Health and Welfare

A new study has linked several artificial sweeteners to a decline in cognition. Low-calorie sweeteners and sugar substitutes such as aspartame, saccharin, and xylitol have been used since the early 1900s. Past studies show there may be potential health risks including cognitive issues, to using sugar substitutes. A new study provides more evidence suggesting a correlation between sugar substitute use and cognitive decline. Low-calorie sweeteners and sugar substitutes have been […]

In today’s modern world, as consumers we are used to supermarkets having a wide range of fruit and vegetables on shelf throughout the year. On the one hand, many of these are imported and not necessarily in season in our country at that time. So read the label, to make sure it’s grown in South Africa. The other side of the coin is that agricultural developments and farming practices are […]

3-5 cups of coffee a day - linked to longer life, lower diabetes risk  A recent review gives an overview of coffee’s health benefits, considering the most recent data. For most, moderate coffee intake offers health benefits, including decreased mortality and decreased risk for some diseases like cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. There are still factors to consider, such as caffeine intake during pregnancy and decaffeinated drink. More research […]

Macular Degeneration is a painless medical condition affecting vision. As the macula, which is part of the retina, degenerates, vision deteriorates in the centre of the visual field, often leading to blindness. It more frequently occurs in older individuals, though mild symptoms may be present even before the condition is severe enough to provoke a medical investigation. If detected early on, treatment and contingency measures slow the progression of this […]

Is cucumber good for your kidneys? The truth that saved me. Written by Lisa Macdony The Kidney-Cucumber Connection  Cucumbers aren’t just crunchy water sticks. They’re kidney superheroes disguised as salad ingredients. Here’s what makes them so powerful: 1. Hydration Powerhouse Your kidneys LOVE water. Dehydration is one of the worst things you can do to them. Cucumbers are 96% water, making them one of the most hydrating foods on the […]

In our Medical Myths series, we approach medical misinformation head on. Using expert insight and peer reviewed research to wrestle fact from fiction, MNT brings clarity to the myth riddled world of health journalism. Addressing the ‘inevitabilities’ of ageing: What is fact and what is myth? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “between 2000 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will double from about […]

Living circumstances change for people as they, age and very often this, plus the loss of friends and family leads to people withdrawing from others on a social level. When this occurs, it is so easy to become negative and dejected. Often this leads to people visiting the doctor known as Dr Me or Dr Myself for a diagnosis and too often this means a conclusion that I make to […]

Sit-to-stand: The simple test that reveals how you're ageing By Jasmin Fox-Skelly The sit-to-stand test takes just 30 seconds to complete, but its results can provide profound insights into your health. Getting out of a chair may seem too trivial a task to pay much attention to, but your ability to do so actually reveals a great deal about your health. To assess this, doctors use the sit-to-stand test (STS), […]

In response to the articles relating to vision and eyes a member has requested information on ocular migraine particularly as it appears that many people have this condition. The following is some information on the subject. For a detailed report please visit the website below: What is ocular migraine? Ocular migraine (also known as retinal migraine) is a condition that involves attacks of visual issues that affect one eye and […]