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Can I Live? : The Impact of Free Sugars & The Liver’s Role

11 February 2021
Back in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s the dietary villains on the scene were fats. This resulted in a spike in the production, purchase and consumption of low fat foods, meals and diets, heralding the “low-fat craze” seen during these decades. However, as the 21st Century approached, medical and scientific research presented their findings that in actuality fats were not the villains after all. With a new millennium came a new dietary bad guy. Sugar. 

As seen with those aforementioned decades, scientific findings shifted the consumer’s spending habits, once again, by the late 2000’s and early 2010s towards items on the supermarket that were low in sugar, sugar free or with no added sugar. This trend led to one reputable publication declaring, “Sugar is the new tobacco!” By associating sugar with that of the addictive and harmful carcinogenic (as widely perceived) agent of tobacco, it now placed sugar, sugary products, the brand proprietors of these products, as well as, the food industry as a whole, under the glaring spotlight of societal scrutiny. The very same scrutiny the tobacco industry found themselves under after the research paper published in the 1950’s by British epidemiologist Dr. Richard Doll and Dr. Austin Bradford Hill, establishing the relationship between smoking and lung cancer 1 . This scrutiny swiftly developed into a demand for accountability due to the growing and irrefutable epidemiological evidence highlighting the impact high sugary products have on the health of the public. This concern for public health is an issue that has led the World Health Organisation (WHO) to publish a guideline regarding “free sugars”. 

According to their latest guidelines on this topic, WHO recommends a reduced intake of free sugars throughout the life course. Free sugars are defined as all sugars in any form; all naturally present in fruit and vegetable juices, purées and pastes and similar products in which the structure has been broken down or that have been added by manufactures, consumers during cooking or at the table 2 . Free sugars include monosaccharides and dissacharides of which fructose, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are the most ubiquitous. The recommendation as set by the WHO entails a reduction of free sugars intake to less than 10% of the total energy (strongly recommended) and preferably below 5% of the total energy intake (conditional recommendation) in both adults and children 3 . These recommendations are made having seen worldwide obesity nearly triple since 1975, the categorisation of 39% of adults aged 18 years and over in 2016 as overweight, of which 13% were obese. Alarmingly, 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016 4 . Aside from an obesity and overweight epidemic, there is now a growing epidemic of type II diabetes. WHO revealed that the number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 almost quadrupling over three decades 5 . Bringing this closer to home, more people than ever in the UK have diabetes. According to Diabetes UK, if nothing changes more than five million people in the UK will have diabetes by 2025 of which 90% of people will have type II diabetes 6 . The epidemiological findings have galvanised governments and public health institutions to formulate and implement policies and initiatives in order to address the ominous trajectory towards a life changing chronic disease. However, what impact does sugar have on our bodies that would deem a reduction in the intake of dietary free sugars, more than just the latest dietary craze we have seen in decades past? The answer is that high and frequent consumption of free sugars can do substantial and, in some cases irreversible damage, to our physiology and vital organs over time. 

