0:00:02 > 0:00:03Are you getting enough of some essential foods?
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Because countless reports claim
0:00:05 > 0:00:07you're either having too much or too little.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08But how much is enough?
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Don't worry, we've been finding out.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Every day, we're bombarded with conflicting information
0:00:17 > 0:00:19about our favourite foods.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24One minute, we're told something's good for us, the next it's not.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And we're left feeling guilty about what we're eating.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Well, we've been wading through the confusion
0:00:32 > 0:00:34to separate the scare stories from the truth
0:00:34 > 0:00:37so you can choose your food with confidence.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Hello and welcome to Food: Truth Or Scare.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Now, this is the series that helps you fathom the facts about our food
0:00:50 > 0:00:52so that you know which of all those confusing claims
0:00:52 > 0:00:55about the things we eat are actually true.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Whether it's a health website, a TV show,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00or indeed a newspaper headline,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02there often seems to be no end of reports
0:01:02 > 0:01:05telling us we should have more of this or less of that
0:01:05 > 0:01:07if we want to guarantee good health
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and steer clear of some serious conditions.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12But trying to find how much is enough,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14or indeed too much isn't always easy.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17You're absolutely right. And hopefully that's where we come in.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Because, as we find out in today's programme,
0:01:19 > 0:01:24get it right and the food we eat can have some really impressive,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and, I have to tell you, some really remarkable powers.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Coming up:
0:01:30 > 0:01:33We're bombarded with claims of how much water we should drink,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36but could you be dangerously dehydrated?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Headaches, tiredness, fatigue,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41irritability, lack of concentration -
0:01:41 > 0:01:44all of those can be brought on by dehydration.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And if you've never given a passing thought to the bacteria in your gut,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51we investigate the claims that might change your mind.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Your gut and the lining of your gut is really, really important.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Is there any good bacteria in a full English breakfast?
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Not really, cos most of it's been fried,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03so all the bacteria's been destroyed.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Well, now to something that I can guarantee affects all of us - water.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Or, more importantly, how much we should be drinking every day.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Now, while in the face of it this should be a simple question,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22there are a lot of very confusing messages about how much is right
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and a whole host of claims about how bad it can be for us
0:02:25 > 0:02:26if we don't have enough.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29So I wanted to find out how much water
0:02:29 > 0:02:31we really need to drink every day.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32So cheers.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38There are some things in life that should be simple and, let's face it,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40the amount of water we need to drink every day
0:02:40 > 0:02:42really should be on that list.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47But look for the answer online
0:02:47 > 0:02:49and in the papers,
0:02:49 > 0:02:50and the whole subject
0:02:50 > 0:02:52becomes surprisingly complicated.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Some sites say we should
0:02:55 > 0:02:56sip it all day long,
0:02:56 > 0:02:57while others claim
0:02:57 > 0:02:59there's no need to do that
0:02:59 > 0:03:00because we get all the water
0:03:00 > 0:03:01we need from our food.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07And while plenty say they've got the answer, they don't always agree.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10So I've asked dietician Alison Clark
0:03:10 > 0:03:13to help me navigate these choppy waters.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14But I can't help but think
0:03:14 > 0:03:17this is all a bit of a storm in a teacup.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21So is it not enough just to drink when you're thirsty?
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Well, it's a common myth
0:03:22 > 0:03:24that people say, "Just drink when you're thirsty."
0:03:24 > 0:03:27In fact, when you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31So we shouldn't really go on our thirst mechanism.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33And also, as we get older, we're not very good
0:03:33 > 0:03:36at distinguishing between thirst and hunger,
0:03:36 > 0:03:37so we'll often reach for a snack,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40when it's actually just fluid that we need.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42There you go, drink the right amount
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and you'll avoid getting thirsty in the first place.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48But how much is enough can be a surprisingly thorny issue.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51For decades, the Government has said we should all drink
0:03:51 > 0:03:54six to eight glasses of water every day,
0:03:54 > 0:03:55but do the customers in this pub
0:03:55 > 0:03:58know what size those glasses should be?
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Oh, I'm probably more this kind of size.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01- This size?- Yep.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Say about that size.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04That one? OK.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06My container is probably six to eight of these.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- So I think it's probably nearer the quantity I drink.- Right, right.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- Probably...that one. - This one here?- Yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14And how much do you drink a day?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Um, probably about four glasses, I'd say.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21But most days I probably just forget.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22- Two pints?- Yes.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25VOICEOVER: The official guidelines say we should be drinking
0:04:25 > 0:04:29between six and eight of these every day. That's about 1.2 litres.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Anything less and we risk dehydration.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Often we get headaches, we have tiredness, fatigue, irritability,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42lack of concentration - all of those can be brought on by dehydration.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47I suppose the big question is, how can we tell if we are dehydrated?
0:04:47 > 0:04:48Well, there's one easy way,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51that's very individual to your own circumstances,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and that is looking at the colour of your own urine.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Yes, you heard right - too much information,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59but I'm sure we've all heard that the stronger the colour,
0:04:59 > 0:05:00the more dehydrated we are.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03But Alison says we should all be aiming
0:05:03 > 0:05:06for a number one, two, or three on this chart.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10If I'm number one, for example, does that mean that's good?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13You're adequately hydrated, and well hydrated.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15So that would be a good indicator.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16Four, five, and six,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20that would indicate that you need to start hydrating more.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Remember, these colours don't count
0:05:23 > 0:05:25for your first trip to the loo after waking up.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28But, the rest of the time, anything darker than a four
0:05:28 > 0:05:30means you're dehydrated.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And a seven or eight could lead to something more serious,
0:05:33 > 0:05:34like decreased kidney function.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39But how many of us hit the top of the charts?
