0:00:02 > 0:00:04If you've settled down to watch this with a nice cuppa,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07you'll be particularly interested in one of the stories we're investigating today.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11You will, because we're going to get to the bottom of some overboiled,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13and in some cases rather frightening, stories that
0:00:13 > 0:00:17the papers just love to repeat, even though not all of them are true.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Every day we're bombarded
0:00:20 > 0:00:22with conflicting information
0:00:22 > 0:00:23about our favourite foods.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29One minute we're told something's good for us, the next it's not,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and we're left feeling guilty about what we're eating.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Well, we've been wading through the confusion
0:00:38 > 0:00:41to separate the scare stories from the truth,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43so you can choose YOUR food with confidence.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Hello. We're very glad you've been able to join us
0:00:55 > 0:00:56for Food: Truth Or Scare.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Now, this is a programme
0:00:57 > 0:01:00that scrutinises some of the more terrifying headlines
0:01:00 > 0:01:02that might just prompt you
0:01:02 > 0:01:04into giving up things that you love to eat.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07All too often, you know, they don't give you the full story,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- but we're here to set the record straight.- And just as well,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13because if you believed all the headlines we'll be looking at today,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15you could be making big changes to your diet
0:01:15 > 0:01:16for all the wrong reasons.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Because while we do still tend to be influenced by what we read in
0:01:19 > 0:01:23the papers, some reports do get the latest research a bit muddled
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and end up giving us the totally wrong message.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Which is not good.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29So as we unpick all of that,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32you might welcome the news to come out of today's programme,
0:01:32 > 0:01:37and in one case it's no exaggeration to say it could save lives.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Coming up...
0:01:39 > 0:01:42We drink millions of cups of tea and coffee every single day,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44but which of the two is better for us?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46And for those who just can't get enough,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49could it be doing more harm than good?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's a pick-me-up. It keeps me going through the day
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and especially winter, you can't do without tea.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59And we reveal the food often touted as a cure for cancer,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02when, in fact, it's a lot more dangerous.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It will also kill your normal cells as well as your cancer cells
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and people have died of cyanide poisoning taking these,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10so they're extremely dangerous.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Right, Gloria, I'm going to interrupt your cup of tea with
0:02:16 > 0:02:20a quick question for you. How much tea and coffee do you drink?
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Now, you're sitting there asking
0:02:22 > 0:02:25an Irishwoman how many cups of tea that she drinks every day!
0:02:25 > 0:02:28You have watched me drinking tea right throughout this programme.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30- I never drink coffee.- OK. - I don't like it.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33It gives me a headache. So I only drink tea, and lots of it.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Right, OK, well, I must admit, I do rely on caffeine
0:02:35 > 0:02:38to get me through those early mornings and long days,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and while I don't think I could live without my cup of coffee,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I have felt a bit worried after seeing those headlines
0:02:44 > 0:02:46that say caffeine is addictive
0:02:46 > 0:02:48or even that too much of it can lead to cancer,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53so I wanted to find out if I really need to be concerned, and if I do,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55whether I'd be better off switching to a different brew.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02We've long been considered a nation of tea drinkers
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and whether we go for Earl Grey or builder's,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09we're each said to get through hundreds of mugs of it every year.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11But these days it's actually coffee we drink the most,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and that's usually the only brew you'll find in my mug.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18This is the first of about five or six cups of coffee
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I'll drink most days,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23but you don't have to look too far to find some headlines
0:03:23 > 0:03:26telling us that caffeine is bad for us, or worse still,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30even addictive, and it's not just coffee - tea's in the frame too.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33The headlines are pretty confusing.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Some say our daily drinking habit
0:03:36 > 0:03:39could be really bad for us and even cause cancer,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42but the same papers also report the exact opposite -
0:03:42 > 0:03:45that tea and coffee can actually fight cancer
0:03:45 > 0:03:49as well as slash the risk of heart disease and protect your liver.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51So after reading those headlines,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54I now have no idea if I drink too much coffee
0:03:54 > 0:03:57or even if I should be drinking more,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and the shoppers I spoke to couldn't help me make up my mind.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- So I see you've both got a cup of tea.- Caffeine free.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Is that what made you choose that?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I tend to be caffeine free.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It gives me sort of the jitters, even a small amount in tea.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Do you drink much tea and coffee?
0:04:12 > 0:04:16I tend to have between 15 and 20 cups a day.
0:04:16 > 0:04:1815 to 20 cups a day?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Do you think that level of tea drinking is safe
0:04:21 > 0:04:23or healthy or unhealthy?
0:04:23 > 0:04:27I haven't had a day off in 20-plus years, so that must say something.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Do you drink much tea?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Yeah, I've got into fruit teas a lot recently
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- because I've given up caffeine. - You've given up caffeine?- Yeah.- Why?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Because I found it was giving me quite bad heart palpitations.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40What is too much tea and coffee, or is there such a thing?
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Coffee, I don't know, two a day... Two caffeinated coffees, like,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47you know, because it's stronger. Tea's not as caffeinated, right?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- Or I assume it's not.- I don't know. - I feel like it's not.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52You can have a tea before bed and you'd still be able to sleep,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54whereas I think if I had a coffee before bed, I'd be like...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Our tea drinkers are right.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01A mug of ordinary tea has about three quarters of the caffeine
0:05:01 > 0:05:04that's in the same sized mug of instant coffee.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07I drink about five cups of coffee a day but I worry that might be
0:05:07 > 0:05:12too much. I've arranged to meet GP Dr Aisha Sharif...
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Hello.- How are you?
