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Articles by James Brown
How patients are helping cancer researchers to ask better questions - and find better answers
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How patients are helping cancer researchers to ask better questions - and find better answers
Cancer research is evolving, not just in the lab, but in who is leading it. Increasingly, patients, carers and members of the public are stepping into the research process itself, shaping what questions get asked and how answers are found. This approach, known as patient and public involvement (PPI), brings people with personal experience of illness from the sidelines to the centre of scientific discovery. It ensures research is grounded in the realities of those it aims to help.
Les édulcorants pourraient augmenter le risque de cancers
L’idée que les édulcorants sont mauvais pour la santé n’est pas nouvelle. Des études ont d’ailleurs établi un lien entre leur consommation excessive et des pathologies telles que l’obésité, le diabète de type 2 et les maladies cardiovasculaires. Mais les liens avec le cancer restaient plus incertains. Il avait par exemple été démontré qu’un édulcorant artificiel, le cyclamate (E952), augmentait le risque de cancer de la vessie et d’atrophie testiculaire chez les rats.
Melatonin's role in protecting the heart – the evidence so far
Many people know of melatonin as the sleep hormone – and, indeed, that’s what most of the research on melatonin has focused on. However, melatonin is also an antioxidant, protecting cells from harmful “free radicals” that can damage DNA – and this includes protecting cells in the . Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world, killing around 17.9 million people each year, this action is of particular interest to researchers.
Sweeteners may be linked to increased cancer risk - new research
Sweeteners have long been suggested to be bad for our health. Studies have linked consuming too many sweeteners with conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But links with cancer have been less certain. An artificial sweetener, called cyclamate, that was sold in the US in the 1970s was shown to increase bladder cancer in rats.
what's the difference and which should you take?
Vitamin D is important for maintaining health, as it has many roles in the human body. But there is more than one form of vitamin D, and recent research suggests that these forms may have different effects. So what are the different types of vitamin D, and is one really more beneficial than the other?
Soft drinks have been the focus of the UK government’s attempts to curb people’s sugar intake in recent years, but the same approach has not yet been applied to the sugar content in alcoholic drinks. The government introduced “sugar taxes” on soft drinks in 2018, meaning manufacturers are charged a levy of up to 24p per litre of drink if it contains eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres.
Can oily fish, cherries or milk help you sleep? Here's what the evidence shows
Almost one-in-five British people report they don’t get enough sleep each night. The problem is so bad that in total the UK public are losing around a night’s worth of shut-eye each week. There are a lot of popular beliefs about foods and drinks helping people get a good night’s rest, but many of them are not based on scientific evidence. Here’s what we know. Chemistry of food and sleep Our diet has an influence upon sleep patterns by affecting the sleep hormone melatonin.
Celebrity diets and food fads have been around for centuries - and some of them even worked
The word diet originates from the Greek dieta meaning to live normally. However, nowadays it mostly refers to restricting food to help weight loss rather than a way to enjoy food and health. Throughout history diets have come and gone. Celebrity diets are popular and often bizarre, but are not a new thing. The Daniel Fast, which resembles a vegan diet, and which has its roots in the Book of Daniel, is perhaps one of the earliest examples of a diet.
Six idées reçues sur le rhume (et comment s’en débarrasser) passées au crible des experts
Alors que nous retrouvons peu à peu une vie sociale et des échanges proches de ceux précédant le Covid et les confinements qui ont suivi, les rhumes (re)commencent à se faire bien trop courants. Cet été, une vidéo TikTok est même devenue virale alors qu’elle proposait une technique pour le moins originale pour faire face au nez qui coule : à savoir se mettre de l’ail dans le nez… Un exemple parmi de nombreux autres de prétendus traitements ou remèdes.
Six popular beliefs about colds: experts explain the facts
As we return to pre-lockdown levels of social mixing, colds are starting to become all too common. A TikTok video has gone viral involving putting garlic up your nose as a cold cure, just one in a long line of claimed treatments or cures. We asked two experts to examine some commonly held beliefs around colds. 1. Can you get a cold by getting cold? Colds become more common in winter. Like other upper respiratory tract infections (in the nose, throat and windpipe) they are normally caused by a virus.