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Well, to find out, Alison is running a test
0:05:42 > 0:05:45with a group of people who should know their fair share about water.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48It's the staff at Essex & Suffolk Water.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49Every time they head to the loo,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53she's asking them to record the colour by spending a penny.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58And, while the coins start to stack up,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Alison quizzes the team about their drinking habits.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Try to do a litre every, sort of, couple of hours.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Probably four or five cups of tea a day, as well.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Two or three glasses throughout the day.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- A litre, just if I'm on a non-active day.- OK.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13On a proactive day, I would probably say a couple.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17We know that dehydration impairs performance at work,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19things like concentration,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and also makes you irritable, being dehydrated.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- Oh, does it?- Yeah. - I didn't know that.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25In eight hours' time,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Alison will count the number of pennies in each jar
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and evaluate just how hydrated the staff here are.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35What about those headlines that say
0:06:35 > 0:06:37the amount of water we need
0:06:37 > 0:06:39is entirely individual?
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Well, Alison says those
0:06:40 > 0:06:41are true and depends on
0:06:41 > 0:06:43our lifestyle.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Whilst these office workers are not doing anything very physical,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49it's a different story for fitness coach
0:06:49 > 0:06:51and spinning instructor Phil Flood.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Keep our speed at 100+ RPM.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Good.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59He's putting a class through an intense spinning session,
0:06:59 > 0:07:00where they'll all sweat a lot.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03If they don't replace the water their bodies lose,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05they'll become dehydrated.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12When I do exercise, yes, I like to sip some, a little bit of water.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14But although they're all doing the same exercise class,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17his students won't all lose the same amount of water,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20nor will they be as good at replacing it by drinking.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22We can see the differences
0:07:22 > 0:07:25by weighing them before and after class.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Let's go, speed up!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29If they're lighter at the end, they've lost more than they drank,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31increasing the risk of dehydration.
0:07:31 > 0:07:3545 seconds above 120. Let's go!
0:07:35 > 0:07:37If they weigh more afterwards, they've drunk enough
0:07:37 > 0:07:40to replace what they lost through sweat.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Small sips.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Well done.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Excellent, guys. Top class.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50The after-class weigh-in revealed some surprising results.
0:07:50 > 0:07:5272.2.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Dalen, Dot, and Marco were very nearly the same
0:07:55 > 0:07:57as they had been before the class,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00so they drank enough water to replace what they lost.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Nacho increased his hydration,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07taking on 700ml more water than he lost.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09But things are very different for trainer Phil,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13who was 600g lighter after the class,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15and Shai, who lost a whole kilogram of water
0:08:15 > 0:08:18from just half an hour spinning.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Now, if he didn't replace that very quickly,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23he'd start to see the side effects of being dehydrated.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Good.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Good.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Which is why the official advice is that we should drink
0:08:30 > 0:08:33more than 1.2 litres of water a day when we exercise.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39So reports that say we all need a different amount each day are right.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42But if you're not a regular down at your local spinning class,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44you might look at headlines
0:08:44 > 0:08:45like this, which says
0:08:45 > 0:08:46we get all the water we need
0:08:46 > 0:08:48from our food
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and think eight glasses is too much,
0:08:50 > 0:08:51especially if you eat
0:08:51 > 0:08:53lots of fruit and veg.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54So does that mean that
0:08:54 > 0:08:55we don't need to worry
0:08:55 > 0:08:56about sipping water
0:08:56 > 0:08:58all day long?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Well, Alison and I are getting to the bottom
0:09:00 > 0:09:03of just how much water really is inside some of the food we eat.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07We've brought three meals to a company of centrifuge specialists,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10where Jeremy Barker's going to spin them so fast,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12it will separate the liquid from the solids.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Have you seen this being done before, Alison?
0:09:18 > 0:09:19No, I haven't, it's fascinating.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- Fascinating, isn't it?- Yeah. - Really good.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23First up, breakfast -
0:09:23 > 0:09:25a fruit salad and a bowl of cornflakes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Now, I'd normally have a decent serving of milk with my cereal,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32which of course would count towards my eight glasses of water a day.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33But, without that,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35the fruit that those reports
0:09:35 > 0:09:36say could account for a lot
0:09:36 > 0:09:37of my daily water needs
0:09:37 > 0:09:38isn't really going to
0:09:38 > 0:09:40quench my thirst.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The majority of this water is actually coming from the fruit.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47So, really, from, you know, a dish of cornflakes
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and a bit of fruit, that's the amount of water.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Up next, it's lunch and it's a high street meal deal,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57with a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, a packet of crisps,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59and a bar of chocolate.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Once again, the fruit and veg is doing very little
0:10:01 > 0:10:03for the meal's water content.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Oh, nothing in there.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Nothing? Oh, let me see.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09You might have to tip it to one side.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- Nothing in there. No, OK.- No.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- No.- I thought there'd be a lot more water in there.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Now, the meal deal you might buy those in
0:10:17 > 0:10:19will probably come with a drink as well,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and you certainly need it because there's no water in here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24But, Gloria, that doesn't surprise me
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- because most processed food is low in water.- Right.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Which actually brings us, then, to dinner.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Which is a cottage pie.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33While that might be ready-made,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36the carrots and green beans that go with it are fresh.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38But, once again, it's surprisingly dry.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41I just have a bit of oil in this one.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- Yeah, small amounts.- Same for me.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Normally in a cottage pie, you would expect a lot more water to come out.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50When you make it at home, you'd hopefully put more vegetables in,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and that can increase all the fluid content.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55While the reports aren't wrong
0:10:55 > 0:10:58about fruit and veg having the highest water content,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01they are wrong to say that we can all get what we need from our food.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04I mean, what I draw from this experiment, personally,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08is the fact that you cannot depend on food in order to get water.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10No, indeed, that's right.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13We only get about 20% of our fluid requirements from food alone.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16So we need to really make sure that we are drinking enough water
0:11:16 > 0:11:18throughout the day.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21That's why the official recommendation we should all have
0:11:21 > 0:11:23six to eight glasses a day stays the same,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25however much you eat.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27So have the staff at the water company been keeping up?
