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We are constantly being told
how to live our lives,

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but what's the health advice
you can really trust?

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In this series, we use
our expertise to guide you

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through the contradictions
and the confusions.

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We'll get to the heart of the debate

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and ensure you get the
information you need.

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We're here when you don't
know where to turn.

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I'm Michael Mosley. In this series,
I'm joined by a team of doctors.

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Together, we'll cut through the hype,

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the headlines and the health claims.

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This is Trust Me, I'm A Doctor.

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We start this series in Newcastle,

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where we're trying out some unusual
ways to keep your brain

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in tiptop condition.

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Anyone think they're going to
have any trouble keeping it up?

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Asking "Do herbal supplements

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"really contain what
they say on the label?"

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- They can't just be lying.
- Yes, they're lying.

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These guys are lying!

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'Finding out, what's
the cure for cramp?'

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Ah. Right. Oh. Oh.

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Asking, "Can being fat
ever be good for you?"

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And what are the signs
of a deep vein thrombosis?

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I wasn't expecting that!

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But first...

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I've been a medical
journalist for many years

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covering a huge range of topics,

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but what are the things that
you're really interested in?

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Well, we decided to conduct
a survey to find out

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and top of the list is "How
can I avoid dementia?"

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So I'm here in Newcastle
to try and find out.

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Before that, however,
Dr Chris van Tulleken

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is on a different mission.

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In a July that's had the hottest day
on record, the barbecues are out,

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but there's a problem.

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We've known for a while now
that, when we barbecue meats,

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it creates chemicals
that can cause cancer.

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So, is there a way to make
the British barbecue safe?

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I'm determined to find out.

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To help me, I've got myself an expert
chemist all the way from Portugal

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and a barbecue festival,
complete with bangers.

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And, no, I don't mean this one,
because this is my dream machine.

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A pimped-up camper lab with all the
kit we need to test what we cook.

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We have some beef. This is literally
my idea of the best day ever.

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There's only one thing
that could make it better.

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That's finding a way to stop the
chemicals that could cause cancer

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known as PAHs from forming.

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And I've heard of a potentially
genius solution from Portugal

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which Isabel is here to help me test.

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Luckily, Isabel, you have an
idea that this stuff, beer,

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might actually be useful

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at preventing the formation
of these PAHs.

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- Is that right?
- Yes. Beer marinades can be helpful.

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It sounds almost too good to be true.

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Could soaking it in beer really
make barbecued meat healthier?

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Well, I'm in the right place to find out

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because this is also a beer festival.

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I've enlisted the help of two

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of the Ludlow Spring
Festival's finest brewers.

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Together, the three of us are going
to put Isabel's theory to the test

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by cooking three pieces of beef,

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two of them soaked in beer
provided by Paul and Eric,

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the other without beer.

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Ready? Go.

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Now we're going to cook
them for ten minutes,

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and then Isabel will do some clever
chemistry in our camper lab

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to see if the beer has reduced
the amount of those harmful PAHs.

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These barbecues are ferociously hot.

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I tell you what, I'm barbecuing
my face just standing here.

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Barbecues have the perfect
conditions for PAHs to form.

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First, high temperatures.

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These chemicals form as the food chars.

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Second, fat dripping onto the
embers produces more of them.

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And, third, the smoke carries
even more of them

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and plasters them all over the food.

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Now, these PAHs are bad news.

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In the lab, they've been
shown to damage DNA

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and that can lead to cancer.

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But could the beer really
stop them from forming?

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OK, guys. What do you think, Eric?

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I don't know. I would say the
heat has burned everything away

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- that would be beneficial.
- Paul, what do you reckon?

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- I believe the term's Well Done.
- Right.

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Let's take these to the van

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and do the analysis.

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Now Isabel's going to measure
the levels of PAHs

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in our three pieces of meat.

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Meanwhile, I want to find out

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what the punters think
of our barbecue efforts.

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Of these three meats, no marinade,
dark beer, light beer,

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which one do you think looks
the most cancer-causing?

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Cancer-causing?

