0:00:02 > 0:00:04Could it really be true that some of the most innocent looking groceries
0:00:04 > 0:00:07in your kitchen cupboards are actually superfoods,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10- or indeed that others might not be safe at all?- There's a question.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But before you rethink everything in your weekly shop,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15we've been finding out how much truth there is to the claims
0:00:15 > 0:00:18that might make you nervous about what's in it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Every day, we're bombarded with conflicting information
0:00:22 > 0:00:24about our favourite foods.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30One minute we're told something's good for us, the next it's not,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32and we're left feeling guilty about what we're eating.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But we've been wading through the confusion
0:00:37 > 0:00:40to separate the scare stories from the truth,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43so you can choose your food with confidence.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Hello and welcome to Food - Truth Or Scare.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57This is a series that cuts through all those confusing and conflicting
0:00:57 > 0:00:59claims about the food we eat.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Now, today's programme is about products that you might well have
0:01:02 > 0:01:05in your cupboard and think nothing about using every day,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08until some new report comes along that makes you see them
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- in a very different light. - Absolutely.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And whether it's a scare story about a kitchen staple you're now worried
0:01:14 > 0:01:17about using again or a good news story
0:01:17 > 0:01:20about a spice that's suddenly been found to have superpowers,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23those reports can really make us question
0:01:23 > 0:01:24if we're doing the right thing.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28And while getting to the bottom of stories like this isn't always easy,
0:01:28 > 0:01:29by the end of today's programme,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32you should be confident about which foods
0:01:32 > 0:01:34it's safe to keep putting in your shopping trolley.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Coming up, why the gluten and dairy-free alternatives
0:01:39 > 0:01:42you might think are a healthy choice could be just the opposite.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46They can be lower in B vitamins, they can be lower in iron.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50They can be higher in fats, higher in sugars
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and higher overall in calories.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And do we need to worry about reports claiming
0:01:55 > 0:01:59our breakfast table honey almost certainly contains pesticides?
0:01:59 > 0:02:00They're designed to kill insects,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04so we shouldn't be surprised that they're poisonous to honeybees.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And, actually, they are phenomenally toxic.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Now, if there's one corner of the supermarket that's changed more than
0:02:14 > 0:02:19any other in the past few years, it's the "free from" aisle.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Up until recently, gluten-free, dairy-free and other foods
0:02:22 > 0:02:26made without ingredients that might just trigger some allergies
0:02:26 > 0:02:28took up literally a couple of shelves,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30but now they take up whole aisles
0:02:30 > 0:02:35and the market for free from products is absolutely booming.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Many more people buy these products not because they have a genuine
0:02:38 > 0:02:40allergy or intolerance,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43they do it because they think it's the healthier option.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47But some reports claim that unless you have a genuine allergy,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50free from foods might actually be an unhealthy choice.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53So, as someone who has a free from son in the family,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I went to find out if those claims are actually true.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01One in 50 Brits have a genuine food allergy,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04but well over a third say they're on a specialised diet.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08My son Paul is one of them, and when he revealed he was intolerant
0:03:08 > 0:03:13to gluten more than ten years ago, I have to say, it was news to me.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15It was just thinking about it, Paul, you know,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17I lived with you for all those years
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and I never knew that you were intolerant to food.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Maybe you just were allergic to all my food or something, I don't know!
0:03:23 > 0:03:27No, all your food was fantastic, Mother, for all those years.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Especially all the meals that came out of cans, they were wonderful!
0:03:30 > 0:03:33So, at what point did you discover or get the feeling
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that you wanted to go gluten-free?
0:03:36 > 0:03:41I think it first happened probably about ten, 12 years ago.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And it wasn't that I went to the doctor -
0:03:43 > 0:03:47somebody had said to me, "I think you might be gluten intolerant,"
0:03:47 > 0:03:51so I just cut it out for a few weeks and then felt completely different
0:03:51 > 0:03:54within a very quick period of time.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Paul doesn't have coeliac disease,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59in which the body has a serious reaction to gluten,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and has never been officially diagnosed by his doctor,
0:04:02 > 0:04:07but even so, he says he feels much better when he hasn't eaten gluten.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10So, when you decided then that you'd go gluten-free,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12what immediate impact did that have?
0:04:12 > 0:04:13There was definitely an instant feeling
0:04:13 > 0:04:15of just not having bloatedness.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16If I ate a normal sandwich,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19within ten minutes I'd feel uncomfortable.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Paul's wife Lisa and their children don't suffer from the same symptoms,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27but they have ended up eating less gluten than they might otherwise.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29So, presumably, then, when it comes to, like,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31in the house and somebody decides to go gluten-free...
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- Yeah.- ..that has a real impact on what you cook, what you make.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36I don't really even think about it.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39There are so many products now that are sort of ready-made for
0:04:39 > 0:04:43a gluten-free diet, but, really, we sort of manage it with vegetables.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45In fact, it's probably harder when we go out
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and you actually say to people, "Have you got a gluten-free option?"
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Whereas, at home it's just now easy, isn't it?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Paul and Lisa are in very good company.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56The UK's gluten-free industry alone
0:04:56 > 0:04:59is worth nearly half a billion pounds.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's just one of many so-called free from foods,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06specifically designed products that do without some common allergens
0:05:06 > 0:05:09like wheat, eggs, soya or dairy.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13And while they're essential for people who have a genuine allergy,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15the free from market is booming,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18thanks in part to customers like Paul who have diagnosed themselves.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21But while they're doing it to feel better,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23many reports say that going free from
0:05:23 > 0:05:27when you don't need to might actually be bad for your health.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30"Wasting millions every year on gluten-free products
0:05:30 > 0:05:33"that do little or nothing to improve their health."
