Monthly Archives: March 2017

Food Patterns Associated with Metabolic Syndrome: The Low Fibre Diet

Poor quality food is a significant driver of insulin resistance, which in turn increases the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. It is the development of the metabolic syndrome that is the cause of the obesity disease that we currently … Continue reading

Posted in Carbohydrate, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Weight Loss, Whole Grains | Comments Off on Food Patterns Associated with Metabolic Syndrome: The Low Fibre Diet

Vitamin C Lowers Blood Glucose Levels

Most animals can synthesise vitamin C from glucose. However, humans are missing the L-gluconolactone enzyme required for this reaction. As a result humans are dependent on their diet in order to supply adequate vitamin C. Because vitamin C is synthesised … Continue reading

Posted in Diabetes, Glycaemia, Insulin Resistance, Vitamin C | Comments Off on Vitamin C Lowers Blood Glucose Levels

The Vitamin D Content of Mushrooms

Posted in 25-hydroxyvitamin D, Cholesterol, Ergocalciferol, Mushrooms, Vitamin D | Comments Off on The Vitamin D Content of Mushrooms

What Are Free Radicals and Antioxidants?

The environment we inhabit contains around 20 % oxygen, and animals and plant cells require this oxygen to respire. During respiration, energy in the form of glucose is broken down to simpler chemicals, ultimately leading to the production of carbon … Continue reading

Posted in Antioxidant, Free Radicals, Oxidative Stress | Comments Off on What Are Free Radicals and Antioxidants?

Fish Oils, Insulin Sensitivity and Muscle Mass

Insulin sensitivity refers to the ability of cells to respond to the hormone insulin. Cells possess insulin receptors on their cell membranes and these receptors bind insulin that circulates in the blood following release from the pancreas. Once activated by … Continue reading

Posted in Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Fish, Fish Oils, Skeletal Muscle | Comments Off on Fish Oils, Insulin Sensitivity and Muscle Mass

Vitamin D and Cancer: More Evidence of A Protective Effect

Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but a steroid hormone. The traditional role for vitamin D was seens as regulating calcium homeostasis, whereby increased circulating levels of the vitamin D metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D increased the intestinal absorption of calcium. … Continue reading

Posted in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D / Calcitriol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, Cancer, Vitamin D | Comments Off on Vitamin D and Cancer: More Evidence of A Protective Effect

Vitamin C: Supplements or Food?

Posted in Vitamin C | Comments Off on Vitamin C: Supplements or Food?

Vitamin C: Supplements or Food?

Posted in Vitamin C | Comments Off on Vitamin C: Supplements or Food?

Current Vitamin D Recommendations

Posted in Vitamin D | Comments Off on Current Vitamin D Recommendations

How To Enhance Carotenoid Absorption

Carotenoids are phytochemicals found in high concentrations in photosynthetic organisms. Here the role of carotenoids is to aid photosynthesis by acting as light harvesting elements during time of low light exposure. In addition, carotenoids may act as antioxidants through the … Continue reading

Posted in Beta Carotene, Carotenoids, Digestion and Absorption, Eggs, Xanthophylls, Zeaxanthin | Comments Off on How To Enhance Carotenoid Absorption