The relationship of coeliac disease to gluten intolerance is accepted, but the mechanism is still incompletely understoodCoeliac disease onsetCertain genetic variants of the major histocom-patibility complex (MHC) proteins are linked to increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Hovhannisyanin Nature propose a mechanism that accounts in part for one such association, the onset of coeliac disease, which…
Read moreFrom The TimesDecember 6, 2008Virus clue to cause of Alzheimer’sMark Henderson, Science Editor Times December 6thAlzheimer’s disease is a debilitating destructive condition wherein the mind evaporates over a period of time. This has terrible consequences for the person and thir family. This also has nutritional consequences.Compelling new evidence found by British scientists has implicated the…
Read moreIn a study in the Lancet the value of the drug tesofensine which is an inhibitor of the presynaptic uptake of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin in weight reduction is reported. A dosage of 0.5 mg once daily along with an energy intake reduction could result in a weight loss over 24 weeks of 10%. The…
Read moreDavid Rose in the Times Thursday 13th November writes on the value of measuring waistline and BMI in assessing excess weight. If one has a waist measurement in the top 20 % then there is a substantial increase in mortality. In a large study ( 350,000 ) from Imperial College London, German Institute of Nutrition…
Read moreAlex de Waal has written a very thoughtful review of starvation and the practical political elements in this.Starvation can come in various forms and causes.Absolute starvation is rare, this is often a technique in warfare where a group of people are surrounded by hostile forces and denied food and water. This is pure starvation. This…
Read moreThe basis of nutrition is good methodology. The November edition of the International Journal of Obesity is devoted to methodology in large studies of Adolescent Nutrition.Branca , Popkin , Simopoulos ( 2008 ) Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) Study: Methodological aspects .International Journal of Obesity Volume 32, Issue S5 (November 2008)…
Read moreThere are papers being published with quite sweeping statements about genetic make up and disease liability. This is an interesting and thought provoking paper. An investigation into fine-scale European population structure was carried out using high-density genetic variation on nearly 6000 individuals originating from across Europe. The individuals were collected as control samples and were…
Read moreThe couple were 85 years old and had been married for sixty years. Though they were far from rich, they managed to get by because they watched their pennies. Though not young, they were both in very good health, largely due to the wife’s insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last decade. One…
Read moreIt is a axiom that obesity and lack of activity go together. Ther are three interesting papers in the International Journal of Obesity on this topic. Overall the pointers substantiate the axiom. The first examined the longitudinal relationship between occupational and domestic sources of physical activity and body weight in a sample of Chinese adults.…
Read moreRoyal Society of Chemistry recipe for Yorkshire puddingI am a Yorkshire man. My mother always said, the boy who eats the most Yorkshire pudding gets the most meat.The Royal Society of Chemistry quite rightly has put a lot of thought into what constitutes a proper Yorkshire pudding.This will have every Yorkshire housewife expressing a view.…
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