New research from the United States based Physicians committee for Responsible Medicine has shown that by eating a #plant-based diet we can help prevent #asthma as well as manage symptoms. Asthma is a common, chronic #respiratory condition that is characterised by the inflammation of the airways, causing #breathing difficulties. The evidence produced by the research found that whilst #fruits, #vegetables, #grains and other high #fibre foods can benefit asthma sufferers, #dairy products and other foods, high in saturated fats could be harmful.

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COVID-19, a new strain of Coronavirus, has prompted unprecedented restirctions and interventions into both personal and professional lives.  Clinical Education is dedicated to providing practitioners with balanced, researched and comprehensive education resources relating to information and strategies about COVID-19. We will continually update this page with the latest news, resources, and links. Dr Leo Galland –

This time of year sees many people looking to change their diets and adopt a ‘healthier lifestyle’, for some that can mean looking for alternatives to meat. As a result, there is growing interest and development in the creation of meat style alternatives.  Currently only 4% of the UK population are #vegan or #vegetarian, however 70% of buyers of #plant-based meat alternatives are meat-eaters, proving just how mainstream the products have become. People are choosing plant-based diets for a variety of reasons, including concern for the treatment of animals, health reasons, environmental concerns or taste, and if they are well planned, they can support healthy living throughout life. For those reaching for meat alternatives for their perceived health benefits, worrying news has been published by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics regarding the #salt content of many of the products.

There has been a growing body of evidence indicating the positive impacts of nature for people.  A recent survey conducted by the University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research group, and in partnership with the National Trust, has shown how those people with an active ‘engagement’ with #nature are more likely to be #happier and feel their lives are worthwhile. A strong bond with nature was proven to be important for both children and adults’ #wellbeing.

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There are two main types. The first, an antigen test, detects the presence or absence in the body of the new coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19. The second, an antibody test, looks for signs that someone has been infected in the past by searching for an immune response. Since Chinese scientists in mid-January 2020

Overview as at 11^th March 2020 (Updated 19.3.2020)

Sustained human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus in the United Kingdom and elsewhere appears today inevitable. The extent and impact of the outbreak in the UK is difficult to predict and will depend crucially on how the Government, medical professionals, and the public react. It will depend particularly on whether there is adequate funding and support for the response; fair and effective management of surging health care demand; careful and evidence-based mitigation of public fear; and necessary support and resources for fair and effective infection control. It also falls to each individual to take appropriate and regular self-defence steps, maintain a suitable level of self-hygiene and limit exposure to potential and actual vectors. The most effective way to protect against Covid-19 is to minimise encounters with other people and if possible keep two metres away when you do meet. Clean your hands frequently, keep them away from your face and cover coughs and sneezes with the bend of your elbow or a tissue.

The Covid-19 outbreak is unprecedented in the recent UK and global history (since 1918), and there is no current playbook for an epidemiological event of this scope and magnitude. To mitigate its impact, the government must act swiftly, fairly, and effectively. For up to date data visit https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus.  Flattening the curve — slowing the spread of Covid-19 across space and time — is critical. The health care system cannot sustain a massive influx of infectious cases to emergency departments and hospitals. Patients with mild symptoms should stay home when possible and seek to maintain their personal health and hygiene. In public health practice, “quarantine” refers to the separation of persons (or communities) who have been exposed to an infectious disease. “Isolation,” in contrast, applies to the separation of persons who are known to be infected.

A Western-style diet can be characterised by the consumption of highly #processed and #refined foods, with high contents of #sugars, #salt, and #fat and #protein from red meat. This type of diet has been associated with poor health outcomes as a major contributor to the development of obesity-related diseases as well as an increased incidence of chronic kidney disease. Researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney have now published a new study in the Royal Society Open Science journal linking a western diet to poor #appetite control as well as reduced #cognitive skills.

Two new #microbiome studies were published last month both concluding that analysis of the human microbiome is more accurate in determining the individual’s risk of certain diseases and lifespan than their human genome would be. The first study was conducted by the Harvard Medical School and found that overall, an individual’s microbiome was 20% better in predicting disease than the DNA in their human genome, it was also found to be 50% more accurate at predicting colorectal cancer than the genome. In the second study, conducted in Finland, the focus was placed on finding a link between a person’s microbiome and their life span. Here researchers found that individuals whose microbiome contained a greater number of certain species of bacteria were 15% more likely to die within the following 15 years.

Noncommunicable diseases (#NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, happen as a result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors, and are not transmissible directly from one person to another. The main types of NCDs are #cardiovascular diseases, #cancer, #asthma and #diabetes, and they now account for 70% of all deaths globally. The definition of NCDs rules out any microbial involvement, but data is increasingly showing us that the microbiota of individuals with various NCDS has been altered. Scientists have transplanted dysbiotic microbiota from animal models of NCDs into healthy animals which have resulted in the disease. The Canadian microbiologist Brett Finlay has recently written an article in Science Mag proposing that some NCDs could have a microbial component capable of communicability via the microbiota.

The foods we eat commonly affect our #gut #microbiota by triggering the production of #bacteriophage, which are the viruses that infect and replicate inside #bacteria. The #microbiome is made up of hundreds of different bacteria and the #phages they host. Researchers from San Diego State University have discovered a new way to harness food as medicine by identifying common dietary compounds that can kill specific bacteria without affecting others.