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- Non-marinated.
- The unmarinated? - Yeah.

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I would suggest anything that's
slathered with sugar and then burnt

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is probably more likely to cause...

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- So anything with a marinade.
- You'd go for the beer? - Yeah.

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Beer plus burned meat is more
likely to give you cancer.

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I think they're mostly
put off by my cooking.

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Anyway, Isabel's got
the scientific answer.

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She's extracted the PAHs from each
steak into these little tubes

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and, if you put them under
a UV light, they'll fluoresce.

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So the brightest tube in the middle here

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has the most PAHs

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but which steak did they come from?

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Very interesting.

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The vial in the middle that
is glowing really strongly

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is the unmarinated meat.

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- Can you see that, Eric?
- Yeah.

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So, there you have it.

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Soaking your meat in beer before
cooking it can make it safer.

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But there's one last question.

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- Which beer is the best?
- Which beer is the best?

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So, Paul, with his seven different
types of malted barley,

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yours was the best

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at reducing the number of
cancer-causing chemicals.

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The dark beer is better.

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- How do you feel about that?
- Pretty good. - Post-match interview.

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Beer and barbecues -- winner.

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Beer has this effect because
it contains chemicals

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known as antioxidants

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that reduce the formation
of the dangerous substances.

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The darker your beer, the
more of them it contains

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and the better it works,

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and, if you don't like beer,

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other marinades such as wine and garlic,

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which also contain antioxidants,

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have been shown to
have a similar effect.

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A gas barbecue may also help

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because it has lower
temperatures and less smoke.

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I love a happy ending.

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This is just great news, Isabel.

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It's just such a classic
pairing, isn't it?

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It's like fish and
chips, bacon and eggs.

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A marriage made in heaven.
Beer and barbecue.

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Cheers, Isabel.

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One of the things that most of us
are interested in is staying sharp,

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on the ball, as we get older,
so how do you do it?

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Well, we've come to Newcastle

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to test out some intriguing techniques.

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Over to surgeon Gabriel Weston.

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As we age, most of us, me included,

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find our memory isn't quite
what it used to be.

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Have you noticed that your memory is
not as good as it was 20 years ago

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or is it still tiptop?

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- I forget names.
- Yep.

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- Forget places.
- Yeah.

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You start a conversation

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and then you suddenly can't
always remember the next word

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or the place or the person.

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And do you do anything
to try and ward that off?

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Well, I do puzzles.

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For most of us, getting
forgetful as we age

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is a sign of a more general
decline in mental sharpness.

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It happens because our
brains change as we age.

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The brain is a fantastic engine
made up of 100 billion brain cells

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that guzzle loads of our daily energy

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and it's supplied by an intricate
network of blood vessels,

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but, as with all machines, the
brain's ability to function,

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as well as its blood supply,
can break down over time.

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Now, when I trained as a doctor,

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it was thought that nothing
could stop this decline

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but, in recent years, a
huge market has sprung up

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in products and techniques that
claim they can boost our brains.

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But does anything actually work?

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We thought it was time to give
the subject the Trust Me treatment

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and put some mind-boosting
methods to the test.

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I've come to Newcastle University,

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where we've recruited 30 volunteers
from the north-east of England.

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They're all aged between 50 and 85.

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They're going to take part
in our big experiment

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to see if there's anything we
can do to keep our minds sharp.

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Before they start...

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When everybody's ready at the back.

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.. clinical psychologist Daniel
Collerton is going to do

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some baseline tests of
their mental abilities.

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We have one minute to write down
as many words as you can think of

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which begin with the letter B.

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He's testing skills that
tend to get worse with age

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like memory, concentration
and the ability to plan.

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It's hard, isn't it?

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With the tests over, we're dividing
our volunteers into three groups.

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For the next eight weeks, each group
will take up a different activity

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that's thought to improve
how our brains function.

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Come on in.

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Our first group will be overseen

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by clinical psychiatrist
Dr John-Paul Taylor.

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OK, you guys,

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you're probably all going to
be familiar with what's in here.

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These are your classic
brain training things

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such as sudoku puzzles, crosswords,
those kinds of things.

