A new study has shown that a balanced vegan diet can help sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis - see the full article on the BBC Website - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7301188.stm.

Although a small study, it backs up previous studies and experience of nutritional therapists that diet can make a big difference in rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis. Certainly we would almost always recommend to cut down saturated animal fats (from meat and dairy products), increase the 'good' essential fats (omega, 3, 6, 7 and 9) and to reduce wheat and gluten consumption. These simple changes will often make a difference quite quickly in reducing pain and inflammation, and as this study shows also lowers cholesterol and so protects the heart and arteries.

Of course when eliminating foods from your diet it's wise to get some advice from a qualified nutritional therapist who will ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you require from your diet, and this is especially challenging on a vegan diet.

The Edinburgh Fertility Clinic is a group of practitioners based at Napiers Clinic in Edinburgh who offer a ranges of treatments to couples trying to conceive or who are having problems with infertility.

Our new website www.edinburghfertilityclinic.co.uk is now live and ready for visitors!

Our team of complementary health practitioners work together to give each client or couple a specific treatment plan based on enhancing health and vitality and boosting fertility. We work with men and women to help with preconception care in the 6 months before they start trying to conceive, and also to address any problems with fertility from poor sperm mobility and quality to PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid problems and unexplained infertility. We regularly work with couples in preparation for IVF and other assisted conception techniques.

If you are interested in visiting the clinic or finding out more, please visit our website and get in touch.

As a result of having a sore throat myself and my partner getting a horrible virus, I've dusted off my juicer and have been having fun making some interesting and tasty fruit and vegetable juice blends to help us both recover. I'd forgotten how great juicing is and am definitely going to continue experimenting!

Here are some of the cold and cough-busting recipes I've been using:

1. Immune booster - full of beta carotene and vitamin C and great for shifting catarrh and chest infections...a powerful combination!
3 large carrots
50g parsley
2 cloves of garlic

2. Cough calmer - onions have traditionally been used as a remedy for coughs, and combined here with broccoli and carrots, will help to support the lungs and the immune system.
2 large carrots
4 florets of broccoli
Half a medium onion

3. Tasty treat - this is a really tasty combination of fruits that are packed full of immune boosting nutrients and natural enzymes.
Half a pineapple
One mango
Half a punnet of strawberries

A 'study' by a team from Peninsula Medical School has found that herbal medicine doesn't work! They have based this opinion on the only 3 randomized clinical trials that they could find where combinations of herbs were used and have stated that most many herbs are 'misunderstood' by herbal practitioners.

Hmmm, I have a BSc degree in herbal medicine, much of which consisted of learning about the actions and constituents of plants and also drug-herb and herb-herb interactions, in addition to gaining 500 hours of supervised clinical practice with experienced herbal practitioners.

Since then I have gained over 5 years experience as an individual practitioner, although I feel that I still have a lot to learn about herbal medicine. I continually update my knowledge by reading about other people's experiences, looking at the latest research on herbal medicine and attending seminars and workshops whenever possible.

If there are only 3 randomized double blind clinical trials on polypharmacy in herbal medicine, it doesn't mean that herbalists don't know about herbs or that they don't work. There are many ways to assess the efficacy of a treatment, it is just a shame that there isn't more interest and money going into this type of research in herbal medicine. Am I being cynical or is it because there isn't a lot of money to be made by doing it?

In the meantime, my friend and colleague, Medical Herbalist and Director of Research for the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Ally Broughton MNIMH has written a reply to this paper which has been published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal Online.

Here is the original article: http://pmj.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/83/984/633

I'm expanding my clinics at Napiers The Herbalists to include a half day a week at each Edinburgh clinic offering Nutritional Therapy.

As of this week, I'm available for Nutritional Therapy consultations at the Napiers Bristo Place clinic on Thursday mornings and Hamilton Place clinic on Tuesday afternoons.

Appointments are one hour for the initial consultation (£60) and half an hour for follow up visits (£35).

Nutritional Therapy can be useful in the management and treatment of many common ailments including digestive problems, arthritis, stress and anxiety, ADHD, Autism, mental health problems, chronic fatigue, poor immunity and loads more. Contact me (enquiries@heleng.co.uk) for further information or contact the Napiers clinic reception to book an appointment:

More info coming soon...

A large study in Norway has shown that people taking cod liver oil were less likely to become depressed than those that did not take it (see the full story on the BBC website) .

Cod liver oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids that have been shown to help alleviate depression (for example see here) as well as helping to reduce cardiovascular disease, prevent and even alleviate joint inflammation and arthritis.

So maybe our grannies were right to take a spoonful of CLO every day!

As well as being rich in omega 3 fats, cod liver oil also contains vitamin D and vitamin A, and has been used to treat rickets (vitamin D deficiency) in children in the past.

If you decide to take cod liver oil, please take care and buy a good supplement to ensure that it has been screened for toxins and heavy metals - many of the cheaper high street brands have been shown to contain nasties such as PCBs and mercury, which are definitely NOT beneficial for your health! Go to a good health food store and ask for advice.

Please note that cod liver oil is not suitable for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant or for people that have liver damage, due to the high vitamin A content.

The Food Standards Agency has recommended that bread flour be fortified with folic acid in order to help prevent birth defects (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6648059.stm for the full story).

Folic acid is recommended to be supplemented by all women of child bearing age as it is thought to help prevent the occurance of spina bifida. The current UK government recommendation is to take 400 micrograms (ug) daily for at least 3 months before becoming pregnant.

But folic acid can't be the only nutrient that's important in pregnancy? Surely there must be others?? Of course folic acid has been shown to prevent birth defects, but what about making sure that your developing child has access to the optimum amounts of all nutrients so that he/she can get the best start and live a healthier life, including key ones such as DHA (from fish oil) which is vital for the development of the nervous system, calcium and magnesium for the production of strong bones, teeth and nervous tissue, and zinc to aid formation of healthy tissues and production of DNA to name but a few.

And they're just the ones that are important for the growing fetus - what about mum's needs?

Her body is working overtime to create a new human being, so optimum nutrition and healthy food are essential before, during and after pregnancy for the health of both mother and child. More and more research is indicating that a mother's nutritional status whilst pregnant can affect her child's health into adulthood and I frequently see women that are very depleted after pregnancy due to the demands put on their body which may already have been low in nutrients.

If you are planning to become pregnant or already are, you may wish to consult a trained nutritional therapist who can advise you on the best ways to get all the nutrition you and your unborn (or yet unconceived) child need, through diet and supplementation.

You can search for a qualified nutritional therapist in your area on the website of the British Association for Nutritional Therapy (BANT).