The common association between sugar and a major organ is the pancreas. The pancreas, also considered a gland, is responsible for secreting the hormone; insulin via the beta cells (β-cells) of the islet of Langerhans. Insulin is responsible for clearing glucose in the bloodstream by increasing glucose uptake in muscle cells and fat cells (adipose tissue), via glucose transporters, which allows for glucose to be stored as glycogen in muscle cells and the liver to be used at a time when glucose levels are low. Insulin also prevents gluconeogenesis (the creation of glucose in the body). These processes are how insulin regulates glucose levels within our bodies. A diet consisting of high free sugars significantly diminishes the pancreas’s ability to meet the now high insulin demands attributed to such a diet. A consequence of this pathophysiology, is that this now overworked and overwhelmed organ can no longer produce or create a sufficient amount of insulin. Whatever insulin is produced and released, the body is no longer responsive to it. This is referred to as insulin insensitivity. This is the hallmark of type II diabetes. The damage by free sugars unfortunately does not end here.
blood sugar illustration
Not only is the pancreas affected, the liver too is compromised. The liver is truly a remarkable organ that marries complexity and simplicity in terms of the biochemistry it performs that is essential for it to carry out its function. Free sugars, predominantly those of fructose and HFCS used in the food industry, are capable of inflicting their damage via further disruption of chemical processes within the hepatocyte (liver cells). A high influx of fructose to the liver (considered to be 85g-100g of fructose per day from Westernised diets, five times the amount in the comparison to human diets 1,000 years ago) leads to the disruption of normal glucose metabolism by a chemical pathway that leads to the rapid stimulation of lipogenesis (fat creation) and triglyceride (TG) accumulation. This in turn contributes to reduced insulin sensitivity and hepatic insulin resistance/glucose intolerance. The over production and accumulation of TG is a cause for concern as they are the starting material for the formation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), otherwise known as bad cholesterol. Its is deemed “bad cholesterol” as VLDL transports cholesterol from the liver to tissues and through this process it inadvertently contributes to the build up of cholesterol on the walls of the arteries. This build up can trigger inflammation and eventually create plaques that lead to atherosclerosis, a major cardiovascular disease (CVD) responsible for strokes. The pathological pathway leading to CVD from lipogenesis is one divergence the other is lipogenesis and impaired fat oxidation from a diet high in free sugars, resulting in fat accumulation in the liver. This can lead to two chronic liver diseases; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
The aggregation of the above conditions; insulin resistance, obesity, heart disease (stroke), type II diabetes, hypertension, NAFLD and NASH have led to the medical community referring to these conditions collectively as metabolic syndrome. What’s more, the pancreas, liver and heart are not the only vital organs to be affected. Free sugars affect the kidneys, the eyes and have recently shown to be a risk factor in the development of some cancers. It is for this reason and host of conditions we believe Fergie’s Sparkling Water® can make something of a contribution towards steering the British public away from a fate consigned to either or a combination of these conditions. 

Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals intends to combat this silent and impending epidemic through Fergie’s Sparkling Water®. Fergie’s Sparkling Water® is a refreshing, tasty, full fruit flavoured sparkling water beverage free from sugars, sweeteners, preservatives and calories. It is a beverage that can be enjoyed on its own, with meals, or shared with friends and family. We are certainly not claiming that Fergie’s Sparkling Water® treats or reverses the onset of type II diabetes, obesity or stroke. Rather, Fergie’s Sparkling Water® was devised with the rationale of providing the consumer with an alternative option worthy of space on a retailer’s shelf and in the consumer’s basket. By choosing Fergie’s Sparkling Water® the decision to live a much healthier lifestyle through their diet, for instance, is done with such congruence to a person’s daily life and routine. The purchasing of Fergie’s Sparkling Water® on these health grounds is substantiated by a report from the British Soft Drink Association (BSDA) that stated the most effective way to achieve change with regards to sugar and its negative health impact, was to reduce sugar in the formulation and development of products that would form part of an individual’s diet. The creation of a beverage like Fergie’s Sparkling Water® is integral to the WHO’s desire to see chronic illnesses, like type II diabetes, being addressed through non-pharmacological intervention. This is something Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals will be pursuing in this decade and beyond. Through our medium and channels we should continue our non-pharmacological approach, whilst seeking to encourage moderation as opposed to strict abstinence or pontification. The latter routes are ineffective and counterintuitive to achieving our goal. 
Our decision to create a soft drink product was not solely commercially influenced in so far as aligning ourselves with the latest market trend. Rather, the decision to create Fergie’s Sparkling Water® was driven by a sense of obligation and duty to address the long term threat and damage high free sugar consumption has on individuals and our National Health Service (NHS). Therefore, it stands to reason that Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals has a legitimate stake in this health issue, irrespective if this said product conventionally falls outside of the products associated with or found within the pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, we are in a unique, yet privileged position to continue this preventative narrative with the authenticity derived from our clinical knowledge, our desire to educate and empower, all whilst collaborating with other stakeholders such as schools, parent, healthcare professionals (HCP), charities and public health institutions. 

In the end, Fergie’s Sparkling Water® embodies the very philosophy so dear to Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals. Fergie’s Sparkling Water® provides a new perspective on healthcare, predominantly in primary care, that coincides with our maxim “From bench into lifestyle™” as opposed to the industry adage of “bench to bedside”. By this time it may be too late. This is something we cannot afford, nor is it something we wish to see when tackling the effects of high dietary free sugars that elicit preventable, chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses. 

