Monthly Archives: August 2024

Niacin as a Lipid Lowering Agent

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Nicotinic acid is a vitamer of niacin that can prevent the development of pellagra. This is its essential function, and this effect is attributed also to nicotinamide, which also shares vitamer activity under the niacin group. Beyond its role as … Continue reading →

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The Role of Thiamine in Alcohol-Induced Brain Abnormalities

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Alcoholics are at increased risk of thiamine deficiencies because of a combination of lower quality food intakes and a propensity for malabsorption and increased excretion of certain essential compounds. In the case of alcoholics, thiamine deficiency can lead to the … Continue reading →

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Niacin Vitamers

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Niacin describes a group of vitamins that are required for correct metabolic activity. Failure to obtain enough niacin in the diet results in the development of pellagra, which is characterised by dermatitis, diarrhoea and dementia, and if left untreated will … Continue reading →

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Vitamers

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Vitamins are essential organic chemicals that are required by humans (and animals) to prevent specific named diseases. For example, thiamine prevents the development of beriberi and niacin prevents the development of pellagra. However, most vitamins actually exist in multiple forms … Continue reading →

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Alcohol and Thiamine

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Alcohol abuse can cause significant nutritional deficiencies for two main reasons. Firstly, individuals that abuse alcohol tend to obtain much of their energy needs from alcohol and their behaviour to find, consume and recover from drinking alcohol tends to negate … Continue reading →

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The Effects of Freezing and Toasting on Bread: Glycaemic Response

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Robert Barrington

The glycaemic index is a measure of the rate and size of the rise in blood glucose following consumption of a carbohydrate food. Generally, lower blood glucose responses are associated with health, and foods that cause large positive perturbations in … Continue reading →

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Treating Alcohol Withdrawal

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can include tremors, seizures and delirium. The withdrawal symptoms are a result of the removal of the sedating effects of alcohol, which acts on targetts in the γ-amino butyrate (GABA) … Continue reading →

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Sudden Alcohol Withdrawal

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Addiction to alcohol can be a serious debilitating condition that leads to a slow deterioration in physical and mental health. Because of the damage that alcohol does to both the user and the people around them, individuals who abuse alcohol … Continue reading →

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Brain Regions Involved in Anxiety

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Anxiety has been hypothesised to be a survival mechanism by which threats are assessed and a more tentative and careful approach, following intense reflection, may confer advantages in dealing with situations. However, chronic anxiety, as can develop in humans and … Continue reading →

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Alcohol Addiction and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a peptide hormone under the regulation of the cyclic AMP response element binding (CREB) protein. Evidence suggests that BDNF is required for neuronal health, synaptic plasticity, and may play a role in memory and … Continue reading →

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