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Very well, thank you.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16'..who's quick to tell me
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'there's no need to be quite so cautious about caffeine.'
0:05:20 > 0:05:23For most normal, healthy adults,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26we don't specify a limit to the caffeine.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Obviously, for pregnant ladies,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33there is some guidance and we say 200 milligrams is safe.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38With too much caffeine linked to low birth weight and an increased
0:05:38 > 0:05:41risk of miscarriage, pregnant women are advised to drink no more than a
0:05:41 > 0:05:46couple of cups of instant coffee or just under three cups of tea a day.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49For the rest of us, though, there's no official limit,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and because our bodies all react differently to caffeine,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55there's no hard and fast rule for how much it will take
0:05:55 > 0:05:57for any side effects to kick in.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01There are problems with drinking large volumes of caffeine.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05You may be having a bit too much stimulation, so you may be finding
0:06:05 > 0:06:09that your heart races and a huge problem for me as a GP is insomnia.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12So lack of sleep, what does that do to people?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Well, I think it starts to... If you have got some anxiety problems,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17it can heighten your anxiety.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20If you are susceptible to having certain heart conditions,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24for example, we have quite a rare condition called SVT,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28which is where the heart starts to race faster than it should,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32which can be potentially dangerous for certain people.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Experts say our bodies and brains
0:06:35 > 0:06:38naturally regulate the amount of caffeine we drink,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and we're actually very good at stopping when we've had enough,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and while some people say that caffeine gives them the shakes,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Aisha says that that's just a short-term effect
0:06:47 > 0:06:49and there's no long-term harm.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53So she finds all those scaremongering headlines laughable.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56"Are you addicted to coffee?
0:06:56 > 0:06:57"Doctors are now treating
0:06:57 > 0:07:01- "caffeine-use disorders with therapy."- Yes!
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I've yet to meet a doctor who's actually doing that.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08I don't find that that's a huge problem, certainly where I work.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10"Are you a secret caffeine addict?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12"The health dangers of drinking too much tea and coffee."
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- I think that's overplaying a very safe drink.- Is it addictive, though?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Is caffeine an addictive substance?
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Most common-sense feeling on that is, yes, you do desire a cup
0:07:24 > 0:07:26when you've been used to drinking a cup in the morning
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and people do notice they get headaches and feel sluggish
0:07:29 > 0:07:32when they stop drinking coffee.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34But that's a reasonably short-term...
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Exactly, one or two days and it's out of your system.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39So my five or six cups, you're telling me that
0:07:39 > 0:07:42that's perfectly safe and I'm absolutely fine to continue with it?
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Absolutely safe, yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49So, if we're safe to ignore those terrifying headlines, what about
0:07:49 > 0:07:53the ones that tell us that tea and coffee can do us all manner of good?
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I want to find out if there's any truth to those too.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00So I'm going to stage my very own battle of the brews.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I'll fight the corner for coffee,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05but I need someone to head up Team Tea.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Hello!- Hello. How are you?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- I'm very well, thank you. I'm not here for a haircut, though.- OK.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14But I do hear you make a mean cup of tea.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I'm going to make you one, then, and you can tell me if that is true.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Yes, please, yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- Just like me, nice and strong.- OK. - Thank you very much.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25'Lady Job runs this hair salon in South London, and like many of us,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29'she can't get through a working day without a few brews.'
0:08:29 > 0:08:31What's the secret to a good cup of tea?
0:08:31 > 0:08:35The secret to a good cup of tea, to be honest with you,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39brew very well, not too strong, though, and a bit of biscuit.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44So how many cups of tea would you say you drink every day?
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Do I need to tell you that? Um...
0:08:46 > 0:08:50I think maybe something like a minimum of five. It might be more.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53More than five? How many more than five?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Confession, maybe around seven.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59'Clearly tea is an essential part of Lady's day.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03'In fact, she reckons she couldn't live without it.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- So what do you think tea's good for?- It's a pick-me-up.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08It keeps me going through the day
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and especially winter, you can't do without tea.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I actually read somewhere that caffeine is good for the hair.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16- Hair?- Yes.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Well, you're drinking lots of tea and you've got fantastic hair.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- So I think there might be something in that.- Oh, well, what can I say?
0:09:24 > 0:09:28'So, with Lady drinking even more tea than I do coffee,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30'which of us is making the better choice?
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'I've arranged for the pair of us to meet Professor Gary Williamson.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'He's an expert in how our bodies are affected by the food we eat
0:09:37 > 0:09:42'and he's been studying tea, coffee and caffeine for years.'
0:09:42 > 0:09:48So, Gary, the lovely Lady here is a huge tea fan. I'm a big coffee fan.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52We both drink enough of it to sink a battleship.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Whose drink is healthiest?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Well, it's not really as simple as which one is the most healthy
0:09:57 > 0:10:01because it really depends on what health parameter,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03what health impact you're going for.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Tea and coffee, they're both quite healthy.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09So let's see how many of those headlines about health benefits
0:10:09 > 0:10:12are true, starting with one saying
0:10:12 > 0:10:14tea can help if you've got high cholesterol.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15That's true.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18If you have lots of tea, there's been plenty of studies
0:10:18 > 0:10:21to show that you can reduce some cholesterol.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23It's not going to be as much as taking drugs.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26It's not going to rescue you if you've got high cholesterol
0:10:26 > 0:10:28but it's a subtle effect, like most things in nutrition.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- Are you happy to hear that? - Very happy to hear that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35'But coffee's got some pretty impressive benefits too.'
