Monthly Archives: December 2013

Fructose: Metabolic Poison

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Evidence is increasingly linking fructose consumption to the development of Western lifestyle diseases. This is because fructose in high concentrations is a metabolic poison that can overload the liver and increase flux through the de novo lipogenesis pathway. This results … Continue reading →

Posted in Fructose, Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic load, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Sucrose, Sugar | Comments Off on Fructose: Metabolic Poison

Health Begins With Honesty, and a Food Diary

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Nutritional questionnaires are controversial in research studies because it is known that subjects lie about their dietary intake. The reason for this has been explored, and conclusions from such investigations suggest that dishonesty results from either self-denial or the wish … Continue reading →

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Body Fat and Athletic Performance

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Body fat is generally considered by many to be detrimental to the health. However, only visceral abdominal fat correlates with disease because it is indicative of the presence of metabolic syndrome. Such fat is a symptom of metabolic dysfunction, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Exercise, Subcutaneous Fat | Comments Off on Body Fat and Athletic Performance

Starch Digestion in Legumes

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

  Legumes may be beneficial to the health because they produce a low glycaemic response. This is of interest to nutritional scientists because exaggerated rises in blood sugar are increasingly being linked to disease, particularly type 2 diabetes, obesity and … Continue reading →

Posted in Beans, Digestion and Absorption, Pulses / Legumes, Starch | Comments Off on Starch Digestion in Legumes

Creatine Monohydrate: Fast Gains

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Few dietary supplements are able to claim ‘drug-like’ improvements in body composition or athletic performance. However, evidence shows that creatine monohydrate offers the potential for rapid gains in strength and lean mass in a relatively short time period. Supplementation with … Continue reading →

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Vitamin B Insufficiencies In The Elderly

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Robert Barrington

It is often assumed that an ageing person has an inevitable slide into functional disability. Proponents of such an idea can readily find data from the literature showing reductions in muscle mass, deteriorations in cognitive function and increases in blood … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Dementia, Elderly, Folate, Homocysteine, Vitamin B | Tagged , | Comments Off on Vitamin B Insufficiencies In The Elderly

Waist-To-Hip Ratio: How To Measure It

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The body mass index (BMI) is frequently used by the medical establishment to assess cardiovascular disease risk because it is unintrusive and quick. However, studies show that the waist-to-hip ratio is a more accurate predictor of cardiovascular disease risk, despite … Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal Obesity, Body Mass Index (BMI), Cardiovascular Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Waist to Hip Ratio | Tagged , | Comments Off on Waist-To-Hip Ratio: How To Measure It

Medium Chain Triglycerides: Good Fuel

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Fat is generally not as good choice of dietary fuel during intense exercise because it is more slowly absorbed and oxidised compared to carbohydrate. This decreases the usefulness of fatty acids as a fuel for energy during athletic performance. However, … Continue reading →

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High Quality Diets Prevent Disease

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Robert Barrington

High quality diets are those that contain the essential nutrients required by an individual for correct metabolic function. In addition, high quality diets must be absent of metabolic poisons such as sugar and other fructose containing molecules, and possess high … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Fibre, Mediterranean Diet, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Okinawan Diet, Syndrome X, Traditional Diets, Waist to Hip Ratio, Weight Loss, Western Diet, Whole Grains | Tagged | Comments Off on High Quality Diets Prevent Disease

L-theanine Component of Tea

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Camellia sinensis, better known as tea, is a popular drink because of its energising and relaxing properties. Nutritionally tea is important because after water it is the most consumed beverage in the World. Much of the credit for the energising … Continue reading →

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