© All rights reserved, Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Limited, 2020. 


References:

1 Doll R, Hill AB. Smoking and carcinoma of the lung. British Medical Journal 1950 Sep 30 2(4682): 739-748.

2 Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2015) SACN Carbohydrates and Health Report. London: Public Health England.

3 World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline on sugars intake for adults and children. 

4 World Health Organisation (WHO) Factsheet: Obesity and Overweight <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight> accessed 17th August 2020

5 World Health Organisation (WHO) Factsheet: Diabetes <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes> accessed 17th August 2020

6 Diabetes UK: Us, diabetes and a lot of facts and stats. <https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2019-
6 December 2024
Following on from our “Faith & Medicine” article and in keeping with the theme of spirituality, I’d like to announce that the Archangel Michael stands as the patron of Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. “St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruins of souls.”  Whilst Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals remains a company that will always stay true to the principles of evidence-based medicine and “Good Science”, we pledge to utilise the scientific skill, talent and ambition that this company possesses to best serve patients & customers be they in the United Kingdom or abroad. Our privilege to serve those in need of our goods & services is a commitment we do not take lightly. We are most humbled and grateful to undertake this responsibility, and thus ask for the guidance & protection of St Michael the Archangel in all our endeavours henceforth. Most Sincerely, Sonny A. Ume Founder & Managing Director
6 December 2024
In the Western world, and specifically to Western medicine (allopathic medicine), faith commonly tends to meet medicine at the intersect of “last resort”. Sporting analogies vividly depict such dire occasions, the “Hail Mary Pass” of American Football, “The bottom of the ninth” of American baseball or “90 minutes plus stoppage time” in football (soccer). Once the game plans and tactics have been tried and exhausted to no avail, the game of the respective sports take on a more urgent, opportunistic and hopeful complexion for the teams involved. This scenario is very much reminiscent of when medicine has been deployed as the opening gambit to tackle ill health only to find it is yielding little to no dividends towards improving to the patient’s health or condition. In this situation desperate times call for desperate measures and in the face of such desperation faith is sought and clung onto. Faith and medicine enjoy a polarising duality; Spirituality versus Science, “The Unseen” versus “The Proven”, subjectivity versus objectivity, belief versus evidence. Even in the face of this presented incompatibility between Faith and Medicine, there resides a common thread that unifies both. Patients. This article will look at the importance of acknowledging faith in medicine and the role faith plays in healthcare, particularly in primary care. The opening sentiment of this article on the relationship between Faith and Medicine may appear somewhat flippant and reductive. For some patients, faith does not follow a sense of hopelessness or vulnerability. Rather faith, in their respective religion, is their North Star. Their compass in navigating their day-to-day life of which, their healthcare needs are no different. Faith is central to the identity of an individual and for the collective community and demographic. An understanding of a patient’s faith in the healthcare sector is necessary in a multicultural country like the UK and more so in her multicultural major cities such as London. According to the latest data from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) 2021 Census, Christianity remains the largest religion in London with 40.66%, with Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism and Buddhism following in sequential order at 14.99%, 5.15%, 1.65%, 1.64% and 0.99% respectively 1. When making an eyeball comparison of the religions distribution chart from the ONS 2011 Census against the ethnic group distribution chart from the 2021 Census, it provides a quantitative and qualitative insight into where specific demographics are situated across London 2. For instance you will find a majority of the Black Afro-Caribbean demographic in South East London an area with a high number of individuals identify as Christians, Asian-Indian in West London, an area where a large majority identify as Hindus and Sikhs, Asian Pakistanis far West & East London where Islam is the dominant religion and individuals who identify as Jewish are predominantly situated in the North and North West London area.  A majority people who identify within an ethnic group demographic will have some connection to a religion, which plays an integral part to shaping their culture as well as their faith. This is of significance as these individuals then to be those as risk of preventative chronic disease of which the health outcome can be a poor prognosis. The data derived from the charts below will form the basis for strategies that are to be deployed in meeting the clinical needs of the multicultural demographic in London.
9 September 2024