0:10:35 > 0:10:40If you look at something like type II diabetes, actually,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45coffee is really well protective against developing type II diabetes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47But tea is also good,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50- but it's not quite as good as coffee for diabetes.- OK.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52But if you look at heart disease,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56then probably tea is a little bit better, and especially green tea
0:10:56 > 0:11:00is particularly good for protecting against heart disease.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03'And while your cuppa isn't going to instantly cure anything,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07'it doesn't take much to get that extra bit of protection.'
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Once you have about three or four cups, drinking more than that
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- is probably not going to make too much difference.- OK.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17But it's really down to your individual preference for caffeine.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19And you know some people can tolerate it better,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22some people can tolerate it less well.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24'Tea and coffee can be good for us
0:11:24 > 0:11:27'because they both contain something called polyphenols,
0:11:27 > 0:11:32'naturally occurring chemicals known to have huge health benefits,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36'but how many of those all-important polyphenols we get from a cuppa
0:11:36 > 0:11:40'depends on the type of brew we choose and how we make it -
0:11:40 > 0:11:43'whether it's decaf, filter, teabags or instant, Gary says
0:11:43 > 0:11:47'they can all be good for us, but some are even better than others.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'So I've asked him to help us rank the best of the best and put some
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'of our most popular hot drinks in the order he thinks is healthiest.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58'First up, a herbal favourite.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01'It's believed to help us get a better night's sleep,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04'so is chamomile tea actually good for us?'
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Right, I would say that's up there with one of the best.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13That's a good one. It's got lots of polyphenols in the chamomile.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- It's got no caffeine...- And... - And it's got no calories.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- No calories, no caffeine. - And lots of polyphenols.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'As Aisha told me earlier, there's no problem with having caffeine,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'but because it's a stimulant and some people are more sensitive
0:12:26 > 0:12:30'to it, it's the drinks with LESS caffeine that Gary ranks highest,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34'which has a surprising impact on how he rates the coffees.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- I'd put espresso probably somewhere in the middle.- Right, OK.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42'Filter coffee, which has less caffeine than espresso,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44'is a little higher.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:47So now we've got instant coffee.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49I would have that reasonably high.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Not too much caffeine, plenty of polyphenols, you know,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- relatively easy to drink and prepare.- Yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00So I think I would probably put that fairly high.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- So if we put that up there.- Yeah.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05And now we've got an instant decaf.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- No caffeine.- No caffeine.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- Polyphenols, still. - Polyphenols, and no calories.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12And no calories, so I would put that quite...
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- I would pretty much have that top. - Top?
0:13:14 > 0:13:16I would pretty much have that top.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- Because there could be no negatives. - Because there's no negatives.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22'Coffee connoisseurs might say there are tastier cups,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26'but with plenty of polyphenols, no calories and no caffeine,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30'your mug of black decaf instant coffee would top Gary's list.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32'Some other coffees go much further down.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34'If they haven't been through a filter,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37'they will contain more of the compounds that have been shown
0:13:37 > 0:13:39'to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41'so that breakfast table favourite, the cafetiere,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44'is the lowest scorer so far.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48'So does all that mean Lady's favourite tea, English breakfast,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51'is destined for the top of the table?'
0:13:51 > 0:13:53One of the problems with the breakfast tea is that
0:13:53 > 0:13:56the polyphenols are not so easily absorbed by the body.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It's all in there, it's all about how our body absorbs it.
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Exactly, exactly.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Right, OK, so we're going to put this one, unfortunately,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06probably what's drank most in the country...
0:14:06 > 0:14:08It's not so high.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- Aww!- That's a shame, isn't it? That is a shame.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- I know, it's very annoying because I love tea.- I'm sorry, Lady.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14So we keep it here.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17'But the nation's favourite tea isn't lowest on the table.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21'It's just about level pegging with a relatively obscure one
0:14:21 > 0:14:25'called rooibos, or redbush, which, like English breakfast tea,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'doesn't release its polyphenols quite as easily as coffee.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33'If our table was bigger, green tea and some herbal teas would be
0:14:33 > 0:14:36'right up there with chamomile as being super healthy.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38'But, according to Gary,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41'they're all trumped by that instant decaf coffee.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44'It's at the top of the table because it's got no caffeine,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'no calories and plenty of easily absorbed polyphenols.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50'It might have come out top here,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'but Gary says there are no losers on this table.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I think we've done quite well in ordering them,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59but just remember that all of them really are quite good.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- So, yes, we haven't gone from good to bad, we've gone from...- Good...
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- ..very good to still...good. - ..to pretty good.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08'But I'm still a competitive chap, so I've got to say that
0:15:08 > 0:15:13'I'm delighted to see coffee coming out ahead of Lady's favourite, tea.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15'Of course, whichever is your preference,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19'adding milk and sugar like Lady does will mean there's more calories
0:15:19 > 0:15:22'in your cup, and while I can't convince her to switch to coffee,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25'she IS prepared to make some sacrifices
0:15:25 > 0:15:27'that can only make her drink healthier.'
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Now I think what I have to do is to cut down on the milk,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35maybe reduce the amount of sugar, if that adds a calorie to it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- And the biscuits with it. - THEY LAUGH
0:15:37 > 0:15:39- You have to have biscuits! - No, you do.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Who's drinking all of this?
0:15:41 > 0:15:42LAUGHTER
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- Not me.- Or who's paying for it, more to the point? Taxi!
