becoming […]

How do we define ourselves in time and space? A new book England In Particular suggests it is the commonplace, the local and the distinctive that tells us where we are. Pat Thomas reviews Look around you. Local distinctiveness is everywhere. Buildings, plants, food and landscapes are the elements that give a place character, that […]

We are enamoured of fragrances, and virtually every aspect of our lives is touched by a fragranced product. But is it a touch too much? Pat Thomas reports. A quick account of all the perfumed bodycare products we use is sobering: soaps, creams and body lotions, ointments, talcs and bubble baths, shampoos and sunscreens – […]

Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections. Nevertheless, in the hygiene stakes, antibacterial soaps are a ridiculous form of ‘overkill’. Some soaps, which contain powerful antibacterial chemicals like Triclosan, benzalkonium chloride or chlorohexidine, work in the same way as antibiotics and can contribute to the problem of bacterial […]

The dovetailing of industrial, commercial and scientific worlds often turns up interesting interpretations of the old adage ‘waste not want not’. Sometimes these involve novel new uses for compounds so toxic that they have to be given new names in order to sell them to the public. Witness the rise in popular use of the […]

Is it worse than Mc Donalds? The BLT sandwich is an icon, the ultimate symbol of convenience culture. Tesco alone sells 5 million a year. This is what the £1.80 you pay for your BLT buys… BACON 78,000 – The number of pigs killed every week at one Danish slaughterhouse. Danish Crown has developed a […]