Dear Reader, We’d like to apologise for our absence and inconsistency in our posting activities. We had planned for 2023 to be the year to springboard growth for the company. However, by August 2023 our plans were derailed by unapproved amendments to an investment deal, unforeseen operational changes by appointed service partner and the negligent damage to our current stock. Due this catalogues of disruptions, it resulted in the business having to concentrate its efforts on stabilizing and navigating through this thorny period. Sadly the decisive actions we took have impacted our agility and growth for 2023 heading into early 2024. It would be no stretch of the English language to deem 2023 as an annus horribilis for Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals. Despite the hurdles of learning and operational obstacles to surmount, we persevere not out of foolishness or folly but out of a sense of duty and determination to contribute something positive to the country. Something positive for the nation’s economy and the health of the population too. Through Fergie’s Sparkling Water®, we have had the opportunity to connect and listen to people. We have come to gain an insight into people’s relationship with their nutrition, GP and the NHS as a whole. Through these conversations with the public, it is apparent there is still much work to do. Aside from these conversations, I would be remiss not to mention and acknowledge the kind words of support and gradual return business we have accrued in spite of all these difficulties since August 2023. We are grateful to these customers and supporters, we shall repay their faith by continuing to make strides towards securing investment. Our path towards securing investment now adopts a strategy of patience (as much as we can afford). The investment climate in the UK is constricted and conservative to nascent SME science ventures. According to an experienced business advisor, investments in the UK have dropped by 61%. Aside from the slow velocity of investment capital, there seems to be a shortage of courage and patience towards modest & sustainable business model. Investing in STEM ventures is not for the faint-hearted, but it is an investment that pays dividends both financially and socially. In this climate, we have to wait discerningly for the correct investing partner that will pull us out of the vicious cycle of traction against capital. I have full confidence in the company’s potential and mission. I hope this is a sentiment shared by our investors. We shall indeed wait and see. In the meantime, we shall continue with our daily operational activities and ambitions. We have come to accept that investment is very much now a waiting game. Kindest Regards, Sonny Ume Founder & Managing Director
23 December 2022
Dear Reader, This year has been a year of marked progess and incremental growth in comparison to the previous year. Early into Q1, we began officially trading with Fergie’s Sparkling Water ® and have been garnering sales throughout the year. Between late Q2 and mid Q3 , we encountered challenges and hinderances in involving our marketing campaign impeding us from fully capitalising upon the double heatwave that swept through the UK in the Summer. Due to thte unwelcomed impact, we have parted ways from the responsible marketing firm that oversaw our campaign during the periods of the aforementioned quarters. New marketing partners have been identified for 2023. Despites seeing sales and an increase in social media follwers across all platforms, we have had to contend with difficult macroeconomic factors. The leading macroeconomic factor has indeed been the steep rise in inflation, exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict in March of this year leading to soaring commodity prices affecting businesses, families and individuals alike. As a result of this, the UK, amongst other countries in Europe, are enduring a cost of living crisis. In relevance to our sector, for Fergie’s Sparkling Water ® , grocery shopping (food) inflation currently stands at 14.6% (down 0.1%, 6 Dec 2022), significantly higher than this time last year’s recorded at 4.2%. To combat this inflationary environment we have decided on two courses of action. Firstly, we have opted not to engage in cost-push inflatuion from our end, which would see us pass the additional cost onto the consumer. This is clearly demonstrated by us not levying a delivery charge on the customer’s orders. Secondly, we have offered small sample packs and have revised and reduced our prices across our current SKU (flavours/lines) which now includes multiflavour packs. These practices have created new customers, returning customers and prospective customers. Regarding the later, we have seen an increase in orders left at the basket checkout (a common practice observed by e-commerce merchants and retailers). We would prefer to convert these incompleted orders to sales. We shall indeed concentrate attention and focus on this practice and these prospective customers in the coming year. Aside from opening achievements and current challenges, we have achieved milestones on a marketing and parternship front this year. In mid Q2 we were part sponsors of a well known health conference with leading dietician and nutritionist . We will explore the possibility of sponsoring this event again. In addition to this come Q1 of 2023 we will be sponsoring a University Netball Team Club for the second half of their season. We intend for this to be a promising promotional endeavour. Whilst