Trailblazing on the cutting edge

For 30 years Good Health has been a trailblazer in health journalism, reporting not only on the latest breakthroughs, but informing readers about revolutionary approaches long before they became mainstream. Here are some of those stories — and what they mean for you now. HRT FOR MEN CAN REALLY HELP

July 23, 1996

BACK in 1996 we reported on a new skin patch for symptoms of the male ‘menopause’ — evidence then suggested that low testosterone levels can reduce a man’s sex drive, and trigger depression. At the time there weren’t even patches for women (now widely available). So this was cutting edge in many ways.

This patch, billed as a ‘hormone replacement therapy’ for men, contained testosterone that would seep through the skin and into the bloodstream at a rate comparable to normal sex hormone production.

While it’s taken years for the male menopause to be recognised (and its existence still divides experts), there are now a range of hormone replacement options for men, including gels and daily pills. There is even a reversible chemical vasectomy showing promise in clinical trials. ADVICE: if you have symptoms, your GP may order a blood test to measure your testosterone levels, and if necessary hormonal replacement may be prescribed.

ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS AND OBESITY May 4, 1999

iN 1999 we ran a series that exposed the harmful ingredients in many popular children’s foods — these were often highly processed and heavily loaded with chemical additives, sugar and salt. This issue is still rumbling on, although now we call these foods ‘ultra-processed’.

‘it is going to take time for the impact of this major change in eating patterns to show, but initial indications are not good,’ we wrote at the time.

Excessive consumption of ultraprocessed foods is increasingly being linked to a number of health issues including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

One in five British adults eats a diet of mainly ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and, worryingly, two-thirds of children and teenagers’ calories come from UPFs.

ADVICE: The availability and convenience of ultra-processed food makes it almost impossible to eliminate, but try to limit it as much as possible. if it’s prepared in a factory, wrapped in plastic and contains an ingredient not found in a domestic kitchen — emulsifiers, stabilisers, preservatives, bulking agents, flavourings and so on — then it’s a UPF.

CANNABIS AS MEDICINE August 9, 1994

THE use of cannabis as a medicine was banned in 1971, but in 1994 we wrote about the increasing number of doctors (70 per cent, according to one

survey) hoping it would be available for therapeutic purposes such as treating pain.

it’s now known that the cannabis plant contains around 130 active compounds called cannabinoids — the body produces similar compounds, called endocannabinoids, which latch on to receptors throughout the body including in the brain.

One of their roles is to respond to damage or calm inflammation. They’re also thought to help moderate pain signals and may have a ‘balancing’ effect in the brain. The theory is that cannabinoids mimic the effects of the endocannabinoid system.

A number of clinical trials have since explored its use, but sceptics say the evidence is not yet conclusive. ADVICE: There are now three medicinal cannabis brands licensed for use on the NHS (for spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, rare forms of epilepsy, and chemotherapy-induced nausea). Medicinal cannabis is also available privately, but can be prescribed only by a consultant, and may cost more than £1,000 per month.