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Alison is back to check their results.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33All day, every time they've spent a penny,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35they've been keeping track of its colour.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37The higher the number and the darker the colour,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39the more dehydrated they are.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They should all be aiming for one to three.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So 60% of you are well hydrated,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48putting your pennies in jars one to three.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51But it does mean that 40% of you were dehydrated.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53So you can see that there were quite a few pennies
0:11:53 > 0:11:55in the jar at number four and five,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and we even had a penny in the jar at number eight.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Well over a third of the samples were from staff who were dehydrated.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And that could lead to things like headaches, tiredness,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but also more serious things like lack of concentration,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11and problems with short-term memory.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13So are the results that we're seeing here today
0:12:13 > 0:12:15comparable to the rest of the UK?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18We do know that, in workplaces, you are generally dehydrated
0:12:18 > 0:12:20because you're very busy,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22people tend to have a bottle of water on their desk,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24but forget to drink it.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26How many glasses of water should you drink in a day?
0:12:26 > 0:12:30So NHS Choices recommend that we drink six to eight glasses a day,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and that should equate to about 1.2 litres a day.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Now that can include things like water, no-added-sugar squashes,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and also things like fruit juice.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42If you have fruit juice or smoothies during the day,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46that only counts up to 150 ml because of all the sugars present.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Alcohol doesn't count
0:12:48 > 0:12:51but, despite claims about caffeine having a dehydrating affect,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54the guidelines say up to eight cups of tea
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and four cups of coffee a day to count towards your total.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And anything over this could have a dehydrating affect.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02But, whatever you drink, there is a way
0:13:02 > 0:13:04you can help your body make the most of it.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Sip your fluid throughout the day.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Because what tends to happen if you take too much water
0:13:08 > 0:13:10and kind of glug it back all in one go,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13effectively your kidneys think they're drowning.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14So, actually, the kidneys
0:13:14 > 0:13:17just get rid of that water very, very quickly.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19And, ironically, that might make you dehydrated.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29The answer is pretty simple - we're all different
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and, as long as we're sipping water throughout the day,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34we'll stay at the top of Alison's chart.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38And, although we can't rely on food for the water our bodies need,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I, for one, am delighted to hear that tea and coffee
0:13:41 > 0:13:43do count towards that daily target.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49If you want to stay hydrated but need a change from tap water,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54head off to bbc.co.uk/food for soft drink recipes,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56along with ideas for some of the other foods
0:13:56 > 0:13:58that we're talking about all week.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Now, Gloria, how happy is your gut?
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Here we go. Apart from being too big, it's all right, thank you.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Well, I wouldn't say it was too big at all.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And you know how many types of bacteria might be in there?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Frankly, no. But I'll tell you, when I have antibiotics,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19the doctor always says to put good bacteria back in.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20That's all I know.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Do you know, I hadn't given it much consideration either,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26but it turns out that the bacteria in our guts
0:14:26 > 0:14:28might be a lot more powerful than you realise.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Depending on which report you read,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33it's claimed that it can influence anxiety,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37make it harder to lose weight, and even affect arthritis.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39But those reports don't always see eye to eye
0:14:39 > 0:14:41on the best way to keep your gut healthy,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44especially when it comes to those little drinks,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47or those yogurts that say they're packed with gut-friendly bacteria.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51So, to find out whether the way to good health and happiness
0:14:51 > 0:14:53really is through the stomach,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and, if so, what I need to do to keep mine content,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I started out with a group of people
0:14:57 > 0:15:00whose diets aren't always considered the healthiest.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Day in, day out, roadside caffs like this...
0:15:09 > 0:15:13..serve a steady stream of fry-ups, easy-to-grab snacks, and sandwiches.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- What can I get you? - Um, sausage and egg.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Two, yeah?- Yeah. With brown sauce.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20One sausage and a egg, please.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It's filling, tasty food.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But do the customers ever think about what it might be doing
0:15:27 > 0:15:29to their gut health?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- Do you ever think about how happy your gut is?- Um, sometimes.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33Do you think it's healthy?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- Mine? No.- No?- No.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42So, sir, do you think about how healthy your gut might be?
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Um, no.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Do you ever think about how happy your gut is?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49No. Should I?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Well, all manner of reports say, yes, we should.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Because a gut full of lots of healthy bacteria
0:15:55 > 0:15:58is not only essential for keeping our bodies running smoothly,
0:15:58 > 0:16:03it can boost memory and keep us healthier in our old age.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Meanwhile, an unhealthy gut
0:16:05 > 0:16:06could worsen anxiety,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09keep us dependent on fast food,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and even ruin our attempts to lose weight.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Now, I can't imagine dietician Dimple Thakrar
0:16:15 > 0:16:17comes to many diners like this,
0:16:17 > 0:16:22but today she's meeting me here with some key facts about our insides.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25How important is it to have a healthy gut?
