During the pandemic, it struck me that some of the worst effects were felt by teenagers. Besides not being able to socialise with their friends, there was the shutting down of physical activity. How important was that to them? And what harmful effects … Read More
Plant-based burgers and sausages could cut your risk of a heart attack
Substituting salad for steak isn’t to everyone’s taste. But what if swapping your burger for a plant-based meat alternative could lower “bad” cholesterol? Plant-based diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are known to reduce risk factors … Read More
Evening shifts can be bad for your health… but night owls might have in-built protection
Are you a morning or an evening person? If you’re a night owl you’re well equipped to be a shift worker, particularly night shifts. If you’re not, research from Oxford University suggests you should be cautious about taking a job … Read More
New urine test that can quickly detect bladder cancer developed by UK researchers
ou’d think you’d look for signs of bladder cancer in urine, wouldn’t you? Sadly, it’s easier said than done, so there’s normally a need for uncomfortable and invasive cystoscopy exams, with a camera inserted into your urethra. But Birmingham University researchers have come up with … Read More
Clever AI tool can help pick up prostate cancer quickly
When reading about new medical research projects, it seems that prostate cancer is receiving a lot of attention. As it should be. I’ve felt for a long time it wasn’t getting enough, and this latest Oxford University research is focused on early … Read More
Just 11 minutes of the right kind of daily exercise is enough to cut your cancer risk
While we know daily exercise is a driver of good health, we’re constantly on the lookout for the minimum needed to get results. To satisfy this, along comes a study from Cambridge University proposing a daily 11-minute brisk walk is … Read More
Breast milk could help the brain development of premature babies born before 37 weeks
Every year 15 million children worldwide are born pre-term – before 37 weeks – and it’s still the main cause of death and disability among newborn babies. Children who are born early are more likely to develop problems that affect their entire lives … Read More
Ground-breaking study finds endometriosis risk is rooted in genetics
Finally, some progress on a painful condition that’s so often overlooked in women. Researchers at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with 25 teams across the world, have published the largest ever study on the genetic cause of endometriosis. Their study … Read More
Allergies could fall 77% if babies ate peanut butter while being weaned
Now here’s an interesting one, even more so because it’s counter-intuitive. If you don’t want your child to have a peanut allergy, or indeed any allergy, give them all the common allergic foods as a baby. So that means they eat … Read More
NHS exercise programme links to a lower diabetes risk
This is a disturbing thought, but diabetes might be the death of us all. Why? It foretells the demise of the NHS, which spends £10billion a year on it. And that will only rise in parallel with obesity, which is … Read More