Articles

It wasn’t so long ago that milk was considered a healthy food and the best source of calcium – the more you drank, the stronger your teeth and bones would be. But nowadays, we know that a wide range of symptoms can be attributed to milk and dairy products and, for many, eliminating or restricting […]

Exercising is one of the most important things people can do to promote ongoing physical and mental health. Some of us exercise regularly, some erratically; some of us ‘go for the burn’ while others prefer gentle stretching. However you do it, exercising not only helps weight loss, controls food cravings, and reduces the risk of […]

Toothpastes contain a number of slow-motion poisons including saccharin and artificial colourings and flavourings (all potential carcinogens). More worrying still is the fact that every tube of family toothpaste contains a lethal dose of fluoride. By Pat Thomas   Do you suffer from mouth ulcers or rashes on your face? Are your teeth pitted and […]

It’s said that London’s water passes through 13 people before being flushed into the sea. For many of us in the UK, the water does certainly taste ‘used’. But taste isn’t the only problem. Tapwater also contains pollutants such as fluoride (natural and artificial), lead (from old pipework), Giardia (an intestinal parasite), nitrates, pesticides, hormones […]

Test-taking anxiety or stress is common among secondary-school and university students. It can be both distressing and debilitating. It is not uncommon for a good student who has had good grades throughout the year to find that these drop at exam time. This could be due to poor exam preparation techniques, but high levels of […]

It’s a basic necessity. Brushing your teeth several times daily helps keep them clean, free of plaque-forming bacteria, and freshens the breath. In the UK, we spend lb217 million a year just on toothpaste. Brushing, like most daily tasks, can be boring, so manufacturers now advertise toothpaste so as to suggest it ‘s a beauty […]

While travellers often worry about serious diseases such as hepatitis, cholera and malaria, studies show that the risk of catching a virulent disease during a one-month stay in a developing country is remarkably small – around 0.4 per cent for viral hepatitis and 0.03 per cent for typhoid fever (J Infect Dis, 1987; 156: 84-91; […]

Vitamin E has had a slippery ride since its discovery in 1922, when it was hailed as a virtual cure-all. Our bodies can’t make vitamin E; we have to obtain it from either food or supplements. Soya and wheatgerm oils are concentrated natural sources, and it’s also plentiful in nuts and grains, so deficiency is […]

Moderate exposure to the sun has many benefits. Perhaps the most important of all is synthesis of vitamin D, a hormone-like substance that helps boost immunity and protect bone. Nearly 75 per cent of the body’s vitamin-D supply comes from exposure to the sun – and sunscreens can drastically lower the body’s production of this […]

It is not inevitable that sun exposure will lead to photo-ageing (dry, wrinkled skin), or even to skin cancer. Nevertheless, the sun is now officially the enemy – against which sun creams are our weapons of choice. By Pat Thomas   It is not inevitable that sun exposure will lead to photo-ageing (dry, wrinkled skin), […]