0:16:25 > 0:16:26It's a barrier.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- So, if your gut isn't healthy, that barrier becomes weak.- Right.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34So therefore you're going to get toxins going into your system
0:16:34 > 0:16:35that shouldn't be there,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38causing inflammation and, in effect, causing disease.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42So your gut, and the lining of your gut, is really, really important.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Right, so it's like a filter system?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's your filter system, absolutely.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48It's a huge organ,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and it's the only organ, apart from your skin,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53that's exposed to the exterior.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57While there's no doubt how important a healthy gut can be,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01there's plenty of debate on the best way to get one.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03And one of the most popular ways
0:17:03 > 0:17:08is by using a probiotic product containing live bacteria or yeast.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Some reports say these products
0:17:10 > 0:17:12will vastly improve your existing
0:17:12 > 0:17:14intestinal bacteria, and therefore
0:17:14 > 0:17:15your overall gut health.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Others say they are
0:17:17 > 0:17:18a complete waste of money,
0:17:18 > 0:17:19and that you can get
0:17:19 > 0:17:21all the bacteria you need
0:17:21 > 0:17:22from eating healthily.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The customers here weren't sure what to believe.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27What about the gut bacteria, do you ever think about that?
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Sometimes, but that's only when I'm eating the yogurts.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- Do you have those?- Yes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Brilliant, do you think they work?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37I'm not sure, I'm not a medical expert.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40What do you think you could do to make it happy or healthy?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I've never tried any of those bacteria drinks
0:17:42 > 0:17:44or yogurts or anything.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45But one thing is clear -
0:17:45 > 0:17:48the customers won't be getting the greatest start
0:17:48 > 0:17:51from this caff's bestsellers.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54So, is there any good bacteria in a full English breakfast?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Not really, cos most of it's been fried,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59so all of the bacteria's been destroyed.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02However I did notice there was some yogurt over there,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05so if that yogurt is a live yogurt,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08then there'll definitely be some great bacteria in there.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13So that doesn't bode well for the gut health of the diner's regulars,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15like trucker Nick Rollinson.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Hey up, Chris.- Hello, mate. This is a nice big cab, innit?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Nick's been driving lorries for two years,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and says he's never given a thought to how healthy or unhealthy
0:18:25 > 0:18:28his gut bacteria might be.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30So, what about your diet when you're out on the road?
0:18:30 > 0:18:35I'll probably stop at services and have a bacon sandwich and a coffee.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37That sort of sets me up for the day.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I just probably have junk food.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41- Chocolate...- Right.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45..maybe some biscuits, crisps, pop.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47So, do you think, would you say you have a bad diet?
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I've got a bad diet, yeah.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Do you ever consider what this diet is doing to your health?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Well, I'm 47, so you're coming to a milestone,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59so, yeah, I do worry about it, of course I do.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01But, erm...
0:19:01 > 0:19:05But obviously, the job what I'm doing, you can't always eat healthy.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08It's no surprise that all that high-fat, processed food
0:19:08 > 0:19:12puts Nick at a greater risk of heart disease, amongst other things,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16but it's not giving his gut bacteria much to thrive on either.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18And judging by what many reports,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and indeed Dimple have told me
0:19:20 > 0:19:22so far, looking after his gut
0:19:22 > 0:19:23could be just as important.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Morning.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28So, as Nick stops to pick up a typical lunch,
0:19:28 > 0:19:33I'm catching up with Dimple to see if it's any better than breakfast.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35And she's not holding her breath.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I bet it's going to be chocolate. It's going to be crisps.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Quite possibly, quite possibly.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42It's difficult, I think, for these guys on the road all the time.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Their options are limited.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46I think it isn't always that easy to make healthy choices,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48even if they want to.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Well, I would actually say that they've got used to
0:19:51 > 0:19:53making the choices they make.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Cos even in the diner, there was fruit available,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58but how many chose that?
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Nick's choice of a chicken sandwich, crisps,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04chocolate and a fizzy drink doesn't go down too well with Dimple.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10So, in terms of Nick's gut health, how does this lunch stack up?
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Not great. There's not much fibre in this whatsoever.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16So in terms of your large intestine
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and getting some really good roughage,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- there's very little in here.- Right.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24So if I went back in the shop, what would you suggest?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Swapping the chocolate bars for some fruit...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- ..perhaps, would be a great idea. - Yeah.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- Swapping the fizzy drink for some water.- OK.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35And swapping the bread for
0:20:35 > 0:20:38a wholemeal or a granary kind of sandwich
0:20:38 > 0:20:41with a little bit more salad in there would be amazing.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46- Put some fruit in.- Some fruit in, yeah, and water.- OK.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Those alternatives will be less processed,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50less fatty and contain more fibre,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54all of which encourage healthy gut bacteria.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57But even though Dimple's confident that Nick could easily pick up
0:20:57 > 0:21:01a gut-friendly lunch, even in at a small corner shop like this,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05he'd be forgiven for reaching for something that looks much easier -
0:21:05 > 0:21:07a probiotic yogurt.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Not only are they convenient,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10the health claims made about them
0:21:10 > 0:21:12in some reports are impressive.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14But Dimple has news for Nick.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17If he was to do that, would that put this right?
0:21:17 > 0:21:20No, it wouldn't cancel this out.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Surely the yogurt would compensate, or...