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Now, if there is one claim we regularly see made for what we eat,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59it's that certain foods can either cause
0:15:59 > 0:16:02or alternatively help combat cancer.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05There can't be many things that the papers haven't linked it to -
0:16:05 > 0:16:09foods such as red meat and sugar have been blamed for making it worse
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and everything from chilli, green tea and broccoli
0:16:12 > 0:16:15can apparently fight it, but I suppose the question is,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18- how much of it is true? - Especially as in some cases
0:16:18 > 0:16:21the same foods that one day we're told might cause cancer,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24another day, up pops a headline saying that
0:16:24 > 0:16:27they may be something that could actually help fend it off,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29or, better still, even possibly cure it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Now, sadly, we've both had cancer in our families
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and it's very easy to see how anyone who has the condition,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38because it's tough, will do whatever they can
0:16:38 > 0:16:41to improve their chances against it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43But, you know, those headlines really don't help
0:16:43 > 0:16:47when you're looking for a definitive answer, so I wanted to find out
0:16:47 > 0:16:48which of them might be correct
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and which might be completely barking up the wrong tree.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57It's estimated that around half of us will get cancer at some point
0:16:57 > 0:17:00in our lives, and although that's a very sobering figure,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03thanks to improved treatments and better research,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07over half of those diagnosed WILL now survive.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09But anyone who's been told they have cancer will say
0:17:09 > 0:17:12they'll do whatever it takes to fight the disease,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17including making big changes to their lifestyle and their diet.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21And that's something that I'm afraid I know only too well.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24When my daughter Caron was diagnosed with cancer,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26she searched high and low, and indeed worldwide,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30for anything that might help her deal with cancer in a better way,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32but I really want to point out that
0:17:32 > 0:17:36she did all of that in conjunction with her orthodox medical treatment.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39In other words, with guidance from her doctors.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Since then, of course, the internet has been flooded with
0:17:42 > 0:17:46even more so-called health websites peddling miracle cures,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and open any newspaper and you'll be confronted with articles
0:17:50 > 0:17:54claiming that some foods could help you conquer the condition.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57You know, some of the headlines are absolutely ridiculous
0:17:57 > 0:17:58and they contradict each other,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and others just seem to be too good to be true,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03but on the other hand, inside all of us, I think,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and particularly those dealing with cancer,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09they have that little glimmer of hope that some of it might work.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Well, one person who's seen and indeed tried lots of the so-called
0:18:14 > 0:18:18solutions touted by the papers is Carl Denning from Leeds.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Carl has battled with pancreatic cancer for four years,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24so, of course, he takes seriously
0:18:24 > 0:18:28any claims made about foods that could help him fight the condition.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33I've tried everything from veganism to alkaline diet.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I've started so many different things
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and also because there's so many different diets out there,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40you're trying to take them all on board.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45I think it's good to be open-minded about any claim.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Being open-minded is one thing,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52but Carl says he's getting fed up with all the mixed messages.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55When you do all your research and when you read all your newspapers
0:18:55 > 0:18:59and you get bombarded by it on social media
0:18:59 > 0:19:02and your friends send you links and your family,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06putting you on a diet, and people buy you the newest book
0:19:06 > 0:19:11and by the end of it all, you get so many different mixed messages.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15In Carl's constant search for that Holy Grail food that might help
0:19:15 > 0:19:18beat cancer, he's compared and contrasted dozens of
0:19:18 > 0:19:22contradictory newspaper claims and put them all into a spreadsheet
0:19:22 > 0:19:25to see how many foods the reports agreed on.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Unfortunately, it was a very short list.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The only things that were really safe at the end of it all
0:19:32 > 0:19:34were, like, yams and lemons.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39I like my food and no-one can live off yams and lemons.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43But like me, Carl doesn't think it's right that the reports seem
0:19:43 > 0:19:47to contradict themselves so often, and he wants to take a straw poll
0:19:47 > 0:19:51of what shoppers in his home city of Leeds make of some of the headlines.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54"How green tea can kill cancer cells."
0:19:54 > 0:19:57What do you think when you read an article like that?
0:19:57 > 0:20:02I am aware that food plays a big part in the health of your body
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and you have to be careful what you eat.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07"Yoghurt and cheese protects women from breast cancer."
0:20:07 > 0:20:10When you read that, do you think there's any truth?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I don't take any notice of these headlines.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I think any advice is worthwhile listening to
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and some things are scary,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24but it's not there to scare you, it's there to help you.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29My gorgeous daughter Caron spent seven years battling cancer,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33and while she did make some changes to her diet and fitness
0:20:33 > 0:20:36to give her body the best possible chance of winning that fight,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40there's undoubtedly so much more information out there now
0:20:40 > 0:20:42than there used to be.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Carl and I have come to Maggie's, a national cancer charity
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'offering support and advice on all kinds of issues,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51'including what to eat.'
0:20:51 > 0:20:52- And this is Carl.- Nice to meet you.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56'Catherine Zabilowicz is one of the charity's nutritional advisors
0:20:56 > 0:21:01'and specialises in helping people who have been diagnosed with cancer
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'to find the best possible things to eat to help their recovery.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:09We've obviously heard how Carl has tried pretty well everything
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and looked into all the diets, so when a person is diagnosed
0:21:12 > 0:21:14with cancer, what are they advised to eat or not eat?
0:21:14 > 0:21:16So research shows that we know that
0:21:16 > 0:21:20eating a predominantly plant-based diet can be very helpful.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24So when you're eating a good variety of your vegetables and fruit,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26you'll be getting lots of these plant chemicals
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and we know they all have anti-cancer properties.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32So if we're eating lots of colourful fruits and vegetables,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34we're getting more of those into our body.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38So variety, probably, is the spice of life.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41'It's a message that Carl had been given by his doctors
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'and it led him to make a big change to his own diet
0:21:43 > 0:21:46'by becoming a vegan.'