0:05:33 > 0:05:36So, how can taking something out make that food worse for you?
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Well, I've come to see what goes into perhaps the most popular
0:05:40 > 0:05:43gluten-free product on the market, bread.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46All the baking is done at the back of the shop, is it? Yeah.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I've asked artisan baker Clare to make me two loaves,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51one with and one without gluten,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56and straight away it's obvious that the regular loaf is the simplest.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58It has yeast, flour, water, salt.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01You're not using any additives at all.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05That centuries-old recipe doesn't change much
0:06:05 > 0:06:07for mass-produced loaves either.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They'll contain more preservatives but still the same simple
0:06:10 > 0:06:15ingredients - yeast, flour, water and salt.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17But it's a different story for the gluten-free loaf.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20So, what have you put into the gluten-free?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22OK, so, what we've done for you here
0:06:22 > 0:06:24is we've used buckwheat flour, we've used...
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Actually, the buckwheat comes from the rhubarb family, doesn't it?
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Exactly. So, it's not even a grain, it's actually a plant.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34We've got brown rice flour, we've got potato flour,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and we've got molasses.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40The molasses, presumably, would be the sugar content here, would it?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44That's right, yes. Because there is no gluten in any of these products,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47when you actually mix it, it is a very sloppy dough.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Would the yeast make something puff up?
0:06:50 > 0:06:52The yeast makes it puff up,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56but what makes this light and airy is actually the gluten in flour.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Ah, so, when you don't have the gluten...
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- Yes.- ..then it's a flatter bread?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Exactly right. And when you cut into it, it is incredibly dense,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07so your little... You're going to have very small air pockets,
0:07:07 > 0:07:12whereas if you cut into this, you'll have lovely, beautiful air pockets.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Apart from producing a denser loaf with more sugar,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Clare's gluten-free bread also contains more fat than her standard
0:07:19 > 0:07:22version because buckwheat flour and brown rice flour
0:07:22 > 0:07:25contain around double the fat of regular wheat flour.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30But your typical mass-produced gluten-free white sliced loaf
0:07:30 > 0:07:32contains even more fat than that -
0:07:32 > 0:07:36on average nearly three times more than a regular loaf.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39So to duplicate a loaf of bread like that,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42the way they do that is by adding in other ingredients.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45If you were going to a manufacturer to try and get the lift,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48to try and make it look bubbly, they will add more things.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51And a scientist somewhere has obviously developed something
0:07:51 > 0:07:54that's going to make it so there are lots of bubbles in it
0:07:54 > 0:07:56to try and make it beautiful.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Would you eat the gluten-free?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Personally...
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Erm, no.- Why is that?
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Mainly because I love bread and I don't have a coeliac allergy.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Whether it's gluten-free bread, pasta or pizza,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15the free from products we looked at contain more fat than their
0:08:15 > 0:08:19mainstream counterpart, which might come as a surprise to some.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23So, on this table we have everything to do with gluten-free and on this
0:08:23 > 0:08:25one is what you would deem normal food.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29So, which one do you think is the more healthy table?
0:08:29 > 0:08:30- The gluten-free.- The gluten-free.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Unanimous amongst your family? - Yeah.- And why is that?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Because there's gluten taken out of the food.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39So, which do you think is healthier?
0:08:39 > 0:08:40- Normal food.- Normal food.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- I would say there's a lot more wheat in a lot of this...- Yes.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46..and obviously being the wheat-free I'd probably say that
0:08:46 > 0:08:48that is the more healthier.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52There does seem to be a perception that products which take gluten and
0:08:52 > 0:08:54dairy out are healthier
0:08:54 > 0:08:55than those which don't.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And 26-year-old fitness fanatic Christina
0:09:01 > 0:09:04has signed up to that message 100%.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Her doctor has told her that she's not intolerant to gluten or dairy,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11but she still avoids them because she says it makes her feel better.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Last year, I found myself waking up in the mornings
0:09:15 > 0:09:18feeling very tired after a full night's sleep.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22I took to he internet and a lot of things were suggesting that having
0:09:22 > 0:09:25a gluten and dairy-free diet would make me feel better.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I came off dairy about six months ago,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and then I came off gluten around about three months ago.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33I felt the effects almost immediately.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37So, within a few days, I felt so much different.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42I felt back to how I used to be, my old self, with lots of energy,
0:09:42 > 0:09:43full of life.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48While both Christina and my son Paul say going gluten-free has made them
0:09:48 > 0:09:51feel better, there are lots of stories which say free from
0:09:51 > 0:09:54isn't actually good for us.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57So, Christina and I are hoping that dietician Priya Tew
0:09:57 > 0:10:00can tell us if those reports are right.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03So, Christina, I gather that you haven't been intolerant
0:10:03 > 0:10:05to certain foods for that long?
