The current coronavirus (officially called the COVID-19 virus) alarm has focused our attention on the best ways to deal with a new viral infection. The obvious priority is preventing spread, by isolation and increased hygiene. However, we can also look…
College of Medicine members may have heard of the very sad death of Hugh MacPherson, who was a member of the College’s Scientific Advisory Council, Chaired by Professor Sir Stephen Holgate. Hugh passed away in August, aged 72, from pancreatic cancer.…
Professor Stephen Holgate, the College of Medicine’s Head of Scientific Advisory Council, has revealed that he’s “absolutely thrilled” to have received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s list 2020. Currently Professor of Immunopharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine at…
The Health Secretary Matt Hancock says he now supports people taking vitamin D, amid growing evidence that those who are deficient in the ‘sunshine vitamin’ fare worse when infected with Covid-19. The College of Medicine has long advocated taking Vitamin…
Brushing your teeth thoroughly could help to prevent oral cancer, new research finds. Scientists at the University of California found that the bacteria that builds up around teeth when regular brushing is absent was responsible for pathogens that enhanced tumour…
Since lockdown began back in late March, hypnotist Freddy Jacquin has been offering Freddy’s Free Friday Therapy, offering College of Medicine followers and the general public the chance to log on to a live session (now on the last Friday…
The College of Medicine’s Chair, Dr Michael Dixon, made a keynote address at the Westminster Health Forum Conference on September 17th…here, we share his address in full… ‘I am most grateful to the Westminster Health Forum for organising this third…
What started as a Zoom meeting between four College of Medicine physicians; Dr Michael Dixon, Sir Sam Everington, Professor Ajit Lalvani and Dr Harry Brunjes, has sparked a new, nationwide initiative with the English National Opera. The topic was COVID-19…
A major new study has found that shedding weight significantly cuts the risk of developing a group of chronic health conditions – with a loss of 13 per cent body weight reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by 42…
Chair of the College, Dr Michael Dixon, will be delivering the keynote speech at the online conference. For more information click here
A new study suggests that honey is better for easing sore throats and coughs than many over-the-counter medicines and antibiotics. The sweet nectar made by bees – meaning it’s cheap to mass produce – has strong antimicrobial properties and has…
Practising yoga regularly can be almost as effective in treating anxiety as seeing a talking therapist, new US research has found. The study, carried out by New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, asked 226 people who have generalised anxiety…
GPs treating people suffering with chronic primary pain shouldn’t prescribe painkillers including paracetamol and ibuprofen, new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises. A draft report by a NICE committee suggests that exercise, cognitive therapy,…
Cutting back on alcohol, exercising more and not smoking are among 12 lifestyle changes that could help reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia, a major new study has found. A global team of 28 dementia experts conducted the comprehensive…
Researchers at the University of Warwick have found naturally occurring anti-microbials, which could be used to help tackle antibiotic-resistant infections, in a 1,000-year-old eye salve. Scientists examined natural remedies used in early medieval history in its research investigating alternatives to…
The continued spread of COVID-19 continues to challenge countries all over the world, halting daily life as we know it and placing huge pressure on communities, testing our physical and mental resilience. The College of Medicine, pioneers in social prescribing…
A leading voice in social prescribing has called obesity levels among young people ‘shocking’, saying more needs to be done to address future health and prevent the rise of long-term conditions including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The government announced…
The College of Medicine’s patron, HRH the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall have praised a social prescribing team at a GP practice in Cornwall, after a flying visit there this week. His Royal Highness visited St Austell…
Katherine Tate, aka The Food Teacher, has a head start when it comes to getting 30 youngsters to engage with healthy eating. Tate is a qualified primary school teacher, who retrained in 2014 as a nutritional therapist, ensuring she knows…
The UK’s deputy Chief Medical Officer has urged people to lose weight and get fit to equip themselves against a potential second wave of COVID-19. Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, Dr Jenny Harries said it was now proven that being…
Retirement remains one of the biggest life transitions we face, where one can go from a fast-paced career to a much quieter existence in a matter of days. And while many employers are very happy to throw a farewell party…
‘I’ve been eating fresh strawberries every day for a month now’, keen amateur gardener Piers Day, a Neuro Linguistic Programming trainer and College of Medicine member, tells us. On a sizeable patch of gravel outside his front door, Piers has…
Heather Richards, the College of Medicine’s lead on nutrition and Director Of Nutrition at Sano School of Culinary Medicine, tells us how to cook up an immune-supporting chicken stir fry (easily made veggie) in just 15 minutes… In a recent…
A social prescribing programme designed to encourage older people to dance could help reduce falls by around 58 per cent, a new study has found. Community-led project Dance to Health combines evidence-based falls prevention principles with the creativity, expression and energy…
From ancient times humans have eaten natural herbs and spices. Traditional medicine knew how to use them to act as catalysts in enhancing or reducing the power of foods. Food really can be medicine. In June, Harmony in Health held…
DARK HOURS BEFORE DAWN Floating to the surface of sleep, I felt my tears, heavy, wet, unstoppable. Yet they were easing the heaviness that lay between my heart and my throat, filling the dark empty well where my heart had once…