forming sponsorship links we enagegd in our first out-of-home (OOH) marketing campaign in a thriving and bustling area within the city of London. This achievement and opportunity allowed us for to showcase our distinctive golden cans and unique and delicious flavours to passers-by in the capital. Again, we aim to incorporate this form of marketing into future marketing campaigns. Rounding up on positive fronts, the final preparations are being made towards the end of Q4 following the better articulation of our product portfolio and strategy heading into 2023. On behalf of the company I am filled with much confidence and optimism as to what lies ahead for 2023. Overall, 2022 has provided an additional 12 months that have served as an invaluable learning curve. Both in evaluation and identification and better yet, realization. And come the end of this year we realize the necessity and central importance of securing funding in 2023. I believe my confidence and optimism are not misplaced surrounding the current potential and awaiting achievements of this company. For, if we can successfully complete our next round of funding and secure sufficient capital investment, it would serve as both fuel and vehicle to propel our commercial ambitions and endeavours. Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals aspires to make its contribution to the gauntlet and satellite challenges that have arisen following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry. Given our stance towards the current perception of the pharmaceutical industry and our intended efforts to a propose remedy to the heightened scrutiny through Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals’ operating model, hence there has not been a more enticing time to be involved in this sector. Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals will strive to be among those enterprises, big and small, who wish to use all their efforts in tackling the challenges and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead in this field. Again, our ambition can only be realized with the necessary capital to fortify and grow based on what we have achieved so far. In closing, and returning to current matters, I would like to take this time to thank you for reading this and subsequent articles we have posted this year. I would like to thank all those who have supported and offered advice to bring us this for. And finally, above all else I would like to thank our customers who have invaluable not just in support through purchase, but in patience too.  I would like to wish you and you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. May 2023 be a year of achivements and delivery for you as I hope it will be for Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals. Kind Regards, Sonny Ume Founder & Managing Director Nnadi’s Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
23 December 2022
Fergie’s Sparkling Water ® is delighted to announce it will be a sponsor for the second half of the University of Strathclyde Female Netball Club (USFNC). Fergie’s Sparkling Water ® can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet, but as a thirst-quenching healthier alternative after physical activity such as sports. Increasing and encourage physical activity, through the medium of sports, is something we wish to do now and in the future. A club officer and player of the USNC, Oriana Smith said; “We have chosen Fergie's Sparkling water as one of our sponsors this year because we really believe in their product of a healthy alternative to sugary soft drinks. As a netball team who take our sport seriously, we can't wait to enjoy Fergie's drinks after our games and around Strathclyde Campus. Thanks so much Fergie's for being one of our sponsors this year!” We will certainly cheering the team on!
14 November 2022
The pharmaceutical industry is a force for good! Our opening remark serves as a reminder and maxim within our company’s mission statement of elevating the patient’s and consumer’s perception of the pharmaceutical industry. Now more so than ever in recent times, this maxim of ours is necessary to recalibrate the perception of our industry. For failure to do so will have far reaching consequences, not just upon the pharmaceutical industry but also on public health. As it stands, Big Pharma and the remaining stakeholders within the pharmaceutical industry must, if not currently are, run through a gauntlet consisting of disenfranchised, incredulous and angry members of the public. This brief will look at the current obstacles and challenges that await Big Pharma and other industry players, whilst proffering solutions that go some way to repairing the strained relationship between pharma and the public. The objective of this reconciliation between both pharma and public seeks to restore the lack of confidence and subsequently the trust that has been broken. The future and integrity of the pharmaceutical industry depends on the mending of this relationship. Beginning with confidence itself, it is its latter crystalised end product of trust, that has been eroded or completely shattered resulting in the pharmaceutical industry being brought into disrepute. The leading contributing factor has been the lack of transparency in commercial activities and the decisions of Pfizer Inc. surrounding their vaccine. The earliest sense of opacity and perceived artifice involved the non-attendance of Albert Bourla pulling out of an initially scheduled