0:10:05 > 0:10:09I knew for some months that I wanted to give up dairy and gluten.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12It wasn't until I was in a position where I was living in my own
0:10:12 > 0:10:15accommodation that I had the opportunity to do it.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I discovered at the bakery that gluten-free bread
0:10:18 > 0:10:21can have more fat and sugar than the regular kind,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24but Priya says it's not just what's been added to these products
0:10:24 > 0:10:28that cause concern, but what's often missing as well.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Some people have a gluten sensitivity
0:10:30 > 0:10:31and do need those products,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35but when you compare them to the products that contain gluten,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38the gluten-free ones are lower in fibre,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41they quite often don't contain a wholegrain,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and we know there's a link between wholegrains
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and your risk of heart disease, type two diabetes
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and certain cancers.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52So, wholegrains, we want people to be eating more of those, not less.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55They can be lower in B vitamins, they can be lower in iron,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58they can be higher in fat,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02higher in sugars and higher overall in calories.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Although it can seem like it's a healthy choice
0:11:04 > 0:11:07to go gluten-free, the foods that are out there on the shelves
0:11:07 > 0:11:09are actually less nutritious.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And it's not to say that a gluten-free diet can't be healthy,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14it's just to say if you're relying on those
0:11:14 > 0:11:17pre-processed packaged foods in the supermarket,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20then they're not going to be as good for you as people think they are.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Essential nutrients are missing in other free from foods as well.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Dairy-free milk alternatives like soya,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33oat or almond milk contain much less iodine than cows' milk,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35which some headlines claim poses a health risk.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Now, I have an underactive thyroid,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43so I know that foods with iodine in them would be quite good for me.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46So, iodine is definitely one of these lesser talked about nutrients,
0:11:46 > 0:11:47but it is really important.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50We know that it plays a role in boosting metabolism,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54it's also really important in development for brains for children.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Can you give me a measurement about how much iodine you should get from
0:11:57 > 0:11:59your food every day?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02So, the general population want to be having 150 micrograms
0:12:02 > 0:12:05of iodine a day. A glass of cow's milk can be between
0:12:05 > 0:12:0950 and 100 micrograms of iodine, so you're getting between
0:12:09 > 0:12:12one third to two thirds just from one glass,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- but with the plant-based milk, it's two micrograms of iodine.- Two?!
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- And you're supposed to get 150 a day?- Yes.- That's a lot.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- A huge difference.- Does that surprise you?- That does surprise me.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Because, obviously, an underactive thyroid,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26it's going to make you quite lethargic, isn't it?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Most plant-based milk alternatives are fortified with added vitamins
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and minerals, but few contain added iodine,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37and if you choose one of those, you could be missing out.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Christina had no idea this could be the case,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43especially because she'd been feeling so much better
0:12:43 > 0:12:45since she cut out gluten and dairy.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50So to see if her new diet is lacking in essentials
0:12:50 > 0:12:52or packing some unexpected extras,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55she's been keeping a food diary for the last week,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57which Priya has been poring over.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I'm not surprised that you're actually feeling better
0:13:01 > 0:13:03because for a lot of people,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06when they decide to go gluten-free and dairy-free,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09what it means is, they cut out a lot of the convenience foods
0:13:09 > 0:13:13and instead they change to making things more from scratch
0:13:13 > 0:13:14and making things at home.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18So overall, their diet does become a lot healthier.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And that's what you do, you cook from fresh now, do you?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Yes, yeah, everything. Everything is fresh, yes.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24So that's pretty good.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28So the transformation Christina's feeling
0:13:28 > 0:13:31could have nothing to do with gluten or dairy,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35but it has meant Christina's diet is lacking some essentials like fibre.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41You seem quite reliant on things like sweet potato and potato.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45So having more wholegrains like quinoa, for example,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48they're going to give you more fibre and they're going to just give you
0:13:48 > 0:13:52that range of nutrition that we want to be getting into your diet.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53OK, perfect.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58While there are ways to get wholegrains into your diet
0:13:58 > 0:14:02and still stay gluten-free, Christina knows she's not intolerant
0:14:02 > 0:14:07of gluten so could easily get those wholegrains from bread and cereals.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Priya's not convinced that gluten and dairy were what caused Christina
0:14:11 > 0:14:13to feel tired and bloated in the first place.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15So she's got a proposition.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18If you were open to putting the dairy and the gluten back in
0:14:18 > 0:14:22for a couple of weeks, it would be a really good test to see
0:14:22 > 0:14:24is it those that have caused the problem
0:14:24 > 0:14:29or is it actually because I've started cooking more at home myself
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and I've changed overall the quality and the nutrition of my diet -
0:14:32 > 0:14:35which is it that's giving me the effects?
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Are you happy to try that?
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Yeah, I'm absolutely happy to try that.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Over the next few days,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Christina slowly reintroduces gluten and dairy into her diet.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But I'm afraid it's not all plain sailing.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50She experiences a common, albeit temporary, side-effect.
0:14:52 > 0:14:59So I've just had a latte and my stomach is in a lot of pain.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Not the best result that I was hoping for.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Right now, not feeling amazing.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10I'm not 100% sure whether this is going to work
0:15:10 > 0:15:14but I'm certainly willing to give it a try again.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Although it takes her body a few days to adjust to dairy and gluten,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20the symptoms soon calm down and Christina can work on
0:15:20 > 0:15:24reintroducing those crucial wholegrains which contain gluten.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Just cooked up some pearl barley risotto for lunches this week.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Yum! Just done a bit of training.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Feeling really, really good today.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I'm trying my pearl barley again to see how I feel because I'm feeling
0:15:38 > 0:15:40really positive today.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Here we go.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46A month after Christina started to reintroduce gluten and dairy,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Priya is calling to see if she's noticed a difference
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and if she'll be sticking to the new diet.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The first meal, I thought, "Oh-oh, no,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57"I've got a bit of a stomach-ache."
