Food allergies are a common reason for individuals to seek nutritional support and they appear to be becoming more prevalent in today’s society, with six to eight percent of children now affected worldwide.1 The prevention of allergy developing in infancy has been a major concern of healthcare professionals and government advice has sometimes appeared conflicting to parents. The main reason for this is that we are still only just understanding the processes by which allergies develop. Today’s blog discusses research into the causes of food allergies, as well as interventions to help support a healthy immune response to reduce the risk of allergies developing.
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:
- Beyond fat and sugar: Diets low in whole grains, fruit and nuts associated with 1 in 5 deaths
- Light, physical activity reduces brain ageing
- Walking to work ‘can cut the risk of death posed by sitting’
- Experts warn of fatty liver disease ‘epidemic’ in young people
- Mental health support for girls affected by social media
Many of us can relate to the stress easing benefits that a square or three of our favourite chocolate can bring. For some it’s a daily pleasure, for others, chocolate is that treat at the end of a hard week and we’re sure many would say that it’s the ultimate comfort food.
If you’re not already familiar with lactoferrin, then it’s time to get to know this naturally occurring protein. Classed as a glycoprotein, it is primarily secreted by neutrophils (the most abundant type of white blood cell) and through exocrine glands and so is found in fluids such as saliva, tears, semen, bile, digestive juices, urine, blood plasma and amniotic fluid.1
‘Can a vitamin pill a day keep the doctor away?’ ran a BBC headline last year.1 As the article correctly stated, with so many vitamin and mineral supplements now available it is difficult to know which will be of benefit to your health.
In this week’s article, we provide a roundup of some of the most recent health and nutrition related articles in the news, four items comprising:
- Can exercise reverse the ageing process?
- Single course of antibiotics may cause irreversible damage to crucial gut bacteria
- Nutritional psychiatry: can you eat yourself happier?
- Sitting down for too long may be causing 70,000 UK deaths a year