European Parliament’s special committee on COVID (COVID committee). Mr. Bourla was not legally bound to attend nor was he subjected to any criminal punishment, as this was not an inquiry. Mr Bourla was intended to speak off the record. Mr. Bourla’s non-attendance proved irksome and did little to quell the committee’s frustration in the pursuit of answer. Another invitation has been extended to Mr Bourla. In Mr. Bourla’s place Janine Small, Pfizer’s Regional President of International Developed Markets stood in. The committee sought to address their concerns surrounding the heavily redacted vaccine purchase contract and the text messages between the Pfizer CEO and EU President Ursula von der Leyen. French MEP and COVI Committee member Veronique Trillet-Lenoir put these questions to Ms. Small. The purpose of Ms. Trillet-Lenoir’s line of questioning was to establish the relevant components about the operations in the manufacturing and delivery of the vaccines. 1 To this, Small answered that the information remains confidential for “competition reasons. This answer in the eyes of the COVI Committee ran contrary to Pfizer’s initial claim of transparency.
7 September 2022
The role of a mother in the development of an infant is invaluable. Whether it be supporting intellectual development or social development at an early age, there remains and even more crucial form of development. Nutritional development. To mark the significance of nutritional development in the early weeks and months of a babies’ life, the first week of August (1st-7th) is considered World Breastfeeding Week by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). WABA is a global network of individuals and organisations dedicated to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide. However, it would seem that the message and rationale promulgated by WABA faces much challenge whilst heading towards a collision course with the proprietors of instant baby formula milk (IBFM) a form of breast milk substitute (BMS) and their proliferation over the previous decades. This article will explore how and whether the marketing practices deployed to promote BMS affects and hence jeopardises breastfeeding. We shall look at the importance and significance of breastfeeding, the current challenges and barriers to breastfeeding. We’ll review the marketing practices used by brand labels of IBFM and rebuttals they propose to these claims. Finally, we shall conclude on the repercussions of these claims on the marketing practices and their impact on breastfeeding and IBFM, before providing a conclusion.  Breastfeeding is one of the earliest and vital acts a mother engages in to support the physiological and nutritional development of her baby. It is for this reason why the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends solely breastfeeding babies for the first six months of their life. 1 The WHO’s recommendation stems from the constituents of human breast milk, all of which contain basic essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fats too. Apart from breast milk being tailor made for a mother’s baby, breast milk is rich in million of live cells (white blood cells and stem cells etc.) that are immune-boosting and help organs develop and heal. Breast milk contains enzymes, growth factors, antibodies known as immunoglobulins (key in protecting the baby from illness and infections) by neutralising bacteria and viruses. In addition to this breast milk includes long-chain fatty acids, which play a pivotal part in the development of a babies nervous system, brain and eye development. Finally, breast milk contains 1,400 microRNAs which are thought to regulate gene expression crucial in preventing or halting disease development, whilst supporting the babies immune system and remodeling of the mother’s breast. 2 The development and properties of breast milk occur over three stages; colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk (foremilk & hindmilk).
8 June 2022
Inflation, defined in simple economic terms, is when prices of goods and services generally increase (along with a rise in demand) whilst reducing the purchasing power of money as each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, once quipped, “Inflation was violent as a mugger, frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man.” And as this perpetrator is very much on the loose and as of the time of writing, poses a clear and present danger to family and households in the West. The global economy, in particularly those of the West, is emerging from the embers and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and whilst still undergoing a jittery and steady recovery, inflation seems to have stalled and in some cases reverse growth in the West. In the United States inflation has hit an annual rate of 8.3% down from 8.5% in March, but still an inflation rate that remains close to a 40-year high.1 Across the pond, Western European nations are grappling, with inflation across the Eurozone reaching 7.5%.2 In addition to this, the raging conflict between Russia and Ukraine has exacerbated the inflationary pressures on the continent. This article will look at how inflation is impacting the UK population and the dangers towards diabetes prevention and what attainable steps or measures can be taken to tackle this.  Despite the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the escalation of geopolitical tension between the US, Russia and Ukraine has now regrettably broken out into military conflict as of Thursday 24th February 2022 and has sent commodity prices soaring. As of 2019, Russia and Ukraine exported more than 25% of the World’s wheat.3 Ukraine is considered the breadbasket of Europe, as 71% of Ukraine land is agricultural. Ukraine is also home to a quarter of the World’s “black soil” or “Chernozem”, which is highly fertile.
