Author: Rachel Woods, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, University of Lincoln

ViDI Studio/Shutterstock After the indulgence of festive treats, the idea of starting the year with a clean slate can be appealing. Detox powders, pills, teas and juice “cleanses” all promise a fast reset, often with bold claims about flushing toxins from the body. These promises sound scientific, but they don’t match what detox actually means. […]

insta_photos/Shutterstock You will likely have heard of probiotics. These are live microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient amounts, can benefit health. They occur naturally in foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut and are also sold as supplements. You may also know that for these probiotics to thrive, they need to be fed. That […]

Kimchi has been enjoyed for centuries in Korea. But the spicy fermented cabbage dish has recently gained popularity in other parts of the world not only because of its delicious taste, but because of its potential to positively influence the many thousands of important microbes living in our gut as well as our overall health. […]

Colostrum is often called “liquid gold” by lactation specialists, midwives and infant-health researchers. It’s the early milk produced in the first days after childbirth: thick, yellow and rich in antibodies, proteins and nutrients. Newborn babies benefit greatly from it because their immune systems are not yet fully developed and their stomachs can only hold very […]

The basic principle of weight loss is straightforward: if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight. In practice though, this isn’t usually so easy or simple. Alongside counting calories or eating smaller portions, many people add exercise into the equation when trying to lose weight to help tip the balance. Yet research […]

Walk through any supermarket at this time of year and you’ll see shelves stacked with Halloween treats. Halloween and candy go hand in hand but what does all that sugar really mean for children? The World Health Organization recommends that “free sugars” (sugar that is added to foods, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups […]

Being slightly overweight might not shorten your life, but being very thin might. A large Danish study tracking more than 85,000 adults has found that people with a BMI below 18.5 were nearly three times more likely to die early than those in the middle to upper end of the so-called “healthy” range. The link […]

Holidays should be about relaxing, enjoying yourself and making memories – not obsessing over a “perfect” eating plan. A healthy diet is built over months and years, not in a single week (or two). Instead of restricting what you eat, a better approach is to add healthy extras to your holiday meals. This way, you […]

From collagen powders to immunity gummies, supplements are everywhere – in our Instagram feeds, on supermarket shelves and filling our bathroom cabinets. Promising better sleep, glowing skin, sharper focus or even a longer life, they’re marketed as quick fixes for modern health woes. As a nutritionist, I’m often asked whether supplements are worth the money […]

How much does your weight really say about your health? Probably less than you think. You could eat your five-a-day, hit the gym regularly, have textbook blood pressure and cholesterol levels – and still be dismissed as “unhealthy” based on the number on the scale. Meanwhile, someone with a so-called “healthy” weight might be skipping […]