Inflammation is an underlying factor in all disease. But it is also an important part of a natural immune response that keeps us healthy. Many drugs are available to suppress inflammation but they can also have nasty side effects. In contrast, nature provides us with a vast array of natural anti-inflammatories that are both safe […]
herbal medicine and chronic disease
The role of ageing in gut health and osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a progressive and degenerative joint disease. It causes a great deal of pain and disability for millions of people. It commonly affects older people and we used to think it was caused by wear and tear. But, scientists now think there might be other causes. One such cause involves a link between gut […]
Sniffing out Alzheimer’s disease
Scientists have discovered that one of the earliest symptoms related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease is a problem with the sense of smell. The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, is increasing rapidly. It is one of the most dreaded of diseases and yet modern medicine seems […]
What to eat on the Mediterranean diet
As I have discussed before scientific studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest way to eat. There are hundreds if not thousands of studies that support the use of this way of eating for improving health as well as reducing the risk of developing a chronic disease, potentially reversing chronic disease and for […]
Should you eat more whole grains?
In the news last week we saw many articles similar to this one from the BBC website. These articles relate to a World Health Organisation (WHO) funded review in the Lancet that looked at the amount of dietary fibre people eat and how it relates to their health and risk of disease. The general impression of the […]
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by bacteria
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic arthritic condition of the joints. Like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness, but these conditions are very different. While osteoarthritis is considered a disease of wear and tear, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Which means that instead of protecting the body against an invader, the immune […]
Pesticides linked to autism and other chronic diseases
In my article Could indoor toxins be making you ill?, I discuss how the constant exposure to household and workplace toxins can mean these chemicals accumulate in the body. And, how this build up of toxic chemicals may be one factor underlying the rapid increase we are seeing in chronic diseases, such as heart disease, […]
Food as medicine to prevent chronic disease
Given the regularity of food related news headlines, and especially those that seem to contradict ‘last week’s news’, it’s perhaps not surprising that many people are unsure about what they should believe. What should we eat to improve our health or even prevent chronic disease? Low fat or low carb? What about grains or gluten? […]
Could indoor toxins be making you ill?
Exposure to environmental toxins is unavoidable. Yet what most people may not know is that indoor toxins outnumber those outside. This constant exposure means that toxins can accumulate in the body. In fact researchers think this accumulation may be a cause of chronic disease. There is an ongoing and rapid, worldwide increase in chronic disease. […]
