All Policies Include Enhanced COVID-19 Cover
Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30
Coronavirus FAQs
Questions about cover for coronavirus? Read our FAQs and find out what our policies can do for you. If you would like to contact us, please note we are currently only available 09:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday due to reduced operational capacity. Thank you.
22 September 2015 09:43
Researchers say a ban on trans fats would save lives
Hundreds of lives a year could be saved by introducing a ban on trans fats in processed food, researchers are claiming.
Trans fats occur naturally in some meats and products such as whole milk.
But an artificial form - produced from plant oils - is used by some manufacturers to prolong the shelf-life of various processed food products and to enhance their taste and texture.
Yet a high intake of trans fatty acids, which are more prevalent in cheaper products, has also been associated with a greater risk of developing heart disease.
Coronary heart disease can have a major impact on people's lifestyles but it need not prevent them going on holiday, protected by a good medical travel insurance policy.
The researchers say they believe a total ban on the fats in processed foods could prevent or postpone around 7,200 deaths from heart disease between now and the end of the decade - in England alone.
The team, which includes experts from Oxford University and Liverpool University's Department of Public Health and Policy, say voluntary pledges from the industry do not go far enough, heightening the need for decisive action in the form of a total ban on the fats in processed foods.
At the moment, manufacturers have no legal obligation to label trans fats although people are advised to check for hydrogenated vegetable oils or hydrogenated fats on products' lists of ingredients.
The study - published in the British Medical Journal - estimates that improving labelling or removing the fats from fast food and restaurant meals could prevent up to 3,500 deaths from coronary heart disease.
But the researchers maintain the most effective policy would be to introduce an outright ban on trans fats in processed food.
Yet some experts have questioned the estimate on how many lives could be saved by outlawing the fats from processed food, claiming that consumption is falling and is within recommended limits.
Produced through a process known as hydrogenation, industrial trans fats are said to increase levels of so-called 'bad' cholesterol, while lowering levels of 'good' cholesterol in the blood.
15 October 2020
Where does champagne come from, and why do we love it so?
[more...]
Get up to speed with everything you need to know if you're planning a trip to the continent.
We find out the history of Bologna's special sauce, and look at why it's so beloved across the globe.
07 October 2020
Develop your taste for an escape to the Indian Ocean
Learn more about Southern Spain's favourite wine
Is there such a thing as eco-friendly air travel?
Learn more about the world's most luxurious linen.
Because safer flights start before you've left the runway.
24 September 2020
Looking to put some action into your next getaway? Here's our short guide to the best holiday activities in the age of coronavirus.
21 September 2020
Take a trip to the world's top tanneries.
Learn more about the Land of the Rising Sun's most famous culinary export.
09 September 2020
Get a slice of the action in Napoli, the pizza capital of the world.