Type 2 diabetes: why treatment plans may need to be different for older adults
Around 6% of the world’s population suffer from type 2 diabetes. People of any age can develop the condition, but the number of older adults with type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing worldwide. In fact, adults over the age of 65 now account for almost half of all adult cases. There are many ways type 2 diabetes can be managed – including controlling weight through diet and exercise, or taking a drug to manage blood sugar levels.
Sugar: why some people experience side-effects when they quit
It might surprise you to learn that sugar consumption has actually been steadily decreasing since 2008. This could be happening for any number of reasons, including a shift in tastes and lifestyles, with the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, like keto, increasing in the past decade. A greater understanding of the dangers of eating excess sugar on our health may also be driving this drop.
A diet consisting mainly of fruit is bad for you
Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, both for health and ethical reasons. One extreme form of plant-based diet is “fruitarianism”, a diet based largely on consumption of raw fruit. At first glance, this may sound healthy, but what effect will this type of restrictive diet have on the body? And is it a healthy diet choice? There is solid evidence that plant-based diets are good for the body. Plant-based diets may reduce the risk of heart disease by 40% and stroke by 29%.
Voici pourquoi il est si difficile d’arrêter de consommer du sucre
Vous serez peut-être surpris d’apprendre que la consommation de sucre est en diminution constante depuis 2008. Plusieurs raisons peuvent expliquer ce phénomène, notamment une évolution des goûts et des modes de vie et la popularité des régimes pauvres en glucides, comme le régime céto. Une meilleure compréhension des dangers d’une consommation excessive de sucre pour la santé peut également expliquer cette baisse.
here's why some people experience negative side effects when they quit
It might surprise you to learn that sugar consumption has actually been steadily decreasing since 2008. This could be happening for any number of reasons, including a shift in tastes and lifestyles, with the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, like keto, increasing in the past decade. A greater understanding of the dangers of eating excess sugar on our health may also be driving this drop.
TDAH chez l’adulte : le difficile diagnostic - et la vie avec ce trouble
Beaucoup d’entre nous pensent que le Trouble déficitaire de l’attention avec hyperactivité (TDAH) est un trouble lié à l’enfance. Mais un nombre croissant d’adultes reçoivent un diagnostic de ce trouble et partagent maintenant leur expérience. Les médias sociaux ont joué un rôle à cet égard. Des gens se sont rendues chez leur médecin après avoir pris connaissance de vidéos de personnes parlant de leurs symptômes sur TikTok ou d'autres réseaux sociaux.
ADHD in adults: what it's like living with the condition – and why many still struggle to get diagnosed Original
Many of us think of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) as a childhood condition – which is typically when it’s diagnosed. But a growing number of people are sharing their experiences of being diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. Social media has even played a role in this, with reports of people going to see their doctor after first learning about symptoms on TikTok. In fact, around 2.5% of adults are thought to live with ADHD – including us.
How the bubonic plague changed drinking habits
Alcohol deaths in England and Wales in 2020 were the highest for 20 years. The Office for National Statistics recorded 7,423 deaths from alcohol misuse, a 19.6% increase compared with 2019. Although this is likely to have many complex causes, data from Public Health England suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting lockdowns are at least partly responsible for the increase.
Coronavirus is taking English pubs back in time
The announcement by Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, that pubs in England will be allowed to resume trading from July 4 was greeted with rousing cheers from some. But having a pint in the pandemic era will be slightly different. While two-metre social distancing rules are being relaxed to one metre to ensure economic viability for publicans, to maintain the safety of customers and staff, pubs will where practical be restricted to “table service”.
Can this new anti-ageing supplement turn back the clock?
Increases in lifespan are one of the greatest success stories of modern society. Yet while most of us can expect to live longer, we are spending more years in ill health. Reducing this period of ill health at the end of life is the main aim of a group of scientists known as biogerontologists. By studying ageing in animals, including fruit flies, worms and rodents, biogerontologists have identified biological phenomena involved with ageing that all these organisms share.