0:15:57 > 0:15:59And then I sort of thought, "Hang on a sec, there's no bloating,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03"there's no other symptoms. And I feel absolutely great.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07I really didn't enjoy being off of gluten and dairy.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I did it because it made me feel better at the time
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and I feel like that period of two months
0:16:12 > 0:16:14where I was off of gluten was enough.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19And I absolutely love being back on all this food, absolutely love it.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Oh, that's great news.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22But there's a twist.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Even though Christina's symptoms haven't returned,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27now she's eating gluten and dairy again,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Priya says that doesn't mean that they weren't the cause
0:16:30 > 0:16:33of her tiredness and bloating in the first place.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It could have been Christina's body simply telling her
0:16:35 > 0:16:39to just cut down on those foods, not cut them out altogether.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44So everybody's got a tolerance level of gluten and dairy and it may just
0:16:44 > 0:16:49be that you'd hit that level and then gone over the top of it
0:16:49 > 0:16:52and that's why you were experiencing those symptoms at that time.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56So do you think that having the two months off from now on,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58that that's going to be enough?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I think if you have another flare-up and it's a one-off occasion,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05then perhaps the next day, cut back little bit.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Don't go back to completely cutting these foods out of your diet because
0:17:09 > 0:17:13it may be that you can't have those foods three meals a day
0:17:13 > 0:17:16but you could have them two meals a day, for example.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Being back on all of this food means I can go out and enjoy life
0:17:19 > 0:17:22a bit more so I'm definitely going to continue on this path.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Thank you very much. - You're very welcome.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27If Christina had sought professional advice when she'd originally
0:17:27 > 0:17:30experienced these symptoms instead of just cutting out gluten and dairy
0:17:30 > 0:17:34altogether, the cause could have been properly diagnosed
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and a dietician would have recommended a course of action
0:17:37 > 0:17:40that wouldn't have resulted in her losing out nutritionally.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44So the official advice for anyone who thinks they may be intolerant
0:17:44 > 0:17:47is to get checked out because your symptoms may be masking
0:17:47 > 0:17:50something else altogether. And I have to say, that's advice
0:17:50 > 0:17:52that I'm certainly going to pass on to Paul.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Now, all week we're putting some of the latest fashionable food crazes
0:18:03 > 0:18:04under the microscope to find out
0:18:04 > 0:18:07if they're really all they're cracked up to be.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08Well, Chris has been prowling around
0:18:08 > 0:18:11and I'm wondering what you've brought. What is that?
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Well, I've got you a turmeric latte, Gloria.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16I've never heard of turmeric latte but I tell you what,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18it looks disgusting to me, anyway.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Well, it's actually the turmeric itself which is now being credited
0:18:23 > 0:18:25with so many health benefits,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28it's become one of the latest so-called superfoods.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31But not ones to swallow a superfood claim whole,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34we've been finding out how much of what we've been told is true.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Turmeric, TUME-eric, however you say it,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44it's been used in cooking for centuries.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47But in the last few years, it's hit the big-time,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50going from kitchen staple to miracle cure.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52- I love turmeric. - Popular as a superfood.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54I had turmeric on my eggs this morning.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Oh, my goodness, that is foul!
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Thanks to some incredible sounding superpowers,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05we're adding it to everything from porridge to lattes.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I've heard that it's supposed to be very good for your immune system.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13I drink turmeric every morning in a cup of tea.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19And I discovered that my pain is not as awful as it used to be.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I take turmeric every morning in...
0:19:22 > 0:19:25A spoonful of turmeric in warm water
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and mix some black pepper in with it.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Turmeric's been linked with so many conditions,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33it's almost easier to pick one it's not said to help.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37And dietician Lydia Patel says this might be one fad
0:19:37 > 0:19:39that's based in fact.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Turmeric is heralded as the new super spice.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46It's been linked with claims of helping prevent heart disease,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49stopping cancer, helping with Alzheimer's,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and to prevent depression and boost your mood,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55helping irritable bowel syndrome and all sorts of things.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57The reason why there's so many claims
0:19:57 > 0:19:59is that there's a bioactive ingredient
0:19:59 > 0:20:01in turmeric called curcumin.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and also is an antioxidant.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09The benefits it's claimed to have are seemingly endless.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13But how much do these people think you need to reap those rewards?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16I would think you need to take turmeric about daily,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19maybe a teaspoon, I guess. I'm not too sure.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Maybe two of those.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Turmeric is one of the most studied super spices out there.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31However, a lot of the studies that have been done
0:20:31 > 0:20:34have been done in the lab and they've been done on animals,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37so we can't just extrapolate the findings
0:20:37 > 0:20:39from those studies into humans.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43And a lot of the research has actually found that you need very,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46very high doses of the active ingredient curcumin
0:20:46 > 0:20:49for it actually to have a positive effect on your health.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53A teaspoon of turmeric contains less than one tenth of a gram
0:20:53 > 0:20:57of curcumin, and while some studies suggest just over three times that
0:20:57 > 0:21:00might have an effect, others say you'd need to eat
0:21:00 > 0:21:05the equivalent of more than 45 teaspoons of turmeric every day.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07That much?!