0:21:46 > 0:21:50I've tried the vegan diet. I've tried non-dairy at the beginning,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and you do seem to try to take everything on board.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'But after a few weeks, he had to stop because he was so hungry
0:21:57 > 0:21:59'and really wasn't enjoying it.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02'So now, after seeing headlines linking meat to cancer,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05'in both a good and a bad way, he wants to know
0:22:05 > 0:22:09'if it's really something he should be eating at all.'
0:22:09 > 0:22:13We hear an awful lot about meat in all sorts of conditions,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17but in terms of cancer, what's your advice about meat in the diet?
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Well, I'm a proponent of meat.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I think that actually it gives us a lot of nutrients,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25good protein, particularly some meats like organ meats
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and things like that, which we don't tend to eat so much of now.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31For people who are under treatment or have cancer,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33anaemia is often a problem,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37so meat, really, and especially organ meats, are one of the best
0:22:37 > 0:22:39ways of actually counteracting that.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43'But not all meat comes with such a ringing endorsement,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46'and here again, it's so easy to see why people like Carl
0:22:46 > 0:22:49'could be so confused about whether it's safe or not
0:22:49 > 0:22:53'because in 2015 the World Health Organization revealed that
0:22:53 > 0:22:56'processed and red meat could cause cancer.'
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Most of the research really points
0:22:59 > 0:23:02to the processed meats being the ones that we should avoid,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06you know, your bacon and ham and salamis and things like that,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and I always say to people, "Don't eat too much meat."
0:23:10 > 0:23:12I certainly don't recommend a high meat diet.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- What, once or twice a week? - Yeah, exactly.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'So while those meat headlines are backed up with science, Catherine
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'says not every story we read is based on such solid evidence.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:29The problem with a lot of this research is that
0:23:29 > 0:23:33so often it's just seen a petri dish or seen in animals.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37There aren't the human trials quite often but the media picks up on that
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and obviously runs with a sensational headline.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Does that frustrate you?
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Oh, it really does, because, yeah,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48people do latch on to it and then they often get into difficulties
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and it becomes disempowering to the person,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and that's certainly what we don't want.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57But if someone feels positive about what they're doing, that, of course,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01can have a huge influence and we know about the placebo effect.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02We know how strong that is
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and I think, you know, to some extent there's an element of that
0:24:05 > 0:24:08when we feel that we're putting the right food in our body.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12I genuinely believe that Caron lived much longer than her prognosis,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and I believe that's because of her positivity.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17She felt that she was doing something that made her feel
0:24:17 > 0:24:20better and stronger at that time.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I think it makes a massive difference, that,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24to have a real positive outlook
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and also just keep your mind active on more positive things.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Totally agree, yeah.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Whether it is just a placebo effect
0:24:32 > 0:24:35or something more powerful, we'll never know, but I have to say
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I'm really disappointed that more than 12 years after we lost Caron,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41the list of foods that definitely can help
0:24:41 > 0:24:43doesn't seem to have got much longer.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Caron had a very, very positive attitude and she made many changes
0:24:48 > 0:24:50to her diet and her lifestyle
0:24:50 > 0:24:53in the hope that she could conquer her cancer
0:24:53 > 0:24:55or at least manage it, and whereas,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57very sadly, for me, and for all our family,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59it didn't work out like that,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02nevertheless, when I look at some of the headlines, I can see how
0:25:02 > 0:25:05perhaps she would have been lured in by the hope that they represent.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And there's one food in particular that's been singled out
0:25:08 > 0:25:12and even called a miracle cancer killer - apricot kernels.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Now, they're found inside the stones of apricots and contain a chemical
0:25:16 > 0:25:20that it's been reported directly attacks cancer cells.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22At the time, I remember Caron used to eat them,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24and I can understand why,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27'but, you know, I'd completely forgotten about them
0:25:27 > 0:25:30'until I saw this headline last year, claiming that
0:25:30 > 0:25:33'far from curing your cancer, eating them could actually kill you.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36'The question is, are they a cure or a killer?
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'Well, I've come to see Dr Justine Alford from Cancer Research UK
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'to determine the truth.'
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Apricot kernels, you know, it's been hailed, really,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49as a magic cure in some way or if you eat them it prevents cancer.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Is there any truth in that whatsoever?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54There's absolutely no truth in that whatsoever, unfortunately.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57In fact, not only is there no evidence that
0:25:57 > 0:25:59apricot kernels can cure cancer,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01there is evidence that they are very dangerous and that's because
0:26:01 > 0:26:04apricot kernels contain an ingredient that
0:26:04 > 0:26:08once inside your body, gets broken down into hydrogen cyanide.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10So, effectively, yes, that does kill cells,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14but it will also kill your normal cells as well as your cancer cells
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and people have died of cyanide poisoning taking these,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19so they're extremely dangerous and we would never recommend that
0:26:19 > 0:26:23people try taking apricot kernels as a treatment for their cancer
0:26:23 > 0:26:24or for any other illness.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28A recent surge in the popularity of apricot kernels
0:26:28 > 0:26:31led the Food Standards Agency to warn that
0:26:31 > 0:26:33they should not be eaten at all.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Now, I know my daughter Caron ate only a few each day
0:26:35 > 0:26:38in the hope that it would help, but the news that
0:26:38 > 0:26:41they're potentially so dangerous is chilling.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44I've got to say, though, it's great to get such a definite answer
0:26:44 > 0:26:48on at least one food because it seems we are constantly bombarded
0:26:48 > 0:26:52with reports that all manner of foods might be linked to cancer.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Just last month, for example, the Food Standards Agency warned
0:26:56 > 0:26:59that overbrowning toast, chips and roast potatoes could mean
0:26:59 > 0:27:03that you take in too much of a chemical that could cause cancer,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06but where things get especially confusing is when different
0:27:06 > 0:27:10news reports might one day suggest a particular food causes cancer
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and then the next day says it protects against it,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and that very mixed message is especially the case with dairy.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20My daughter was told not to have too much dairy,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22not to have too much cow's milk.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Well, the evidence for dairy is actually inconclusive.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26The jury's still out
0:27:26 > 0:27:29when it comes to whether dairy can affect your risk of cancer.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32'Justine says there's only evidence that eating dairy could
0:27:32 > 0:27:36'reduce the risk of bowel cancer and there's certainly no proof
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'that other forms of cancer can be caused or cured by it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44'So headlines like this may not be giving you the full picture.'