0:21:23 > 0:21:27No, because the yogurt, the bacteria in that yogurt,
0:21:27 > 0:21:32needs fibre, particularly soluble fibre from fruit and vegetables,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36in order for it to work for your gut.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39If you want great results and you want to be healthier and have
0:21:39 > 0:21:42a healthier gut, you need to be looking at the bigger picture -
0:21:42 > 0:21:44the overall diet.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Dimple's clear - if you eat a bad diet,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52you can't just expect one of these products to sort your insides out.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Not that they claim that, of course,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58but their advertising campaigns do make good gut health look very easy.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02That's why I eat Activia Fibre.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- To help towards my digestive wellbeing.- Hey!
0:22:05 > 0:22:09So, if Nick did eat the fibre those bacteria need to thrive,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13probiotic yogurts and drinks could give his gut health a helping hand.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17We've come to the University of Salford,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20where Dr Chloe James quickly puts that into context.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23She says few bacteria ever make it to where it's needed.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27OK, so, take this person.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29He has a probiotic yogurt drink
0:22:29 > 0:22:32that we know has good bacteria in it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35How does it get into the gut?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37So, first of all, it will come down into the stomach.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41The stomach has a low pH - that means it's really highly acidic -
0:22:41 > 0:22:44so a lot of bacteria will be destroyed in the stomach.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So if it survives the stomach acid,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50the next step is to come down into the small intestines.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53So this is the small intestine here,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55which has a very big surface area.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58So there are trillions of bacteria in the small,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and particularly in the large intestine.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So the bacteria that survives into the intestines
0:23:04 > 0:23:06is really just a drop in the ocean.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And Chloe says there is another limitation of these products.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14A healthy gut has hundreds of different strains of bacteria,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16but in many cases, yogurt and drinks contain just one.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22One organism is not really good enough, because we rely on
0:23:22 > 0:23:26consortia of bacteria that all have different jobs to make sure that
0:23:26 > 0:23:29we absorb all of the different nutrients that we need.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33So just one probiotic, even if it survives the stomach acid,
0:23:33 > 0:23:34once they get to the gut,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37if we already have a perfect consortium of bacteria there,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39they're kind of just going to be lost.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42So unless your body's deficient in the exact strain of bacteria
0:23:42 > 0:23:45in those bottles, there's not much point.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And in 2016, one study concluded just that,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51saying that for healthy adults,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55there was little evidence of a consistent effect of probiotics.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And Chloe's not convinced that even Nick's unhealthy diet
0:23:58 > 0:24:01would benefit from a probiotic yogurt.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I'm eating a lot of fatty food
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and the diet's not the best in the world,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08so would I benefit from eating one of these yoghurts?
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's really hard to give a definitive answer and say that
0:24:11 > 0:24:13drinking these products will definitely be of benefit to you.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16What I would advise is a balanced, healthy diet
0:24:16 > 0:24:17and a healthy lifestyle.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Exercise and diet are all interlinked,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and they do, I believe, have an effect on your microbiota.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27While the bottles of bacteria you might pick up in the supermarket
0:24:27 > 0:24:29may not be the secret to good gut health,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32there is more evidence that supplements,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34which often contain many more strains of bacteria,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36may have positive effects,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39especially for people with gut problems already.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Studies have been done with trials where people, for example,
0:24:42 > 0:24:47with irritable bowel, will take a more sophisticated probiotic,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51and there has been evidence that their symptoms are relieved.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53But we're still in the infancy of understanding
0:24:53 > 0:24:57exactly what's causative and what's effect.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00While that's encouraging, it's not exactly the type of superpower
0:25:00 > 0:25:04that many reports seem to credit gut bacteria with.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08They say it can boost your mental health and even control weight loss.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Chloe, however, is much more cautious than some of those reports.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14This headline here about gut bacteria
0:25:14 > 0:25:17that might be to blame for anxiety,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21I know that studies have been done in mice where they've shown that
0:25:21 > 0:25:23the bacteria that are more associated
0:25:23 > 0:25:25with a healthy microbiota,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28those mice were less stressed.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- So there's an element of truth to all of these.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34These things are true.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38There's been a strong association found between the types of bacteria
0:25:38 > 0:25:40in your gut and obesity,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44but we're just still at the early stages of understanding
0:25:44 > 0:25:47exactly what the bacteria are doing.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Are the bacteria having all of these effects,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54or are these conditions affecting the balance of our bacteria?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57So we're not ready to solidly make these claims,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02and we're certainly not ready to use probiotic drinks
0:26:02 > 0:26:04to fix any of these problems.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Chloe might be cautious about some of the boldest claims,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09but as Dimple told me earlier,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13a healthy gut can be really beneficial for our overall health.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16So is Nick going to swap those fry-ups
0:26:16 > 0:26:18for something a bit more gut friendly?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23So, knowing what you know now, are you going to give more
0:26:23 > 0:26:27consideration to your gut and its health?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Salads, fruit and veg, etc, yes.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Yogurts, I'm not so sure about,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but it's certainly going to change my eating ways, yeah.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Nick might sound unsure, but he's no need to worry.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Back at the caff, Dimple says it doesn't need to take too much effort
0:26:42 > 0:26:44to help your gut bacteria.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It's about having a good range,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48being sensible with what you're eating.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52On the whole, if we eat a lot of healthy foods,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55occasionally having the odd treat, it's not going to do us any harm.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57It's about a balance, isn't it?
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Because I think if we told everybody in here
0:26:59 > 0:27:01that they had to only eat quinoa and rocket salad,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I think we'd get shown the door, wouldn't we?