0:21:07 > 0:21:09No!
0:21:09 > 0:21:13OK, so, I guess I've not been getting the benefits
0:21:13 > 0:21:15that I thought I was getting!
0:21:15 > 0:21:19But that doesn't mean turmeric is a fad we should forget about,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23because while the benefits aren't yet scientifically proven,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25the anecdotal evidence is strong
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and there don't appear to be any downsides.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So if you like it, and you think it works for you,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33there's no need to stop.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Still to come, Danny Crates puts duty before his taste buds
0:21:42 > 0:21:47to investigate claims that yeast extract might prevent dementia.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49HE GROANS
0:21:49 > 0:21:51They did that for a month?
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Now, while there are some foods that I'm not surprised to see scary
0:22:00 > 0:22:03reports around, every now and again there's one that really comes out
0:22:03 > 0:22:06of the blue and that's just what happened last autumn
0:22:06 > 0:22:07when I heard about this story.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09So, look, we've got...
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And I was so surprised and shocked to read this one...
0:22:22 > 0:22:26And scientists tested 198 samples around the globe, actually.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But, you see, I always regard honey as being pure,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34about being healthy, about being mending.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Lots of people use it for medicinal purposes
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and my son absolutely loves it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42But after I saw those reports, I set off to find out
0:22:42 > 0:22:45if there's more to this story than it first seems.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53We spend over £100 million a year on honey.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- Yes, I do like honey. - I like everything about it.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It seems to be a nice and natural sort of product.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00I sometimes use it as a sweetener instead of sugar.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02I use honey for mainly medication
0:23:02 > 0:23:04when I've got a bit of a sore throat.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I eat it on toast, mainly, or on my porridge.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I probably get through about two or three jars a month.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13My bees produce it so I eat it all the time.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16But things might not be quite
0:23:16 > 0:23:19so harmonious in the hives.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21A new study of the neonicotinoid group
0:23:21 > 0:23:24of insecticides has shown they're present
0:23:24 > 0:23:27in 75% of all honey produced around the world.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Last autumn, a global study discovered that honey from bees
0:23:32 > 0:23:34on every continent,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37except Antarctica, contained pesticides.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Which weren't just harmful to the bees,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42but could be dangerous to humans as well.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So do we need to worry about the honey we eat?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I've enlisted the help of biologist and leading bee expert
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Professor Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Hi.- How are you, all right? - I'm good, I'm good.- Excellent.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- What have we got here? - So, this is a honey bee hive.- Is it?
0:23:58 > 0:24:01So normally you see them in a man-made box,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03but naturally they'd nest in a hole in the tree,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- so this is kind of simulating that. - Oh, wow.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- Let's have a look.- Oh, excellent.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So this is the cone, it's made from wax by the bees,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and that's where they store the honey that they collect.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Bees can forage over five miles from their hives,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22which means in almost any part of the country,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24there is a chance they will come into contact
0:24:24 > 0:24:26with harmful pesticides.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27So in terms of the honey,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31why are we finding so many traces of pesticides in it?
0:24:31 > 0:24:34So we use lots of pesticides in the world these days,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35particularly in farming,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38most crops get treated with maybe 20 different pesticides.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And bees collect nectar and then they concentrate it up
0:24:41 > 0:24:44to turn into honey. It's essentially a kind of concentrated soup
0:24:44 > 0:24:47of all the nectars from across the landscape,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49some of which inevitably contain pesticides.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51As well as making it into the honey,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55commonly used pesticides can be fatal to bees.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57They're designed to kill insects,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00so we shouldn't be surprised that they're poisonous to honey bees.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02And, actually, they are phenomenally toxic.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04If you had a teaspoon of one of these chemicals,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08it would be enough to kill 1.25 billion honey bees.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10So you'd be forgiven for worrying about the news
0:25:10 > 0:25:13those pesticides are in three quarters of all honey.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15But that's the global average.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19In Europe, it was found in 79%.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21How did the rest of the world fare?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Mostly a tiny bit better, actually.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28So best of all is South America, which is down here, 57%.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- Oh, wow.- 65 was Oceania, so Australia, New Zealand.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- Yeah.- Not too bad, compared to us.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Then we've got 80% for Asia, getting worse.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41And then worst of all, North America, 86%.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So pretty much every jar, nine out of ten nearly.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47So only 57% of honey from South America
0:25:47 > 0:25:51was found to contain pesticides, as compared to 86
0:25:51 > 0:25:54in North American honey. I know which one I would buy.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58But Professor Goulson says it's not always that simple.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01A lot of the honey that you might buy off-the-shelf is blended,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03so it's actually purchased from all over the world
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and mixed up in a big vat somewhere.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09So just because you're eating honey in Europe or the UK,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13doesn't necessarily mean that the honey has come from that continent
0:26:13 > 0:26:14- or that country?- No, not at all.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18This is the kind of typical one which is blended honey.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21It says, "From the EU and non-EU sources."
