Health

Is organic food really better for us?

Organic does not mean ‘chemical-free’ The soil association – a major organic accreditation body in the UK – asked consumers why they buy organic food and a resounding 95% of them said their top reason was to avoid pesticides. However, did you know that organic farming still uses pesticides? You might wonder then, how is organic farming any different to non-organic? It’s not the use of pesticides thats makes farming organic/non-organic, it’s the origin of the pesticides used. Organic farming uses organic pesticides Organic farming involves the use of organic pesticides – these are derived from natural sources such as…

Read More

Benefits of curcumin

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links. What is curcumin? Curcumin is the primary bioactive substance in turmeric (see below). Turmeric is a spice commonly found in the culinary world. Benefits of curcumin Curcumin has been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral and antibacterial properties (indicated by over 6,000 citations). Curcumin regulates biochemical molecular mechanisms by controlling transcription factors, cytokines, and enzymes. The effect of curcumin on these entities mean that this compound is reported to be effective for diseases related to chronic inflammation such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndromes, osteoarthritis, and other ageing…

Read More

The happy hormone (serotonin) and how to boost it

What is serotonin? The happy hormone, serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is known to play a role in keeping normal developmental, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine function. A large proportion of serotonin (in mammals) is found in the gut. However, the role of serotonin in specific brain regions is often what intrigues us – modulation of mood states, sex, sleep, emotion, anxiety, endocrine effects, aggression, appetite, mood, cognition, and memory are just some of the important roles that serotonin plays in normal brain function. Biosynthesis of serotonin In mammals serotonin is biosynthesised in a two-step process: Firstly, the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase catalyses the…

Read More

How does ibuprofen reduce period pain?

Why do we get period pain? So it’s that wonderful time of the month. But, have you ever took a second to think why am I actually popping ibuprofen for my period pain?! Well, read on to find out! During our period, compounds known as prostaglandins are released from the uterine lining (endometrium) which triggers uterine muscle contractions (in order to expel the lining). Furthermore, it is thought that higher levels of prostaglandins can cause more severe cramping in some women. What is ibuprofen and what has it got to do with period pain? Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug,…

Read More

salmon and egg as a source of vitamin d

What is vitamin D and what does it do?

What is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids (essentially a steroid where one of the bonds in the steroid rings is broken). Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. In addition, this vitamin is also responsible for regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and innate and adaptive immunity. There are two major types (there are more types which are out of scope for this post) of vitamin D – vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Our major source of vitamin D comes from the synthesis of vitamin…

Read More

Myth: 80 per cent of skin ageing caused by UV rays

From the daily mail to high-quality, reputable journals, the statement ‘UV rays account for 80 per cent of skin ageing’ is plentiful. First of all, there are many causes of skin ageing such as the natural ageing process, pollution, gravity, diet, smoking, illness and stress. So ‘UV rays cause 80% of skin ageing’ is a pretty bold statement to make. It seems almost absurd that anything could have more of an effect on skin ageing than the inherent ageing process. So let’s explore this claim. Skin basics Firstly, let’s explore the structure of our skin. For a more in depth…

Read More

Do collagen supplements work?

What is collagen Collagen is a protein. In fact, it is the main structural protein (in the extracellular matrix) found in connective tissues in the human body. These connective tissues being the skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. Although, I suspect your reason for reading this is connected to its presence in the skin. There are several types of collagen in the human body, though, approximately 90% is type I collagen. Type I collagen is a fibrillar type collagen, which is also the main type of collagen found in the skin. This post will therefore focus on type I collagen and…

Read More

Are ‘natural’ beauty products better?

What are ‘natural’ beauty products? First off, let’s talk about what ‘natural’ actually means when it comes to beauty products; does ‘natural’ mean a product is chemical-free? No, since every compound or ingredient is technically a chemical (whether it is extracted from nature, or synthetically derived), despite connotations that chemicals are only compounds that are artificially prepared. So, what does natural mean if it doesn’t mean chemical-free? Are they using ‘natural’ chemicals they’ve extracted from flowers and other natural sources? Sometimes, although the product might only contain 1% of a chemical extracted from nature. There aren’t enough flowers in the…

Read More