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Over the next six weeks, Nick cut down the number of fry-ups,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10limited himself to just a few bacon sandwiches a week,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14and more importantly, started to eat more fruit, veg and fibre,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and he's seen a transformation.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Afternoon, love.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Since I've changed my diet, I feel that bit more energetic.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24My gut health, it's been better, actually.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's made me realise that I need to be eating more healthy
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and it's opened me eyes to a lot of different products.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36I'm certainly eating more veg, and I'm also eating a lot of fruit.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40So I am trying to cut down the fat more,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42and hence, I've lost a little bit of weight.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Still to come, could what we eat boost our brainpower?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Oh!- I feel myself getting smarter.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56LAUGHTER
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Cheers.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04All this series, we're asking whether
0:28:04 > 0:28:07some of the latest fashionable and apparently healthy foods
0:28:07 > 0:28:09really live up to the hype,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12or whether they're little more than a fad.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And I have to say that the one we're looking at today
0:28:14 > 0:28:17is a very odd choice for me, because I'm much more used to seeing it
0:28:17 > 0:28:21as something that food is cooked on, rather than an ingredient itself,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23and I'm talking about charcoal.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26You may well have seen the charcoal breads, pizza bases,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and even drinks are all the rage.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31But I don't get it. It just looks unappetising, doesn't it?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34It does. I would never, ever have a black biscuit over an ordinary one.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36But if the health claims stack up,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39you might be tempted to forget about how it actually looks.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43So is it true that there are all sorts of benefits to your health?
0:28:48 > 0:28:53Like almost every fashionable food fad, this one started Stateside.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56We're using food-safe activated charcoal.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Food-grade charcoal is being mixed into everything,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02from ice cream to pizza dough.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04What, activated charcoal?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06That's something you have on the fire, isn't it?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09I know they give you charcoal if you drink too much alcohol,
0:29:09 > 0:29:11in the hospital. Or get poisoned.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13I've heard of charcoal for wind.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Activated charcoal?
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I think someone's just taking us for a ride. Sorry.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Well, it might sound far-fetched,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24but it's allegedly great for clearing toxins from your system
0:29:24 > 0:29:27and can now be found in restaurants, coffee shops,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30and even on supermarket shelves over here as well.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Something that's not been missed by our resident fad watcher,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35dietician Linia Patel.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Activated charcoal has many bold claims.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40It claims to...
0:29:44 > 0:29:47..because it absorbs everything and anything it gets its hands on.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49So in terms of a hangover,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52it binds all the sulphites that might be causing a hangover.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54In terms of the cholesterol, it's thought it binds
0:29:54 > 0:29:56the bad cholesterol, excreting it out.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59And very similarly, in terms of toxins like heavy metals,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02it's thought that activated charcoal absorbs all of these
0:30:02 > 0:30:03and just excretes them out.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05For just that reason,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08it's long been used by medics to treat cases of poisoning.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12But the charcoal fad relies on all of us being tempted by black foods
0:30:12 > 0:30:15on a daily basis, and that might be a bit much for some.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I thought it was chocolate-looking at first.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- You can't taste it. - They're all right.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22I don't taste any charcoal.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26But don't let the taste tempt you just yet.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Linia says there's a dark side to charcoal as well.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31It can also absorb the good stuff as well.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33For example, if you're on medication,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35or if you're taking vitamins and minerals,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and you consume a drink containing activated charcoal,
0:30:38 > 0:30:43then the activated charcoal will render those medications inactive.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Linia is sceptical that eating activated charcoal
0:30:47 > 0:30:49has any health benefits.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52In fact, in certain cases, it might even damage your health.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56So even though its super-absorbent properties are used medically,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59there's still little evidence that activated charcoal
0:30:59 > 0:31:02has any benefits as a food additive.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06In fact, Linia says our bodies are already perfectly designed
0:31:06 > 0:31:07to remove any toxins.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11We don't have to put activated charcoal
0:31:11 > 0:31:14in our juices and our breads, in our soups,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16for our body to actually detox.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19If you want to actively detox,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22the way to do that is just by eating a healthy, balanced diet.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Make sure you're drinking enough water,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and make sure you're getting a lot of colourful fruit and vegetables
0:31:27 > 0:31:29as part of that five-a-day.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Now, I'm sure you've all heard the term "brain food"
0:31:40 > 0:31:44and I expect the first thing that springs to mind is fish.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46But there are countless more foods that it's claimed
0:31:46 > 0:31:49have an effect on our little grey cells,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53sometimes, in fact, giving us a pretty instant brain boost.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55And while that might sound far-fetched,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58it's hard not to be tempted by the idea that a bowl of blueberries
0:31:58 > 0:32:00might give you the edge before doing the crossword
0:32:00 > 0:32:03or that ice cream for every member of the quiz team
0:32:03 > 0:32:04might lead you to victory.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07So we asked Danny Crates to investigate
0:32:07 > 0:32:11whether foods really can be that powerful, that fast.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Whether it's getting the edge on your bitter rivals
0:32:16 > 0:32:17at a local pub quiz,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21solving that punishing Sunday broadsheet Sudoku,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24or simply wanting to show off when watching Mastermind,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28it's fair to say we'd all quite like to be a little bit smarter.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Well, if these headlines are true,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33what we eat could be the key in boosting our brains.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36But what foods can unlock that potential?
0:32:38 > 0:32:40- Fish?- Yeah, fish is good for the brain.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Protein foods.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43Bananas, don't know why.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- Green chillies.- Green veg, really.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Tomato, onions.