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Which isn't really terribly specific.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25But you've got no way of knowing?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28No way at all of knowing where that's been or where it's come from.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33In fact, when we checked the 25 different types of honey on sale
0:26:33 > 0:26:36in a leading supermarket, 13 of them were blends
0:26:36 > 0:26:39from a number of different countries and seven said
0:26:39 > 0:26:42they were from a mix of EU and non-EU sources.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Basically, they could have come from anywhere.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49And if you think that choosing a honey you know is farmed
0:26:49 > 0:26:52in a specific place will avoid pesticides, you are wrong.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Even New Zealand's famous Manuka honey
0:26:54 > 0:26:58can't be guaranteed to be pesticide-free.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Manuka is a shrub that only grows in that part of the world.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03To my knowledge, that shrub isn't actually treated
0:27:03 > 0:27:05with any pesticides.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Who knows what grows next to the Manuka and no-one can tell the bees,
0:27:08 > 0:27:09"You can only feed on that one plant."
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Organic honey could be a way to go, couldn't it?
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Well, it will probably have fewer pesticides in it because some of the
0:27:16 > 0:27:18bees will have been feeding on an organic farm.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20But the sad truth is,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23they can't guarantee that it's completely free of pesticides,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25not unless they've got a vast organic farm
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and certainly in Britain, there is no farm big enough.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33So whether we buy raw, cream, branded or blended honey,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37there's no way to guarantee you won't find pesticides in the jar,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41even though there's no mention of it on the label.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45So will knowing that pesticides are likely to be in our honey change the
0:27:45 > 0:27:48opinion of shoppers at Tooting Market?
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I've got some different types of honey here,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- would you like to try some? - OK, yeah, I'd love to.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- Yes.- Yes, love to.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- Yeah, OK.- But before you do...
0:27:56 > 0:28:01If I told you that of all the European honeys tested,
0:28:01 > 0:28:0779% of European honeys came back as showing traces of pesticides...
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- Yes, it would change my mind. - Yeah, that would turn me off.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It concerns me if anything has pesticides.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17If you had one which didn't have that, I would try that one.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But while that's understandable, are they overreacting?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Just how high are the levels of pesticides
0:28:23 > 0:28:25in the honey and are they as harmful to us
0:28:25 > 0:28:28as the headlines suggest?
0:28:28 > 0:28:31The good news is that the amounts involved are pretty small,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33the concentrations are low.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37They're well below the levels that are deemed to be safe for human
0:28:37 > 0:28:39consumption in the short-term.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43There are concerns about what the possible long-term exposure
0:28:43 > 0:28:47to pesticides does to us, and nobody really knows for sure that
0:28:47 > 0:28:48that doesn't do us harm.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51But we can safely have honey on toast without worrying
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- about our health? - I'm going to carry on eating honey.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58So that's good news for honey lovers everywhere.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00The reason there are pesticides in our honey
0:29:00 > 0:29:03is because the vast majority of crops in the UK
0:29:03 > 0:29:05are treated with chemicals.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08While it would be nice to think that we could reduce the levels used,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11farmer Andrew Ward say that that's unrealistic
0:29:11 > 0:29:14because of consumer demand.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Well, if I wasn't to use pesticides at all,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20the food supply would decrease. It's as simple as that.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24I mean, pesticides enables us to produce the maximum amount of food
0:29:24 > 0:29:27sustainably while looking after nature and the environment.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29If farmers stopped using pesticides,
0:29:29 > 0:29:34experts say their harvest would reduce by up to 70%.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Yes, we can produce organic food but the yield of organic food is a lot
0:29:38 > 0:29:40less than the yield we produce here.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44So the shopping bill would be a lot dearer without pesticides
0:29:44 > 0:29:47because there wouldn't be so much food available.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50So if almost all food crops are treated with pesticides,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53and are likely to contain some level of them,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55then could we end up eating a dangerous amount
0:29:55 > 0:29:57through the combination of all those foods?
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Well, I'm about to ask someone who can answer just that.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05But first, he's asked me to pick up five products I think might contain
0:30:05 > 0:30:07high levels of pesticides.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Lettuce, I'm definitely going to pick lettuce.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13These are incredibly popular with bugs and insects
0:30:13 > 0:30:15looking for a free lunch.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17So I'm getting cured meat.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20I'm sure the pig would have eaten something that had pesticides in it.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I think apples will have traces of pesticides.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26I'm going with leeks.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27So I've picked pasta.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Pasta's made from wheat, wheat's got to have pesticides, right?
0:30:31 > 0:30:34With that lot in the bag, I'm off to grill Dr Paul Brantom,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37a specialist in toxicology who chairs
0:30:37 > 0:30:40the Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42or PRIF for short.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Every year, they test thousands of samples of food
0:30:45 > 0:30:48they expect will show traces of pesticides.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51And a surprising number of samples didn't contain any.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53If you look at the analytical results,
0:30:53 > 0:30:59close to 50% of the foods that we analyse show no levels
0:30:59 > 0:31:01of pesticide residue at all.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- None?- None at all.- Wow.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Now, while it's impossible to say why that was the case,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11the tests were only done on foods that were grown or farmed
0:31:11 > 0:31:14using pesticides. And almost half the time,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16every trace of those chemicals had disappeared
0:31:16 > 0:31:19by the time they hit the supermarket shelves.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24So, what of the five products I picked up?
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Well, of the 90 samples of meat products PRIF tested,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31only eight tested positive for pesticides.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34A quarter of the pasta and just over a quarter of the leeks
0:31:34 > 0:31:36tested positive.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39The lettuce, which I was certain would have some pesticide residue,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42did show traces two thirds of the time.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47And 90% of the apples tested by PRIF contained pesticide residues.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51But, crucially, every single one of those was under what's known
0:31:51 > 0:31:55as the maximum residue level or MRL.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59That's the maximum level that you think is safe for us to eat?