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Justine, is there any proof whatsoever that what we eat
0:27:47 > 0:27:49could actually help prevent cancer?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52There have been a lot of studies into diet and cancer but
0:27:52 > 0:27:56so far the evidence suggests that there is no specific single food
0:27:56 > 0:27:59or drink that can prevent us from getting cancer,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03but what you can do, through your diet, is lower the risk of
0:28:03 > 0:28:05developing certain types of cancer.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09So while there's no proof that any food can cure cancer
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and the jury is still out on whether some others could help
0:28:12 > 0:28:16fight against it, eating well and feeling happy about the changes
0:28:16 > 0:28:18you're making can have a very positive effect,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22and back in Leeds, that's certainly the case for Carl.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Now he's preparing for another round of chemo
0:28:25 > 0:28:28but he's taken some of the advice he's heard on board in the hope that
0:28:28 > 0:28:32eating the right foods might help his body cope with the treatment,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and he's consigned his spreadsheet of conflicting headlines to the bin.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40My advice is, don't take everything word for word,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43do your little bit of research, look into it.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46The thing is, if you're going to follow a certain diet
0:28:46 > 0:28:50and actually put more stress onto your shoulders,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53you're going to add anxiety to your life
0:28:53 > 0:28:55and you're already in an anxious situation,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57so there's no point of doing that.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06If you're looking for ideas on
0:29:06 > 0:29:09how to get more fruit and veg into your diet, as recommended
0:29:09 > 0:29:11by experts across the series,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13you can find plenty of simple recipes at...
0:29:16 > 0:29:19..where you'll also find plenty more suggestions that tie in
0:29:19 > 0:29:22with the foods and topics we're talking about all week.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Newspapers love to tell us stories
0:29:29 > 0:29:32about food and drink that do us all manner of harm,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34but the scare stories don't stop there.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Now they're telling us what we drink FROM could be dangerous.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Every day, millions of us will buy one of these,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43and when we've finished with it, instead of throwing it away,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45we'll reuse it, filling it up from the tap,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48but recent headlines might make you think twice as to whether
0:29:48 > 0:29:50that's a good idea or not.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53So to test out whether reusing plastic bottles is dangerous,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56we've enlisted the help of some guys who certainly get plenty of use
0:29:56 > 0:30:00from theirs - Paralympian Steve Brown and his wheelchair rugby team.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Over the last few decades,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08us Brits have developed a serious love affair with bottled water.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Three billion litres of the stuff is sold every year,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13but instead of buying a new bottle every time,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17plenty of us will just fill up the old one from the tap.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20But whether you're putting one in your work bag, schoolbag,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22or, like me, your sports bag,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25some very alarming headlines say that
0:30:25 > 0:30:26us committed refillers
0:30:26 > 0:30:28could be playing fast and loose with our health,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32because some water bottles could apparently be dirtier
0:30:32 > 0:30:33than our toilet seats.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37I've been playing wheelchair rugby for more than a decade
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and my trusty water bottle comes with me wherever I go.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45If we drop the ball, we don't beat ourselves up
0:30:45 > 0:30:47and complain and hit our wheels, cos it gets us nowhere.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51'For the team I coach, their water bottles are as much
0:30:51 > 0:30:53'a part of their kit as their gloves and their shirts,
0:30:53 > 0:30:58'but I, for one, don't wash my water bottle every time I wash my strip.'
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Right, so, who, like me, refills their water bottles?
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- Andy?- Yeah, I've had mine a couple of weeks.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- Yeah, you refill your water bottles? Tim?- I refill.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- David?- I refill.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- Omar?- Yes.- Harry?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13- I don't, mate, no.- You don't? - I get a new bottle every time, yeah.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15'But according to some of the papers,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19'those of us who don't wash our water bottles could risk suffering
0:31:19 > 0:31:21'a nasty bout of food poisoning.'
0:31:21 > 0:31:23"How your plastic water bottle
0:31:23 > 0:31:26"could be harbouring more germs than a dog bowl."
0:31:26 > 0:31:30The amount of times I get licked and him picking up my bottle for me...
0:31:30 > 0:31:32You and your dog share the germs?
0:31:32 > 0:31:36It's probably... We've probably got the same amount of germs.
0:31:36 > 0:31:37The same germs. Yeah, beautiful.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40'Tim's possibly the worst offender here.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43'He says he's not washed his bottle for around a month,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47'and worse still, his helper dog regularly picks it up in his mouth.'
0:31:48 > 0:31:51So not only do I lick the end of it
0:31:51 > 0:31:55but it does get the dog's saliva on it as well.
