It’s widely known that how we fuel and move our bodies can influence our physical health, and of great interest to the Food & Mood Centre, it can also influence our mental health. We also now know that the factors influencing what we eat and how we engage in...
Over the past decade, interest in the gut microbiome has grown as efforts to measure its composition and function have developed. We now know that we have more bugs within and on us than we do human cells, and some consider us more bacterial than Homo sapien. What is...
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common mental health disorder that can occur after experiencing a traumatic event. Most people are aware of the debilitating symptoms such as nightmares, hypervigilance, flashbacks, intense fear and distress. These symptoms arrive soon, but continue long after, a traumatic event. PTSD disrupts...
There is a constant barrage of advice from the media that healthy diet is critical for our physical health. However, recent research has found that diet and exercise does not only affects our physical health, but may also improve our mental health. For example, a recent study (performed here...
In the previous article, we discussed limitations of current drug treatment approaches for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the growing understanding about the importance of lifestyle and health behaviours. This is where the gut microbiome comes in. How could the microbiome be involved? The bidirectional communication that takes place between...
Watching a loved one’s gradual decline from Alzheimer’s Disease is no easy feat. My family experienced this first hand as we watched my beautiful Nan – Dorothy – live with this torturous disease for years before she peacefully passed. Along with memory loss, people with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) dementia...
Fermented foods are increasingly recognized as beneficial for health due to a myriad of demonstrated health benefits. They are also considered to be ‘functional foods’, which means they have additional health benefits beyond supplying basic nutrition. A large array of fermented foods and beverages are becoming more and more...
By Helene Nauwelaers and Dr Wolf Marx We have previously discussed Polyphenols; a group of micronutrients with a range of healthy properties. In this previous article, Meghan Hockey talked about the potential beneficial effects of polyphenols found in dark chocolate and turmeric including how their prebiotic-like effect can influence...
Ever reached for a glass of wine to help unwind at the end of a busy day? While you’re not alone, the temporary feel-good effects of a drink may be doing you more harm than good. Prolonged, excessive, alcohol intake may even have lasting impacts on your gut and...