0:31:59 > 0:32:01It's not set as a safe level,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04it's the maximum amount that should be found
0:32:04 > 0:32:07in the food if the pesticide is being used in accord
0:32:07 > 0:32:10with what is called good agricultural practice.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14You can exceed the MRL and it still will be safe.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18Right, OK. So all of these products and many, many others,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21although have come into contact with pesticides,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- are perfectly safe for human consumption?- That's right.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28We take a great deal of care to assess every pesticide
0:32:28 > 0:32:31and even with that, we're not finding very many situations
0:32:31 > 0:32:36where there's even a slight chance of some human health effect.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41And we're finding none where there is a chance of a health effect
0:32:41 > 0:32:43over the long-term.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45And that's not just the case for individual foods.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Even if we only ate foods that contain traces of pesticides,
0:32:49 > 0:32:53put together, Dr Brantom says they wouldn't pose a cumulative risk
0:32:53 > 0:32:55to our health.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59To minimise your exposure even more, the Food Standards Agency says
0:32:59 > 0:33:01you could wash or peel your fruit and veg,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04but like Dr Brantom says, it's not required.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09So you spend your life testing, monitoring,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11looking for pesticide residue...
0:33:12 > 0:33:15..are you happy to eat all of these different foods
0:33:15 > 0:33:18and not worry about the implications it will have to your health?
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I personally buy those things that I enjoy eating.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And I don't take any account of anything other
0:33:24 > 0:33:27than that what the produce looks like when I buy it in the shop.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31And if you're not worried, the rest of us can sleep easy.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33I would say, yes.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Now, there aren't many foods that are marketed on the basis
0:33:43 > 0:33:47that it tastes so unique, you either love it or hate it.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50But yeast extract has been successfully dividing opinion
0:33:50 > 0:33:53for decades, and whatever brand you choose,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56because, yes, there is more than one,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00it's also the subject of some pretty impressive health claims.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03However, when we asked Danny Crates to investigate,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06things weren't quite as simple as some reports make out.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15When I was told I was going to a brewery,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17I thought it was my lucky day.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Unfortunately, I'm not here for the beer, I'm here for the leftovers,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26which can be turned into a magical concoction full of health benefits.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Or so it's claimed.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32After the brewers have made the stuff they're best at, the beer,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35the yeast that's left over can be turned into something that divides
0:34:35 > 0:34:38opinion across breakfast tables all over the country -
0:34:38 > 0:34:41yeast extract.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44It's been credited with preventing dementia, epilepsy,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47miscarriages and birth defects.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49And even giving you a better night's sleep.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52While one iconic brand leads the market,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55there are many others available, too.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I have to admit, I'm not really a fan of yeast extract -
0:34:58 > 0:35:01I find it tastes salty and bitter.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04But the health claims are certainly impressive.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08So let's see if the workers at this brewery are convinced by them.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Time for a tea and toast break.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16OK, so, just in one word, can you describe how it tasted?
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- Strong.- Salty.- Awful.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Salty, I was going to say.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- Disgusting.- Unpleasant.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24No fans here, then.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28But this lot aren't representative of the rest of the nation.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Demand for yeast extract is massive.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35It's said the market leader produces more than 50 million jars every year
0:35:35 > 0:35:38and as well as being renowned for the way it tastes,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41it's also legendary because it's jammed packed
0:35:41 > 0:35:42with vitamins and nutrients.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Head brewer Michael Lees-Jones is going to get me up close with
0:35:45 > 0:35:48some ale. Now, that sounds more like it.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52- Michael, hi. Danny.- Hi.- You look very busy there.- Good to meet you.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Every year, Michael and his team make 18 million pints of beer
0:35:55 > 0:35:57using an age-old method.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00The yeast turns the sugar into alcohol and without the yeast,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03you don't get the fermentation, you don't get the alcohol produced.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05And because the yeast keeps on multiplying,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08there's five times more left after every brewing
0:36:08 > 0:36:10than there was at the beginning.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13So if we look in here, we've got the yeast sitting on the top of what is
0:36:13 > 0:36:14now the beer underneath.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Every week, this place produces an incredible seven tonnes
0:36:17 > 0:36:20of extra yeast it just can't use.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25Most of this excess from breweries goes into things like animal feed.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29But after a complicated process that turns it from this...
0:36:29 > 0:36:32..to this, and adds a hefty dose of vitamins,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34some can end up on your breakfast table.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40It's those added vitamins that the reports say make yeast extract
0:36:40 > 0:36:43so powerful for our health.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Or two specific B vitamins,
0:36:45 > 0:36:46to be precise.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51B3, which helps our body convert food into energy, and B12.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55B12 is one of these vitamins that we know is needed
0:36:55 > 0:36:58for the maintenance of healthy nerve cells.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01So it is important for people to be meeting their needs,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04but it's only found in animal products.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08So for vegans, actually, having something like yeast extract
0:37:08 > 0:37:13in their diet will help them meet their vitamin B12 needs.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Dietician Priya Tew says other foods like breakfast cereal
0:37:16 > 0:37:20and bread also contain the same B vitamins as yeast extract.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25So eating those instead could be just as good a way to get your daily
0:37:25 > 0:37:28requirement of both B12 and B3.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32So, I studied six brands of yeast extract
0:37:32 > 0:37:37to look at the B3 content and actually, to meet your B3 needs
0:37:37 > 0:37:40for a day, you'd need four teaspoons.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45If you look at the salt content, four teaspoons of an average yeast
0:37:45 > 0:37:49extract contain between quarter to a half of the day's salt intake.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51So it's a lot.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54However, most people wouldn't have four teaspoons.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57They'd maybe have one teaspoon on a piece of toast.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59And that's absolutely fine.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02So to get your vitamins, you could have some yeast extract
0:38:02 > 0:38:04and some foods?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Absolutely, that would be the perfect way to do it.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09You can get your B3 from other foods.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14So an example of that would be cornflakes,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16because they're fortified with B3,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and then a handful of peanuts and some chicken.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23So it's odd that the reports singled out yeast extract
0:38:23 > 0:38:26as the food that could do things like preventing miscarriages
0:38:26 > 0:38:28and birth defects,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32especially when the original study didn't even test yeast extract.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36That was actually a lab study that was done.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Part of it was done on mice and not even on humans.