0:31:55 > 0:31:56And your bottle has ultimately
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- been on the floor in the process as well.- Yes.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02'OK, so that sounds disgusting
0:32:02 > 0:32:04'but does it mean Tim's water bottle is harbouring
0:32:04 > 0:32:08'any more dangerous bacteria than the rest of the team's?
0:32:08 > 0:32:11'Well, to find out if there's any truth to those scare stories,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14'we're going to run some tests.'
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Guys, what I'd like to do is send our water bottles off for analysis
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and see if they really are as dirty as dog bowls.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24'I'm bagging up the bottles and taking them away.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27'Omar, Harry and Ben's are all brand-new.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'But the rest of us refill our bottles without washing them.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'I can't wait to see what the tests make of this lot, especially Tim's.'
0:32:38 > 0:32:41'I'm taking these sealed bags to London Metropolitan University
0:32:41 > 0:32:45'for testing by microbiologist Dr Paul Matewele.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48'He'll be checking the levels of bacteria lurking inside and
0:32:48 > 0:32:50'around the tops of the bottles.'
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Paul, thank you very much for inviting me down this afternoon.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57I've brought my own bottle along with all my team-mates' bottles.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59What are you expecting to find?
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I'm expecting to find
0:33:01 > 0:33:05some microorganisms that you get from the gut.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'There could be a cocktail of bacteria lurking inside
0:33:08 > 0:33:11'some of these bottles, and they might cause anything from
0:33:11 > 0:33:14'a dicky tummy to serious abdominal pains and even worse.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18'I had never imagined I might pick up something like that
0:33:18 > 0:33:19'from my water bottle.'
0:33:20 > 0:33:23One of my team-mates, and I'll leave you to find out which one,
0:33:23 > 0:33:27has got a helper dog and when he drops his bottle,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31his dog picks the bottle up for him and passes it back to him.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Oh, my goodness. In that case, we'll expect to see...
0:33:35 > 0:33:37We all have bacteria,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40but the animals also have their own bacteria,
0:33:40 > 0:33:45so that one, I'm expecting to see loads of dog bacteria...
0:33:47 > 0:33:49..that you'll find in the mouth of a dog.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53'Of course, as well as bacteria that could lead to
0:33:53 > 0:33:55'a bad bout of gastroenteritis,
0:33:55 > 0:34:00'Dr Matewele's tests might uncover some not so nasty bugs too.'
0:34:00 > 0:34:02What about those wives' tales around,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06"Well, a few germs don't hurt you," and all that kind of thing?
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Surely that would be the same for the bottles.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13In theory, it's quite a good thing to be exposed,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15for the body to be exposed to bacteria,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18because it builds up your immune system,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22but there is a critical number
0:34:22 > 0:34:24and if it goes beyond that critical number,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26then probably we need to worry
0:34:26 > 0:34:28because the immune system can't cope with that.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30So to put that into context,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34my water bottle could be sitting in my car for two days, three days,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I could fill it up and there wouldn't be a problem,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40but if I went back to that maybe five days or six days later,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43then the bacteria's built up to a point where it does cause an issue.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- Absolutely.- Well...
0:34:45 > 0:34:49I think I look forward to finding out but I'm not sure, Doctor.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Thank you very much and I will see you in a couple of weeks.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59After that conversation, I dread to think what Dr Matewele might find.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02But while I leave him to run those tests, there's a whole raft
0:35:02 > 0:35:06of other news stories suggesting an even more serious health threat.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Some have even claimed that
0:35:08 > 0:35:11drinking from plastic bottles can cause cancer.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13I'm going to try something here.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17I'm going to type in "water bottle cancer" and let's see what comes up.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22"Plastic bottles and food containers, cancer..."
0:35:22 > 0:35:24"Cancer, water bottles,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26"the plastic plague."
0:35:26 > 0:35:30"Exposure to chemicals in plastic." There's loads.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32These online stories all relate to
0:35:32 > 0:35:36the plastic that some water bottles are made from, which contain
0:35:36 > 0:35:37chemicals known as BPAs.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39It's been suggested that
0:35:39 > 0:35:41if these bottles are used over and over again,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45the BPAs can dangerously contaminate the water.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Now, these sorts of headlines
0:35:47 > 0:35:49have been getting a lot of attention on social media,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51shares and comments.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55And while it's never wise to believe everything you read online,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58some of these stories come from reputable publications,
0:35:58 > 0:36:02so there's no wonder the message is getting through to some people.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04I read that if you use water bottles too much over again,
0:36:04 > 0:36:05they give you cancer.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08I did believe the stories about cancer and water bottles
0:36:08 > 0:36:11but I can't remember why and I'm still not clear today.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15But are any of these scare stories actually true?
