Monthly Archives: April 2011

Heart Health and Lipoic Acid

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Lipoic acid (LA) (figure 1) is a thiol compound that acts as a very important antioxidant. It is present in foods such as spinach, peas, tomatoes, brussel sprouts and broccoli, but is also synthesised in liver cells. Because it is … Continue reading →

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Berry Tasty

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Flavonoids are good antioxidants because they are able to reduce free radicals by donating electrons. Berries are a particularly rich source of flavonoids mainly because of their high content of anthocyanins (figure 1), but also on account of their high … Continue reading →

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The Glycaemic Index and Health

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Carbohydrates are biomolecules made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which humans use as a source of energy. Glucose is a six carbon molecule that makes up the majority of dietary carbohydrate content (figure 1). Glucose is often present in … Continue reading →

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Citrus Fruit and Ischaemic Stroke

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term for a number of disorders that effect the health of the blood vessels and heart, and both heart attacks and stoke are leading causes of death in Western countries. The relationship between the risk … Continue reading →

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Serum Chromium Following A Glucose Load

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Chromium is an essential mineral in humans and is know to be necessary as a co-factor for the chromodulin complex in activation of the insulin receptor. In animal models chromium deficiency causes glucose intolerance and chromium supplementation is able to … Continue reading →

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The Antioxidant Merry-go-round

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Atoms and molecules possess electrons in shells, with each shell containing two paired electrons. Free radicals are formed when atoms or molecules possess electrons that are unpaired, and this tends to make the molecules very reactive. In biological systems such … Continue reading →

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More evidence of Selenium Deficiency

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Selenium is a trace mineral which is essential for life because it is a vital component of several major metabolic pathways. Selenium is incorporated as selenocysteine into a number of key enzymes called selenoproteins that help regulate immune system function, … Continue reading →

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Fatty Acids and Inflammation

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Inflammation is a response by the body to infection or injury and is characterised by heat, pain, redness, swelling and loss of function. Inflammation occurs due an increase blood flow and an increased permeability of the capillaries which floods the … Continue reading →

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Vitamin D and Sunbeds

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Vitamin D plays an important part in modulation of the immune system and has been implicated in the aetiology of cancers, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease. Actually a hormone, vitamin D is synthesised in the skin from cholesterol, and anything … Continue reading →

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Vegetarian Diets for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition characterised by chronic inflammation in joints that causes heat, pain, redness, swelling and loss of function. The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown although dietary, immune, genetic, hormonal and microbiological factors have been … Continue reading →

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