0:38:39 > 0:38:44They were specifically looking at vitamin B3, or niacin.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46They weren't looking at yeast extract.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50So somehow this leap has been made from the research done on B3
0:38:50 > 0:38:53to yeast extract, which makes no sense
0:38:53 > 0:38:55because that's not what was used in the study.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58And that's not the only report
0:38:58 > 0:38:59to credit yeast extract
0:38:59 > 0:39:02with superpowers.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Last spring, news websites went wild for the results
0:39:04 > 0:39:06of a study that seemed to be saying
0:39:06 > 0:39:08yeast extract could boost your brain
0:39:08 > 0:39:10and may even prevent dementia.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15But Anika Smith, who led the study at the University of York,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18was baffled by some of those headlines.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Yeah, it really took us by surprise because obviously
0:39:21 > 0:39:23nothing in my study mentions about dementia.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27And all my participants were aged between about 18-32.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30None of them have dementia and we didn't test for anything to do with
0:39:30 > 0:39:32dementia related symptoms.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34So, yeah, it came out of nowhere a bit.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36So the headlines are a mystery.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39The study actually set out to explore epilepsy
0:39:39 > 0:39:41and whether B vitamins might help calm the brain
0:39:41 > 0:39:43and reduce the likelihood of a seizure.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Anika used yeast extract as a way of giving the test subjects
0:39:48 > 0:39:53a dose of B vitamins. She's going to show me how it was carried out
0:39:53 > 0:39:55and it involves some fancy headwear.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- Is that all right, not too tight? - I'd say it's almost comfortable.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Oh, perfect.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04There's all this excitatory activity in the brain, so epilepsy,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06too much of that can lead to the seizures.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09The subjects were hooked up to this machine every day
0:40:09 > 0:40:11for a month to have their brain patterns measured
0:40:11 > 0:40:14after half of them had eaten a teaspoon of peanut butter
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and half of them, a teaspoon of yeast extract.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19So I don't think we can quite do a month,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22but would you like some yeast extract before we begin?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24I might have the peanut butter.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Sadly, I don't have any of that with me.- Thanks!
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Oh, I shouldn't have done that!
0:40:38 > 0:40:40HE GROANS
0:40:40 > 0:40:42They did that for a month?!
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Yep, every day.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47The flashing images are designed to trigger brain activity.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49And while there's nothing to compare my readings to,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53the real study did make some impressive findings.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58The people who ate the yeast extract showed really reduced neural
0:40:58 > 0:41:01responses compared to the ones that ate the peanut butter.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And we think this is because of the vitamin B12 in the yeast extract.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06But while it's an impressive finding,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Anika's careful not to jump to any conclusion.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14So, hopefully, in the future, we can use this to look at things to do
0:41:14 > 0:41:18with epilepsy but, yeah, for now, there's no link with dementia
0:41:18 > 0:41:20or anything like that.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24So for the moment, exciting with the potential this could hold,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27but definitely no miracle cure for epilepsy or dementia?
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Yeah, exactly, nothing like that for now.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Yeast extract might not prevent epilepsy and dementia,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36or indeed birth defects and miscarriages,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39but the B vitamins it contains are important.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42If you like it, go ahead and keep eating it.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46But if you don't, then rest assured, it's no wonder food.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50So there's no need to put yourself through something like this...
0:41:50 > 0:41:51HE GROANS
0:41:51 > 0:41:54I'm going to be getting my B vitamins elsewhere.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Well, I don't know about you, Gloria, but my weekly shop
0:42:01 > 0:42:05feels a lot safer after hearing the stories in today's programme.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08I'm just shocked that you do the weekly shopping, but there you go!
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Now, after that report, I feel that many people won't be rushing out
0:42:11 > 0:42:12to buy gluten-free products
0:42:12 > 0:42:15until they've been checked out by their GP.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I found it really interesting to learn that unless you've got
0:42:19 > 0:42:21a genuine allergy or intolerance,
0:42:21 > 0:42:23it's not the healthy choice that many people might think.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26And I, for one, will be sticking to my regular loaf.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Well, good for you. But if you are intolerant to gluten or dairy,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33you can find a whole range of ideas for free from meals
0:42:33 > 0:42:35that are healthy at...
0:42:37 > 0:42:39For now, though, I'm afraid that's where we're
0:42:39 > 0:42:40going to have to leave it.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43We'll be back to debunk more confusing claims very soon.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- So, until then.- Thank you so much for your company. Bye-bye.- Goodbye.