0:36:15 > 0:36:17In fact, according to Cancer Research UK,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19they're almost entirely unfounded
0:36:19 > 0:36:23and started from a string of hoax e-mails and social media posts
0:36:23 > 0:36:25designed to make it look like
0:36:25 > 0:36:27they're backed up by scientific evidence.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29There have been lots of hoaxes
0:36:29 > 0:36:33about plastic bottles, specifically things like
0:36:33 > 0:36:36leaving them in a car or freezing them or reusing plastic bottles
0:36:36 > 0:36:39and whether that could increase a person's risk of cancer,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42so it might be that people have received that e-mail themselves
0:36:42 > 0:36:44or have heard about these hoaxes from their friends or family
0:36:44 > 0:36:47and then it can be really hard to work out what's true and what's not
0:36:47 > 0:36:49because often they try and claim
0:36:49 > 0:36:52that they're from reputable institutions or universities,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55but those universities have released statements saying that
0:36:55 > 0:36:57the e-mails were not from them,
0:36:57 > 0:36:59they don't support them and that the research really isn't there
0:36:59 > 0:37:01to back up those claims.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Fiona says that whilst
0:37:03 > 0:37:06there is a slight risk that BPAs might leak into the water,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10it's only been found to happen under extreme circumstances.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Lots of the tests that have been done looking at plastic bottles
0:37:13 > 0:37:17have used things like very high temperatures or storing things
0:37:17 > 0:37:19for a very long period of time,
0:37:19 > 0:37:20and day to day, that's not
0:37:20 > 0:37:23something that a plastic bottle that someone's drinking from
0:37:23 > 0:37:26is likely to be exposed to, and it's also important to remember
0:37:26 > 0:37:29that even in those cases, the vast majority of that evidence
0:37:29 > 0:37:33isn't showing that the levels of chemicals like BPA
0:37:33 > 0:37:36coming from the plastic bottle into the water itself
0:37:36 > 0:37:39is above a level that scientists consider harmful.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43So, despite those reports online and in the papers,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46my water bottle isn't going to give me cancer,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49but I still wonder if it could make me ill in other ways.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51It's been two weeks since
0:37:51 > 0:37:54I took the team's bottles to Dr Matewele for testing,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57and he's come down to our practice session to deliver the results.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04This is going to be a moment of truth, so, lads, are you ready?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06OK, so, Omar...
0:38:07 > 0:38:10..Harry and Ben, OK,
0:38:10 > 0:38:11cleanest bottles in the team.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14'No surprise there.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17'Those three all bought new bottles on the day they were tested.'
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Third place was Andy.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Second was joint between myself and you, Dave.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28'Interestingly, the six-day-old bottles belonging to Andy and I
0:38:28 > 0:38:31'had no more bacteria than Dave's two-day-old bottle.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36'They were all still perfectly safe to drink from.'
0:38:36 > 0:38:39And dirtiest of all, Tim, was yours, pal.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42Shocking.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46'Tim's water bottle hadn't been cleaned for a month, and remember,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49'his helper dog often picks it up when Tim drops it.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53'Those things make it a breeding ground for bacteria.'
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Well, so, Doctor, what was there?
0:38:57 > 0:39:00All the other bottles had bacteria
0:39:00 > 0:39:05- but Tim also had mould inside the bottle.- Mould inside the bottle?
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Yes. Whereas everyone else's had bacteria.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11'It might sound bad but the mould in Tim's bottle was actually
0:39:11 > 0:39:15'the same kind that grows on blue cheese, so pretty harmless,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18'and despite his bottle having the highest number of bacteria too,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21'Dr Matewele says that unless Tim has been ill,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23'there's not really a problem.'
0:39:23 > 0:39:29In terms of infection, I don't think it's something to be worried about,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33but it's a sign that something has got to be done
0:39:33 > 0:39:36to clean up the bottle slightly more regularly
0:39:36 > 0:39:39than is the case at the moment.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'The fact his bottle hasn't made him ill yet doesn't mean it won't
0:39:43 > 0:39:46'if he doesn't wash it soon, because the tests also found
0:39:46 > 0:39:50'low levels of other, more serious strains of bacteria.'
0:39:51 > 0:39:55The other bacteria which were lower levels,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58if they are allowed to climb up, those are the ones
0:39:58 > 0:40:02that we would worry about because they are pathogenic.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05'If it's left to fester,
0:40:05 > 0:40:10'this pathogenic bacteria could cause some serious health problems.'
0:40:10 > 0:40:12So if a dirty water bottle can make you ill,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15was any of our water bottles at the sort of level
0:40:15 > 0:40:18that you're starting to worry about that with?
0:40:18 > 0:40:20All the bottles that I looked at,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24at this moment in time there's nothing to worry about,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28so it looked fine and they're not pathogenic.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32So it would seem, really, that we need to treat our water bottles
0:40:32 > 0:40:35the same way as we treat the rest of our kit in terms of,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38after training we wash it thoroughly, we make sure that
0:40:38 > 0:40:41it's stored properly and we make sure we look after it
0:40:41 > 0:40:44the way it deserves to be looked after.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Exactly. That's the message that we seem to get from these findings.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58So, Gloria, we're both well aware that a grabby headline is great for
0:40:58 > 0:41:02selling papers or getting someone to click on an article online.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03That's why they do it.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07It is indeed, but it's so easy for someone to believe what they've seen
0:41:07 > 0:41:11without getting the full context of what's behind the research.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14And I'm afraid it's rarely quite as simple as some of the headlines
0:41:14 > 0:41:15would have us believe,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and certainly when it comes to something like cancer,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20people really will do almost anything in the hope
0:41:20 > 0:41:23that it just might help, and you can understand that.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27So I really trust that the official warning about how dangerous
0:41:27 > 0:41:30those apricot kernels could be takes hold soon because
0:41:30 > 0:41:32to me that's really a big worry.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36And while no one food is going to cure cancer, as Gloria found,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39there are some that can help, and you can of course find
0:41:39 > 0:41:41recipes and ideas for some of those ingredients at...
0:41:44 > 0:41:46But for now, though, that's just about
0:41:46 > 0:41:47where we have to leave it for today.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50I hope we've put your mind at rest over some of the scare stories
0:41:50 > 0:41:52that you might have read or heard about.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54So thank you very much indeed for your company.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- Until the next time, from both of us, bye-bye.- Goodbye.