Can a Kim Kardashian lollipop help you lose weight?
Kim Kardashian West has been heavily criticised for promoting “appetite suppresant” lollipops on her Instagram account. Despite the criticism, more than a million people have liked her post, showing the extent of her influence, especially over her mainly young female audience. Appetite is a complex biological and psychological process that isn’t easily controlled with a lollipop – regardless of what it contains. It involves areas of the brain that create the sensations of hunger or fullness.
Artificial sweeteners linked to diabetes and obesity
Many countries have introduced a sugar tax in order to improve the health of their citizens. As a result, food and drink companies are changing their products to include low and zero-calorie sweeteners instead of sugar. However, there is growing evidence that sweeteners may have health consequences of their own.
Can having high cholesterol reduce your chances of dementia?
People over the age of 85 with high levels of cholesterol have a reduced risk of marked cognitive decline, according to a new study. Does this mean that having high cholesterol in old age can prevent the onset of dementia? Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver which is also found in many foods. It circulates through your bloodstream in carriers made of fats and proteins, known as lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are classified according to their density.
Premature greying or balding may be better predictors of heart disease than obesity
Male-pattern baldness and premature greying are associated with a greater risk of heart disease before the age of 40 than obesity, according to a new study from India. Does this mean that doctors should be screening our hairline alongside traditional risk factors such as our weight and blood pressure? Over the years, scientists have developed many cardiovascular disease “risk tools”, with varying levels of usefulness.
" Y’a le bon cholestérol puis y’a le mauvais cholestérol ". Vraiment ?
Selon une étude danoise, les personnes ayant une concentration extrêmement importante de soi-disant « bon cholestérol « ont un taux de mortalité 65 % plus important que celles ayant une concentration normale. Cela signifie-t-il que le bon cholestérol vient de passer du statut de héros à celui de grand méchant ? Est-il possible de considérer qu’un bon cholestérol existe ? On entend toujours parler du cholestérol dans les médias.
Does 'good cholesterol' deserve its name?
A new Danish study has revealed that people with extremely high levels of so-called “good cholesterol” have a 65% higher mortality rate than people with normal levels. Does this mean that good cholesterol has gone from hero to villain? Or can we still consider good cholesterol to be good? Cholesterol, it seems, is never far from the news.
Does 'good cholesterol' really deserve its name?
People with extremely high levels of so-called “good cholesterol” have a 65% higher mortality rate than people with normal levels, according to a new Danish study. Does this mean that good cholesterol has gone from hero to villain? Can we still consider good cholesterol to be good? Cholesterol, it seems, is never far from the news.
Are you 'overfat'? Here are the best ways to tell
About 90% of men and 50% of children in developed countries are “overfat”, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Public Health. Most people will be alarmed by these figures … and the fact that a new term (“overfat”) seems to have emerged overnight. What happened to “overweight” and “obese”? Are there different ways of measuring body fat? Being overweight or obese is normally classified using the body mass index (BMI) system.
Fact Check: is it bad for your health to eat food fried in olive oil?
It recently has been suggested that using vegetable oils to fry food may be bad for your health due to the production of toxic chemicals called aldehydes during the heating process. Aldehydes are simple organic structures – compounds which contain a carbon-oxygen double bond – and are abundant in nature. They are formed in the human body in small amounts as by-products of normal fructose and alcohol metabolism.
Public Health England's new guideline for the food industry is unlikely to curb obesity
Public Health England (PHE) has published new guidelines for the food industry, setting out approaches manufacturers can take to reduce the amount of sugar children consume. The guidelines challenge the industry to cut sugar content in nine food categories, including breakfast cereals, puddings and confectionery, by 20% by 2020, and by 5% this year. Are these guidelines fit for purpose, or are they too little, too late?
The Conversation
nevodka/Shutterstock.com Jordana Bell, King's College London; Jeffrey Craig, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, and Juan Castillo-Fernandez, King's College London A twins study shows that children born via IVF have similar epigenetic changes compared with those born naturally. Tom Matthews, Liverpool John Moores University A global temperature rise of 1.5? above pre-industrial levels could have devastating consequences for city dwellers.
