Vegetarians and people who avoid animal products for cultural reasons may be consuming gelatin in medicines without realising it, a study suggests.

Gelatin, derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones is a commonly used coating agent in medicines, but can also be used as a thickener.

Experts from Manchester Royal Infirmary and South-West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said doctors ‘are fairly ignorant’ about some of the substances used in medicines and patients simply do not realise or believe that their doctors would tell them. [Read more...]

DON’T EAT a 12-inch pizza on your own, health experts have warned.

A 12-inch deep-base Hawaiian pizza could contain as many as 3,591 calories, almost two days’ worth of calories for the average adult.

In Ireland, where 40 per cent of the population eat pizza at least once a week, research released by Safefood indicates that only 10 per cent of pizza takeaway shops offer healthy options.

The average thin base cheese and tomato pizza, while a wiser choice, contains more than half the recommended daily amount of calories, fat and salt, and more than 100 per cent of the saturated fat adults are advised to consume on a daily basis. [Read more...]

Yes that’s right! Here’s a list of healthy and nutritious foods that you simply cannot ignore. These foods are tasty, aid fitness, and should be consumed on a regular basis to ensure you eat a well-balanced, all-round healthy diet.

The vegetarians among you will need to find alternatives and substitutes for a few, but don’t worry – there are plenty of plant based healthy foods in this list of 10 foods you can’t ignore.

Lots of fish rich in Omega 3 – A fatty fish rich in Omega 3 is really important to get your ratio balance to 1:1 (Omega 3 : Omega 6). The top 5 fish for this purpose are – Mackeral, Trout, Herring, Tuna, and Salmon. Vegetarians should take Omega 3 supplements, if a fish oil supplement is a no no. Here is the low-down on the supplements. [Read more...]