27 May 2022
“Be yourself” , “Love who you are” and “Never apologise for being you” are common self affirmations associated with wellbeing but can extend to body positivity. The fashion, beauty and sporting industry are leading the vanguard on the encouragement of body positivity in the name of representation and diversity of body types. This is indeed a good thing and very much welcomed. However, there must be a sense of awareness and caution to the indirect promotion of any health implications, in particularly prediabetes. This article will explore the dichotomy between social norms of body positivity versus clinical (health) concerns surrounding body positivity. This article will cover, to an extent, the relationship and impact of body positivity and body image may have upon mental health, healthy weight management and how best to beat prediabetes and Type-2 diabetes. Finally, we shall cover how a healthy weight is calculated, its significance and metabolic difference between individuals. This article will not cover nor engage in any post-discussion or debate on the topic of body positivity in relation to attraction. From a medical viewpoint, attraction is a subjective, fickle and not germane to this article. Given the sensitivity of the subject it would be appropriate to cover the impact on mental health and psychological well-being. Body positivity is inextricably linked to our self-image, which is key to our sense of identity. Simply put, how we look equates to how we feel. The perpetuation and desirability in the pursuit of the “perfect body” arises primarily from various forms of consumption. Common sources and outlets of this category include; Hollywood, Reality TV, ITV’s mega-successful Love Island franchise and Meta’s Instagram, all offering a window into innocuous entertainment, whilst showcasing the latest beauty trends that go on to become the societal standard. However, this harmless form of entertainment ceases to be so when the perpetuated trends by A-listers, well-known celebrities or recognised public figures (devoid of malice or agenda on their part), are, perceived as unattainable. It is this realisation that is impactful and leaves a detrimental effect on the most vulnerable members of the public on the uses of body image- teens and adolescents. The data to support this is worrying. According to UK survey of 11-16 years olds conducted by Be Real found that 79% said how they look is important to them. Over half (52%) often worried about how they looked. 1 In a survey of young people aged 13-19, 35% said their body images cause them to ‘often’ or ‘always’ worry. Research has shown that girls are more likely to be dissatisfied with their appearance an their weight than boys.2 3 In a survey by Mental Health Foundation, 46% of girls reported that their body image caused them to worry ‘often’ or ‘always’ compared to 25% of boys.4 In addition to this UK survey by Be Real, targeted at UK adolescents, it was revealed that 36% agreed they would do whatever it took to look good with 57% saying they had considered going on a diet and 10% saying they had considered cosmetic surgery.5 Disturbingly among secondary school boys, 10% said they would consider taking steroids to achieve their goals.6 Through these surveys, young people have expressed that body image is a substantial concern. Body satisfaction and a pressure to be thin is linked to depressive symptoms such as anxiety disorders (social anxiety or panic disorder) particularly in those children who do not match societal views of the ideal body.7 8 9 Possessing a poor body image may also prevent young people from engaging in healthy behaviours, as studies have found that children with poor body image are less likely to take part in physical activity. Survey data has shown that 36% of girls and 24% of boys avoided taking part in activities like physical exercise/physical education (P.E.) due to worries about their appearance. Body image is a substantial concern identified by 16-25 year olds and is the third biggest challenge currently causing harm to young people behind a lack of employment opportunities and failure to succeed within the education system being the first two.10
27 May 2022
To mark the Diabetes (Type-2) Prevention Week, we shall provide you with a brief overview of what prediabetes is, why it is significant, who is most at risk and what can be done to tackle it. What is prediabetes? Prediabetes, also known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, is a serious health condition that sees a person’s blood glucose level reside above the healthy range, but reside just below the range required for the person to be diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes (T2D). An individual is deemed prediabetic if they have an HbA1c reading of between 42mmol/mol (6%) to 47.9mmol/mol (6.4%) or a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 5.5mmol/l to 6.9 mmol/l. In the UK, statistics suggest that there are 13.6 million people at risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.
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