Why gluten-free food is not the healthy option and could increase your risk of diabetes
It’s hard not to notice that the range of gluten-free foods available in supermarkets has increased massively in recent years. This is partly because the rise in the number of people diagnosed with coeliac disease and gluten sensitivity, and partly because celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Miley Cyrus and Victoria Beckham have praised gluten-free diets. What used to be prescription-only food is now a global health fad. But for how much longer?
Q&A: How often do we need to go to the gym and other exercise questions answered
If you started 2017 with a resolution to lose weight or get fit then you may have found that you need some extra help and motivation by now. In fact, 80% of people who join the gym in the new year will quit by the second week in February and generally speaking, 50% of people who join the gym will quit within six months. So what can you do to stick to, and get the most out, of your new regime?
The human brain makes fructose, researchers discover
Researchers at Yale University have discovered that the brain is capable of making fructose – a simple sugar, usually found in fruit, vegetables and honey. Not all sugars are equal. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the cells in your body. Fructose has a less important physiological role and has been repeatedly linked to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The human brain makes fructose, researchers discover
Researchers at Yale University have discovered that the brain is capable of making fructose – a simple sugar, usually found in fruit, vegetables and honey. Not all sugars are equal. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the cells in your body. Fructose has a less important physiological role and has been repeatedly linked to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Concussions from schoolboy rugby: why parents need coaching
Concussions are one of the most commonly reported rugby-related injuries. Young rugby players have a higher risk of prolonged recovery following a concussion. Preventing concussions in schoolboy rugby is therefore very important. As part of a global concussion prevention strategy, World Rugby, the body that manages rugby internationally, has introduced guidelines on how to manage concussions. These include regulations and return-to-play protocols.
Preventative medicine: the argument for and against
Preventative medicine has long used drugs to prevent the onset of disease. Those with symptoms such as high blood sugar or pressure are often diagnosed with the “pre-condition”, such as prediabetes or prehypertension, if their symptoms haven’t yet reached the levels which define the disease. It is estimated that around 7m people in the UK alone have prediabetes and have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Eating standing up - is it really bad for you?
These days, many of us are flooded with advice on what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. Alongside this calorie and nutrient-based advice you may even have heard that you should avoid eating while standing up or lying down, as was common in Ancient Greece or Rome. It may seem to make sense, but how much scientific evidence is there to back this advice?
Forget the gym in January - exercise snacking is the way forward
Over the festive season, many of us will eat and drink much more than we usually would – it has been estimated that the average person in the UK consumes around 6,000 calories on Christmas day alone. But, as the last of the leftovers disappear and we rapidly approach the New Year, our thoughts will probably turn to making resolutions to lose the extra weight we’ve gained. The NHS recommends that we do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise a week, plus some strength training.
Does a pudgy 'dad bod' really make men live longer? Here's the science
The “dad bod”, it seems, is in vogue. And now a new book claims that gaining weight after fatherhood makes men healthier, more attractive and more likely to live longer than their “skinny” counterparts. The author, Richard Bribiescas, professor of anthropology and deputy provost at Yale University, claims that this is likely due in part to the decreasing testosterone levels seen in older men.
Who lives longest: meat eaters or vegetarians?
Our ability to live a long life is influenced by a combination of our genes and our environment. In studies that involve identical twins, scientists have estimated that no more than 30% of this influence comes from our genes, meaning that the largest group of factors that control how long a person lives is their environment. Of the many possible environmental factors, few have been as thoroughly studied or debated as our diet.
When Australia goes to war, public trust depends on better oversight
The world is absorbing the implications of the long-awaited release of the Chilcot inquiry into the United Kingdom’s decision to go to war in Iraq. Australia, however, has spent comparatively little time learning lessons from the deployment of thousands of troops to fight overseas in recent years. An official war history has just been commissioned; if past form is any guide, it will be at least a decade before it is completed.
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