More elderly people are taking antidepressants, but they’re just as depressed
4 November 2019 A study published on 7 October 2019 in the British Journal of Psychiatry has called long-overdue attention to a growing problem: burgeoning overprescription of antidepressant drugs to older people despite a lack of evidence of benefit. The study, titled ‘Changing prevalence and treatment of depression among older people over two decades‘, found…
Beyond the Impossible – how do plant-based meat alternatives stack up?
On Saturday 19 October 2019, I presented a talk at the Brisbane Vegan Expo called ‘Love Your Guts: How to have a happy, healthy gut on a vegan diet’. After delving into the research that documents how and why a plant-based diet promotes a healthy and diverse gut microbiota which in turn promotes our physical…
The truth about diabetes – and why you’re not hearing it
The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer famously wrote that “All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” As the Diet Wars rage on, with proponents of diets across the spectrum from carnivore and ketogenic, through Mediterranean to vegan, all duking it out across…
Looking on the bright side of heart health
If you’ve ever seen the Monty Python’s Life of Brian, you’ll no doubt vividly recall the final scene of the film, in which Eric Idle attempts to cheer up a despairing Brian (played by Graham Chapman) and other fellow crucifixion victims by belting out a rousing rendition of “Always Look on the Bright Side of…
PBNHC 2019 – the rise and rise of plant-based healthcare
As I mentioned in last week’s post, San Francisco Days… and PBNHC 2019, it was my great pleasure and privilege to be able to attend the 7th annual International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference in Oakland, California, held 22-25 September 2019. Ever since I first attended this conference in 2014, it has held a special place…
San Francisco Days… and PBNHC 2019
Well, it’s that time of year again! I’m off to the International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference, which this year is being held in Oakland, California. And that means I can squeeze in a couple of days in one of my favourite cities in the world, San Francisco, beforehand – woohoo! Here’s one of my favourite…
A whole new twist to “Where do you get your protein?”
What’s the single question you’re most likely to be asked, once people find out that you eat a plant-based diet? Of course, it’s “Where do you get your protein?” The person asking this question doesn’t realise it, but they’re stuck in 19th century thinking when it comes to protein: they’ve bought into the myth that…
More evidence that taking the Pill in your teens is linked to depression
In a previous post, Hormonal contraception and women’s mental health, I discussed the findings of a study that tracked over 1 million Danish women aged 15-34 for 14 years, and found a dramatically increased risk of being diagnosed with depression in adolescents (aged 15-19) who were using hormonal contraceptives. Now, a new study has extended…
Osteoporosis drugs don’t reduce risk of dying
There’s a strange paradox that characterises life in the 21st century. Never before in human history (and prehistory) have we been so reliant on the fruits of science to live our everyday lives; and yet there is a growing movement of suspicion and even rejection of the scientific method that has delivered everything that we…
Deep dive into gut health
A couple of years ago, I sat down with Anna Chisholm to record this interview on gut health for her Big Impact podcast. Sadly, the Big Impact podcast has now been discontinued, but thanks to the technical wizardry of my friend Jenny Cameron of Wholefoods Plant Based Health, I’ve managed to retrieve the recording. If…