The biology of obesity A review in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2005), 65, 31-38 Trayburn P Obesity is a preoccupation of modern nutrition. The founding fathers of our science would never have believed that the eradication of some major nutritional problems would lead to this particular epidemic.The biology of obesity includes]The fundamental mechanisms of…
Read moreVitamin B12 is a complex molecule synthesised solely by bacteria. The chemistry of B12 proved to be a difficult task and during the elucidation of its chemistry and biochemistry four Nobel prizes have been won. One fragment of the vitamin has defied understanding until recently ( Ealick and Begely Nature 446, 22nd March 2007 pp…
Read moreMuscle loss ( sarcopenia ) and ageing.As people grow older their muscle mass declines. There is a loss of muscle mass of 3-5% each decade which accelerates after the age of 60. The causes of this are not knownProminent aetiological possibilities include altered endocrine function or changes in tissue response to nutrients. It is not…
Read moreAn important subsidiary issue in nutrition is toxic substances which may be ingested, possibly along with food. This is a vast field but a recent and very well reviewed book isHow everyday products make people sick: Toxins at home and in the workplaceBy Paul D Blanc.University of California Press 2007 reviewed in Nature by Robbins…
Read moreInfluence of age on mastication : effects on eating behaviour.Nutrition Research Reviews 2004, 17, 43-54 Mioche et al During the process of eating food is first chewed. This is process wherein the food is broken down by rhythmic movement of the jaws up and down. The teeth break up the food and saliva is added…
Read moreSuckling and sugar educe pain in babies Shann in Lancet 369, March 3 2007-03-28Babies are very aware of painful procedures and events. One such is blood sampling by heel prick. Babies who at the same time are being breast fed and given a cuddle appear to be more comfortable than babies without this support. More…
Read moreProlonged under nutrition during inter uterine and early child hood development is common in developing countries and causes stunting. ( Martin et al British J Nutrition , 92, 819-825 ,2004 ) . The prevalence in stunting world wide is 33%. Stunting in adults reflects the adequacy of nutrition during the pregnancy, breast feeding and subsequent…
Read moreThere is a very thoughtful and important commentary in Nature 446, 8th March 2007 p 137 on Keeping Faith with Trial Volunteers by Piccart and Goldhirsch and colleagues The article discusses the concept of clinical trails from the point of view of the volunteers. They give of themselves to very varying extent. From the giving…
Read moreThe meanderings of the proton may appear a long way from standard understanding of nutrition but my belief is that Nutrition is a science based in Chemistry, Physiology and Biochemistry. It is important to retain an sense of basic sciences so as not to be overwhelmed by spurious claims.Proton transfer is central to the chemistry…
Read moreI live in a very socially deprived region of Britain. The communities are wonderful to live in but there is not a very high level of prosperity.Yesterday I went to the local shops and there were a crowd of men in their twenties , aggressive, loud and threatening. Unsmiling and not nice.This brought to mind…
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