Monthly Archives: February 2012

Artificial Sweetener and Pregnancy

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Robert Barrington

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the increasing consumption of artificial sweeteners in the diets of Western populations. In particular, consumption of artificial sweetener in soft drinks is popular because of the association between weight gain and sugar sweetened … Continue reading →

Posted in Alsulfame-K, Aspartame, Pregnancy, Saccharine | Comments Off on Artificial Sweetener and Pregnancy

Vitamin D Supplements

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Evidence suggests that the vitamin D requirements of humans have been vastly underestimated. Current recommended intakes are based largely on invalid science, and increasingly diseases other than the traditional bone deformities of osteomalacia and rickets are being associated with intakes … Continue reading →

Posted in Vitamin D | Comments Off on Vitamin D Supplements

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Decrease Plasma Triglycerides

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Elevated plasma triglycerides are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is estimated that around a third of the population of the United states have hypertriglyceridaemia. Plasma triglycerides can be derived from the diet, because when fatty acids are … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Triglycerides / Triacylglycerols | Comments Off on Omega 3 Fatty Acids Decrease Plasma Triglycerides

Omega 3 Fatty Acids increase Protein Synthesis

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids have been shown to improve anabolic signalling pathways in muscle and prevent loss of muscle mass following severe burns in animal studies. Increased inflammation is thought to decrease the anabolic signal cascade in muscle by … Continue reading →

Posted in Branched Chain Amino Acids, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Fish Oils, Insulin, Protein | Comments Off on Omega 3 Fatty Acids increase Protein Synthesis

Diet and Arterial Stiffness

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The benefits of diet to the cardiovascular system are widely reported in the literature and evidence is accumulating that individuals who consume high quality diets rich in certain nutrients are protected from cardiovascular disease via a number of mechanisms. With … Continue reading →

Posted in Caffeine, Cardiovascular Disease, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Fish Oils, Sodium, Soy | Comments Off on Diet and Arterial Stiffness

An Interesting Study on Galactose

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Evidence suggests that high carbohydrate diets are associated with weight gain when the majority of that carbohydrate is refined in nature. Whole grains protect against obesity, but refining cereals and other carbohydrates alters their digestion and absorption rates and this … Continue reading →

Posted in Beta Oxidation, Galactose, Glucose, Weight Loss | Comments Off on An Interesting Study on Galactose

Does Salt Cause High Blood Pressure?

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Robert Barrington

High blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and accounts for around half of all cases of stroke and around half of all cases of ischaemic heart disease. The current mainstream medical opinion is that high sodium diets … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Disease, Ischaemic Heart Disease, Sodium, Stroke | Comments Off on Does Salt Cause High Blood Pressure?

Computer Games and Food Intake

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The link between sedentary behaviour and obesity is not straight forward because many research papers have demonstrated that increasing the energy expenditure of obese individuals with exercise does not cause long-term weight loss. Comparisons between developing and Western countries show … Continue reading →

Posted in Obesity, Television | Comments Off on Computer Games and Food Intake

Obesity and Colorectal Inflammation

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Robert Barrington

In both clinical and epidemiological research, obesity and weight gain is increasingly being linked to systemic inflammation. This inflammatory condition is caused by the accumulation of white adipose tissue, that subsequently attracts macrophages which infiltrate the tissue and cause the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Inflammation, Obesity | Comments Off on Obesity and Colorectal Inflammation

Sudden Death and Magnesium

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Around 50% of all cardiac fatalities are accounted for by sudden death caused by cardiac arrest. Most of the people who have a sudden cardiac arrest are not at risk of cardiovascular disease based on the traditional risk criteria, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Magnesium | Comments Off on Sudden Death and Magnesium