0:32:48 > 0:32:49Broccoli, spinach.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54But some reports say it's not just healthy foods that can increase IQ,
0:32:54 > 0:32:59- with pizza...- Pizza? I think of it as being junk food.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03- ..egg fried rice... - Yes, I like rice, yeah.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07..and even coffee supposedly offering gains to our grey matter.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08That's a stimulant, I know that,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11but I wouldn't have thought it would have done a lot for your brain.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Actually, everything here has been said to boost brain power.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Yes, even ice cream.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23It might sound far-fetched, but it's joined by green tea,
0:33:23 > 0:33:28rosemary, broccoli, dark chocolate, blueberries and much, much more,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31on a menu that could apparently work miracles for our minds.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34So to put some of those claims to the test,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36I've come to King's College London.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39It's home to some of the brightest brains in the country.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43But can even the sharp synapses of the chess team be boosted by food?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Max, you guys are already a clever bunch. But if there's any truth
0:33:47 > 0:33:50in those headlines that there is brain-boosting foods out there,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53you'd take that advantage into your next big competition, wouldn't you?
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Yeah, we'll take any competitive edge, to be honest,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57particularly with our match against UCL on Monday.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Max and the team are going to see if they can reproduce the findings
0:34:00 > 0:34:03of three studies widely reported in the press and online.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08This one, which found drinking peppermint tea could improve memory...
0:34:08 > 0:34:12This is team memory and it's a simple pairs game.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15..this one, which found that blueberries can improve concentration...
0:34:15 > 0:34:17The buzzing wire, they've got to see
0:34:17 > 0:34:19how quickly they can get around without buzzing it.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22..and of course, the most unusual-sounding of all,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26this one, saying ice cream for breakfast makes you smarter.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28And then we've got the ruler reaction test.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31All those studies claim brainpower was boosted
0:34:31 > 0:34:33just a short time after the food was eaten,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36so we're going to start by measuring the team's reactions
0:34:36 > 0:34:39before they eat the apparent wonder foods.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41On your marks, get set, go.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Home straight.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47There you go.
0:34:49 > 0:34:50Oh!
0:34:51 > 0:34:5226.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Nine, and done with Italian style and flair!
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Next, it's time to eat.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03I can feel myself getting smarter!
0:35:03 > 0:35:05THEY LAUGH
0:35:05 > 0:35:08And after we've given the food time to take effect,
0:35:08 > 0:35:12I'll be back to rerun those tests and see if it makes any difference.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Cheers.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17While many studies into how food affects the brain
0:35:17 > 0:35:20are on the impact of a diet over years,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22these studies all found that food can boost the brain
0:35:22 > 0:35:25in the short term too,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29which could mean there's more riding on your last meal before an exam,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31a competition or a quiz than you might think.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33And Dr Sandrine Thuret,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36who is an expert on how food affects our brains,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38says the science seems encouraging.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41So, Sandrine, there's been plenty of headlines out there,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45suggesting that certain food groups can boost brainpower.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- Can it be true?- Yeah, certainly.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49I mean, there are some strong scientific evidence
0:35:49 > 0:35:52that diet will have an impact on your cognitive abilities.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56So, there is definitely, probably, some truth out there.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Let's look at some of the headlines, and one of the favourites is
0:35:59 > 0:36:01blueberries can boost children's brainpower.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Now, surely, these little berries can't be that powerful, can they?
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Actually, they could. I mean, blueberries contain flavonoids,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11which have been shown already to have an effect,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13not only in children, but also in adults
0:36:13 > 0:36:15in certain specific memory tasks.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18The study was done on primary school children
0:36:18 > 0:36:20and it had some impressive results.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Two hours after having a drink
0:36:22 > 0:36:24containing a high dose of wild blueberries,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28the children showed improvements in memory and concentration.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31And while that was a short-term boost,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Sandrine says blueberries contain compounds known as flavonoids
0:36:34 > 0:36:39which are proven to improve brainpower in the long term too.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41I'm guessing if I eat this pot of blueberries,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- I'm not going to become a genius overnight?- Not overnight.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Healthy diet is a long-term commitment.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Over time, probably you will see an improvement
0:36:49 > 0:36:53in your cognitive abilities, but not from one day to another.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55The study that inspired this headline
0:36:55 > 0:36:57investigated the powers of herbs
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and discovered that after drinking peppermint tea,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03subjects were more alert and had an improved short-term memory.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08The same happened when they just inhaled the smell of rosemary.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10But camomile had the opposite effect,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13slowing attention and alertness.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Hmm, that's interesting.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18The group has shown that smelling the rosemary
0:37:18 > 0:37:20would improve some aspects of memory.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25But drinking peppermint tea is not necessarily going to improve our brainpower?
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I would like to see, you know, a little bit more work around it.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31But Sandrine is much less optimistic about the ice-cream study,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33which was never published,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36so it's impossible to know what its findings were based on.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Even so, a high-fat diet has been shown
0:37:39 > 0:37:41to actually be bad for our brains.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43You know, actually,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46a high-sugar and high-fat diet will decrease cognitive ability.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49So, that's probably not a good long-term solution.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51So apart from the ice-cream claim,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54there is some truth in the headlines?
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Yeah, absolutely, there is some strong scientific evidence
0:37:57 > 0:38:01that nutrition will have an impact on cognition, absolutely.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05So with that, time to head back to the chess club.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08We've given the peppermint, blueberries and ice cream
0:38:08 > 0:38:10just over an hour to take effect.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12But will there be any difference?
