How to use cocoa as your daily superfood for blood pressure management? — Fancy cocoa or chocolate? In my latest systematic review and meta-analysis, we compared the consumption of cocoa beverages and dark chocolate versus controls in 34 pairs of comparisons. We wanted to investigate whether daily consumption of cocoa beverages (reconstituted from cocoa powder) and dark chocolate is good for your blood pressure (BP) control.

Red meat increases blood amino acids more than plant-based mock meat. — I recently read a study entitled “Plasma Amino Acid Appearance and Status of Appetite Following a Single Meal of Red Meat or a Plant-Based Meat Analog: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial” which concluded that red meat protein is more bioavailable than plant-based mock meat. As a nutrition scientist, I believe…

What are the risks and what can be done about it? — Do you ever feel dizzy after a meal? It could be due to low blood pressure after having a meal. In most adults, a slight decrease in blood pressure after eating is usually a temporary condition and is not a cause for concern. However, elderlies are more prone to experiencing…

Improve Your Appetite To Eat With Exercising. — As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, bone density, and our metabolism slows down. Concurrently, we tend to lose appetite and a decrease in the amount of food we eat in old age, known as anorexia of ageing. Anorexia causes muscle loss, which in turn leads to a…

Holiday weight gain is not as bad as the media wants us to believe. — On average, people living in highly industrialised countries gain 0.5 kg body weight annually. This may not seem like a lot, but over time this weight gain can add up. In fact, holiday weight gain is a major contributor to annual body weight gain. …

Appetite scientists explained satiety phenotypes. — In this article, I try to answer why some people always feel the need to eat even though they just finished a meal. …

Many foods, especially ultra-processed, are not satiating because they are lacking these qualities. — Do you ever feel not satiated enough after a meal? You are not alone. In fact, many food products, especially fast foods, instant meals, ultra-processed foods are not very satiating because they are lacking qualities that promote satiety and suppress hunger. However, you may be surprised to find that the…

Doing your steps after a meal is better than walking at non-specified timings. — Exercise is always beneficial for overall health. Whilst there are various types of exercise, moderate-intensity walking or brisk walking, is an exercise that can be easily implemented in the neighbourhood. Moreover, you don’t need any trainers or equipment. Although you can do brisk walking whenever you want, scientists think it…

Coconut oil is prevalent in plant-based meat alternatives, milk, and cheese. — Coconut oil, despite containing 90–92% saturated fat, has been promoted as a “functional food”. Coconut oil has been especially well-known for its medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) content. Lauric acid is a type of MCT (also saturated), consists of 50% total fat content in coconut oil. …