Supplements to lower homocysteine concentration disappoint againEpidemiological and genetic studies show a clear association between high serum concentrations of homocysteine and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. So for more than a decade, researchers have been trying to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by giving people homocysteine lowering supplements of B vitamins and folic…
Read moreIf one had to chose a sensory faculty to loose, smell would rank above sight or hearing. Neverthe less it is an important loss. It is called anosmia and is said to affect 2 % of the population. Nevertheless few clinicians are interested in this problem. Such olfactory disorders may be secondary to nasal polyps.…
Read moreThe World Health Organisation and the American Academy of Pediatrics advocate exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 months and partial for up to 1 to 2 years.The best way to achieve this has still to be identified. In a paper from SingaporeSu and colleagues have studied the effect of antenatal breast feeding education compared…
Read morePoverty and the impact on children is a global problem.It is impossible to look at pictures of beautiful youngsters from anywhere in the world and not to feel a strong sense of protection and hope for their future. Of course there is also the adage “the trouble with a kitten is that it grows into…
Read moreCancerous process do not by their very nature necessarily follow the metabolic pathways of the normal tissues.The changes in the genome in cancer are becoming clearer. Such gene changes must by accompanied by enzyme changes. Two reviews look at two important enzyme groups which are important in cell biochemistry , proteases and fatty acid synthase.Proteases…
Read moreMy friend David Kritchevsky died this year. He had so many talents including being a superb scientist, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of nutrition and as a speaker and teacher composer of songs on nutrition .This is an example. F.I.B.E.R.Tune: MotherF is for the increased weight of fecesI is for intestinal milieuB is for the gut…
Read moreBritish Cooking has received a great deal of opprobrium over the recent years. Many look to the continent for good cooking. Meanwhile undisturbed by this reputation every day delicious dishes and meals are been served in Britain over the centuries..Cookery books are major sellers, being of universal interest. They are the recordings of how food…
Read moreLife at the top of any intellectual discipline is not necessarily a kindly experience. The very bright can be bold brash characters.Two men who have radically changed our knowledge of genetics are James Watson and Craig Venter.Watson and Crick were the first to adequately describe DNA and in doing so transform our understanding of biology.Craig…
Read moreThe onset of puberty is a wonderful event for the child if not the parents. The curiosity is why it happens at this age. Why is the latent growth delayed. It is also interesting that the age of puberty and the so called growth spurt varies form child to child. Some children continue growing long…
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