New light is being shed on the type of pain that has no obvious cause, prompting hope for thousands.

Hydrogen is tipped to tackle various energy crises, but is it really the reliable next-gen energy source it claims to be?

Welcome to the brave new world of perpetual pandemics.

A calculated guess by a doctor nearly two centuries ago continues to influence the world today.

Water, water everywhere and far too much to drink…

Genetically diverse crops, though inefficient economically, are like an insurance policy when environmental changes or disease strikes. 

Delivering positive health outcomes is a wider social issue and not one that can be solved by doctors alone.

Insect numbers have declined shockingly in recent years. But perhaps the biggest problem is that most of the world doesn’t realize how alarming this is.

Should we eat animals? Many voices say food from plants is enough. So who is right? Dr Roderick Mulgan ponders the important questions.

When it comes to climate mitigation, writes Dr Mulgan, Planet Earth’s survival is more complicated than most suppose.

There are times when stressing out the system can be good for the health — ask the artery-blessed Ama of Japan.

Why do we overeat? New research shows the body is at the mercy of two mechanisms when faced with food — hunger and opportunity.

It’s all very well for the strong-minded to advise ‘food be thy medicine’, but what if it tastes awful and has the mouthfeel of shoe leather?

Scientists call foods that are good for the body ‘functional’. Marketers call them ‘superfoods’. Welcome to the health-giving world of nutraceuticals.

The best diet for long life and good health is an age old conundrum. Modern insights say it has a lot to do with eating the right drugs.

In the first of a new column, a medical doctor explains how the immune system changes after middle age and causes ageing’s big diseases.

Roderick Mulgan is willing to predict what will kill you. It seems rash, but apart from the odd statistical blip, it’s a pretty safe bet that most people die from the actions of the immune system.

LifeGuard Health is here to help with our immune support capsules which we are marketing in the NZ Life & Leisure magazine and which are helping customers throughout the country every day.

So why, you ask, is obesity so bad? Obesity is inflammatory. Fat tissue secretes the molecules that stir up inflammation and obese people walk around with a long-term low-grade inflammation throughout their tissues as a result.

There isn’t one. But you knew that. It is, however, an opportune time to emphasise that healthy living messages are even more important now than they ever were. Most COVID infected people overseas who didn’t do well had an underlying condition like heart disease, cancer or diabetes.

Hi there. I didn’t anticipate having to write to you all. Dr Mulgan is clearly the brains of this operations. For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Stephen Iorns. I’m the chair of Lifeguard Health Limited and Roderick’s co-founder. I’m tasked with keeping this ship on an even keel, and often engaged in the nuts and bolts of the operation. I’m writing to you about how COVID-19 will impact LifeGuard Health, and at worst case scenario our continued supply of Essentials to our valued customers.

How to stay sane in a lockdown is a contemporary theme. Mentioned less often is how to stay healthy in one. So those of us who quietly mind our health week on week with our lifestyle choices.

What do green tea, blueberries, chocolate and pomegranates have in common? Along with many foods touted to keep you well, they are rich in polyphenols.

Is the world’s most popular cholesterol drug an anti-inflammatory in disguise?

You know what the flu is like: not only does everything ache, but you have no energy. Scientists think this happens so we are forced to save precious energy to fight the infection.

A recent sponsored Herald article (by NZ Eggs) “Kiwis pay high price for health” is a timely reminder that none of us can supplement our way out of unhealthy dietary and lifestyle choices. Nutrition, along with adequate sleep and exercise, is the core of good health. It’s that simple. The implications of a high stress, sedentary lifestyle and a diet of takeaways and processed food simply can’t be overridden with a daily multi-vitamin and a couple of fish-oil capsules!

One of the most inflammatory elements in modern diets is sugar, which is a pity, because it is often added to processed food. Turns out, even the natural version isn't necessarily any better. The Journal of the American Medical Association is one of the medical world's most influential publications, and it has recently published the findings of research into fruit juice.

We’ve all known for a long time about the impact good nutrition (or the absence of!) has on our physical health – but evidence that it’s equally beneficial for healthy cognitive function is now considerable.

Latest research reported in this week’s NZ Herald lists vegetables, berryfruit, nuts and ‘good quality’ fats (think oily fish, avocado and olive oil) as some of the very best things to include in our diet to promote mental well-being and cognitive good health. The reasons for their positive health effects mainly relate to the presence of antioxidants and various phytochemicals which can exert an almost drug-like effect on our bodies.