There is a lot to love about the colder months. It’s an excuse to add cinnamon, vanilla and cloves to everything; cosy up to an open fire and drink hot tea to your heart’s desire. However, the progressive reduction in hours of light, as well as the drop in temperature can deeply affect the state of our body.

The reduced availability of UV rays during the colder months impacts synthesis of vitamin D, which plays several important roles including maintaining bone health, stimulating production of serotonin (the ‘happy’ hormone) and supporting the immune system. As well as this, the natural decline in light itself can affect our biological rhythms, causing changes in mood and alertness.

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Poor sleep is a common complaint, population-based studies across multiple countries indicate that approximately 30% of people report one or more insomnia symptoms. Insomnia and sleep problems are not only an inconvenience but can have a significant effect on wellbeing and overall health. Chronic sleep disturbance is associated with an increased risk of a multitude of diseases including Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, diabetes as well as depression and anxiety.

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In this week’s article, we provide a roundup of some of the most recent health and nutrition related articles in the news, five items comprising:

• Work and family demands may impact women’s heart health
• Slow walking at 45 ‘a sign of faster ageing’
• How mucus tames microbes
• Research finds these Mediterranean diet foods protect the gut microbiome
• Dog ownership associated with longer life

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The gut is often referred to as a foundation pillar of health for the body and the intestinal epithelium (barrier) plays a critical role in human health and disease.

In recent years there has been increasing recognition of an association between disrupted intestinal barrier function, also called leaky gut, and the development of a wide range of chronic diseases including autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. This blog will focus on the health of the gut lining and consider repair and prevention of leaky gut.

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Coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide, its consumption being second only to that of water. It is thought that 2.25 billion cups are consumed everyday with production in 2016/17 of over 150 million 60kg bags. So, are we doing the right thing, is coffee consumption beneficial or detrimental to our health? There has, in the past, been negative connotations with coffee intake due to its caffeine content which may therefore have an undesirable effect on health. However more recently research has demonstrated multiple health benefits of coffee consumption^1,2.

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