More carrot less stick • Dr Alan Barclay

Protein wars flare again

Based on our anatomy, humans are omnivores. Due to the abundance of food, in many wealthy countries, one of our biggest dilemmas is what to eat?

Tooth decay is a serious health problem around the world in both developed and developing nations and is caused by the breakdown of the tooth’s enamel. The breakdown is the result of bacteria on teeth producing acid that destroys the enamel.

Beware junk protein

Our protein intake is up, but not from wholesome core foods – it’s from discretionary foods packed with refined proteins.

Alcohol: the elephant in the room

The potential negative health effects of drinking excessive amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages are well known and frequently publicised throughout popular media. The average Australian appears to have taken heed, with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption decreasing since 1995 according to the latest research published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

What are quality carbs?

As we look for reasons why rates of overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to rise around the globe in both developed and developing nations, carbohydrate in food has once again come under the spotlight, with many popular authors, and even some scientists, advising people to severely limit or even avoid carbohydrates, and conversely,...

Sugars in food labels and cookbooks

As most people know these days, the latest advice from the World Health Organisation is to keep average free sugars consumption to less than 10% of energy (kilojoules or calories if you prefer) to help reduce the risk of developing tooth decay and to limit ‘empty calories’ which may contribute to unwanted weight gain.

Stop the nutrient blame game

Rates of overweight, obesity and associated conditions like type 2 diabetes are increasing around the world. There are literally hundreds of potential reasons why we are gaining weight as a species, but the quality and amount of foods and drinks that we consume habitually tend to be scrutinised the most, perhaps because we think we...

Scientific evidence

Many different kinds of studies can be used to build a body of scientific evidence that can be used to prove or disprove a scientific theory, prove the safety and effectiveness of a food additive, etc … The evidence is graded from highest to lowest based on the study design.

False attribution

The heralding of the new year in the Western world brings with it a swathe of resolutions. Given the ever-increasing proportion of people who are either overweight or obese, a popular one is to lose weight.

Sweet nothings?

A small Australian study determined that administration of a blend of 92 mg of sucralose and 52 mg of Ace K in a capsule to 27 adults for 2 weeks increased the rate of glucose absorption from other foods/beverages in subsequent meals leading to a transient increase in blood glucose levels.