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Are you ready to see if it's had any impact?
0:38:14 > 0:38:15Yes, yes. Let's have a look.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18OK, so we're going to start off with team memory.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21With a time of 41.6 seconds to beat,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25let's see if peppermint tea has made a difference.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- Oh, come on!- Second time around,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29they're an average of ten seconds quicker.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Next up, it's the concentration test.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Will a bowl of blueberries help our subjects improve their performance?
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- Go on.- There's an air of confidence about him now, isn't there?
0:38:41 > 0:38:42He's cruising.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43Oh!
0:38:45 > 0:38:48This is your last chance to prove that blueberries do help.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52- We both did better. - Both did better.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Last but not least, ice cream.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58Seven!
0:39:00 > 0:39:01So you both improved quite a lot.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Maybe ice cream does work!
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Every team showed an improvement,
0:39:07 > 0:39:11but Sandrine isn't sure that was always thanks to the food.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14It's probably due to practice and understanding the game better,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15than, I would say, the peppermint tea
0:39:15 > 0:39:17but let's not dismiss the peppermint tea.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20I mean, you know, there's nothing bad with peppermint tea, so why not?
0:39:20 > 0:39:24She's also pretty sure about what caused the ice-cream team
0:39:24 > 0:39:26to perform better.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Ice cream, high content in sugar, so, you know, possibly,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32a boost of glucose in the brain for reaction time
0:39:32 > 0:39:35is not something we can dismiss.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38But ice cream for breakfast, I would say no.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43High fat, as well, content and high glucose content
0:39:43 > 0:39:46wouldn't be a long-term, you know, diet I would advise.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49So the improvement is likely to be
0:39:49 > 0:39:51the result of a short-term sugar rush
0:39:51 > 0:39:55rather than increased brainpower long term.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Team concentration, they had the blueberries
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- and they both improved as well. - Yeah, so, that's good.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02There are some compounds in blueberries
0:40:02 > 0:40:04that could help this type of task
0:40:04 > 0:40:08so, you know, again, we need a little bit more information
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and a bigger, longer study.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Whether it was the blueberries that swung it for team concentration,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18or just good old practice, the science behind the idea
0:40:18 > 0:40:20that they're good for our little grey cells
0:40:20 > 0:40:23is solid because they contain flavonoids.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26And, in fact, many of the foods mentioned in the other reports,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29such as broccoli, dark chocolate and spinach,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31all contain high levels of flavonoids as well.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37The effects we observed are only short-term
0:40:37 > 0:40:39and just limited to individual foods,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42but Sandrine has been researching
0:40:42 > 0:40:44the long-term impact of diet on our brains.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Her team is investigating how it can help stimulate
0:40:47 > 0:40:51some parts of the brain to regenerate or develop new neurons,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54meaning what we eat could slow down
0:40:54 > 0:40:57how our brainpower declines as we get older.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Is this a really exciting breakthrough in scientific terms,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04the fact that we now know that we can regenerate neurons in our brain?
0:41:04 > 0:41:05Yeah, we think this is,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08this is really something that has a lot of potential.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10So, very important for learning and memory
0:41:10 > 0:41:12but also, for example, for mood and depression.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15So if we can enhance and increase that production
0:41:15 > 0:41:17of new neurons in our brain through our diet,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21does that mean we're going to get more intelligent
0:41:21 > 0:41:23or just stave off the decline?
0:41:23 > 0:41:25So, I think probably number two.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Any food, for example, with flavonoids
0:41:27 > 0:41:28is probably very beneficial.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30But if you continue and sustain this diet,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33maybe you will not see a cognitive decline
0:41:33 > 0:41:38as pronounced as someone that eats no fruit and veg, or fish,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40at all during their lifetime.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42While that could be great
0:41:42 > 0:41:45for slowing down our declining brainpower,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49is there anything else I can do to actually boost it in the long term?
0:41:49 > 0:41:52What do I need to do to improve my memory?
0:41:52 > 0:41:55I would say, healthy diet, throughout life,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57high fatty fish, so, like, salmon,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00which contains omega three fatty acids,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02would for sure be beneficial.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03Green vegetables,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08and some fruit with high content of flavonoids, dark-skinned fruit.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10So it comes down to a healthy lifestyle,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13a healthy diet and then I should have a healthy mind.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Absolutely.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17But back at Kings College, it's a mixed result
0:42:17 > 0:42:19for Max and his chess team,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22who drew in their grudge match against UCL.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Although food probably didn't play a part in that result,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28it's clear that what we eat could have a huge impact
0:42:28 > 0:42:31on our brains and our pub-quiz bragging rights.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41So it's definitely a big bowl of blueberries for everybody
0:42:41 > 0:42:43next time I'm leading the pub quiz team
0:42:43 > 0:42:46because, quite frankly, we could do with all the help we can get.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49That's just what I've heard. Now, you know, I think that that film,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51and, in fact, all the stories in the programme today,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54just go to show how powerful the food we eat can be,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56if we get it right.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57A lot of the time, well,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00we talk about scary stories and daunting claims
0:43:00 > 0:43:03about how bad some foods can be for us. So I must say,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06it's really encouraging to see the positives as well.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Absolutely. Well, I'm afraid we're out of time for today
0:43:08 > 0:43:09but we'll be back very soon
0:43:09 > 0:43:13cutting through more confusing messages about our food.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15So until then, thank you very much for joining us.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- And you're buying the blueberries. Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.