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So, we're going to get you to
be doing this particular task

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to see if we can really enhance
your brain function over time.

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It's a random assortment.

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So, for our first group, it's three
hours a week of brainteasers.

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We want to know whether doing puzzles

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can really make our brains
perform better overall.

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I'm taking our second group for a walk

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to meet physiologist
Professor Mike Trenell

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on the other side of town.

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The reason I've walked you here is
because that's going to be your task

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for the next couple of months.

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We're going to ask you
to do two to three hours

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of brisk walking every week
over the next eight weeks.

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So the adage for your group

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is really, "A healthy
body, a healthy mind."

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Anyone who knows me knows that walking

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is my absolute least favourite activity.

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- OK. - So, the more you move,
your heart rate goes up

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and that increase in
blood flow in your heart

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increases the blood flow in your brain.

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We'll be testing whether
this increase in blood flow

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actually improves the
brain's performance.

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Now, I suspect the last team

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will find their challenge
equally stimulating.

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So, if you just follow me.

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Come on in, everyone. Come through.

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Let me introduce, most importantly,

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Steve, in the middle of the room here,

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and what we're going to be asking you
all to do for the next eight weeks

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is to draw Steve.

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This group will spend three hours
a week learning a new skill

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and we'll see if this gives
their brains a boost.

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Well, we know, when you learn
something new, a new skill,

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a new ability, your brain
changes and develops

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and that's true no matter how
many years you have behind you.

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What we're going to see at
the end of these eight weeks

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is, has that produced general
changes in your memory?

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Your ability to concentrate?

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We hope you enjoy it.

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Anyone think they're go to have
any trouble keeping it up?

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Our volunteers will be
back in eight weeks' time

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to repeat the tests

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and see if their brains
are performing better.

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This is our Trust Me,
I'm a Doctor video booth

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where we're taking questions from
people up and down the country

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which we'll do our very best to answer.

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This time, it's with us in Newcastle
and our first question is...

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How can I stop cramp?

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Now, most of us have been there.

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You wake up in the middle of the night,

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you've had this tremendous jolt

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like an electric shock
go through your leg.

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It's cramp and, if this
happens frequently,

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then that can really
mess with your sleep.

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Over a third of us get cramp

246
00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,070
and it becomes more common
as we get older.

247
00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:42,430
But what exactly is it?

248
00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:46,000
Well, I can demonstrate using
this rather sinister kit.

249
00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,150
Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. That is nasty.

250
00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:52,990
Ah. Right. Oh.

251
00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,190
And that is just sending
it all the way down there

252
00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,070
and I could feel my
toes really cramping.

253
00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,590
Oh. Yeah. That is very unpleasant.

254
00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,750
The electrodes on my leg are sending
an electrical signal to my muscles

255
00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:09,310
and that makes them contract tightly
in a way I simply can't control.

256
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,470
It's thought that this is what
happens when you get cramp,

257
00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:14,830
only it's nerves in your
muscles themselves

258
00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,950
that cause this
uncontrollable tightening.

259
00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,100
So why does that happen
and how can we stop it?

260
00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,790
There are lots of different theories
about what causes cramp.

261
00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:26,710
It could simply be
exhaustion of the muscles

262
00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,550
or something to do with salt.

263
00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,750
Perhaps too much salt,
more likely too little.

264
00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,230
If you do lots of heavy exercise
then you're going to sweat,

265
00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,680
lose salt and become dehydrated.

266
00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:42,950
But recent research has shown

267
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,150
the theory that a salt imbalance
can lead to cramp is just a myth,

268
00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,000
so drinking water or taking
salts is not likely to help.

269
00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,870
The leading theory now is
that cramp tends to occur

270
00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,350
when our muscles have been overworking,

271
00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,790
the constant tensing and
relaxing that happens

272
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,280
even when we do everyday
activities like walking around.

273
00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,150
So cramp can happen to any one of us.

274
00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,470
And the best way to relieve
it is by stretching.

275
00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,590
Now, if your problem is cramping
in the calf muscles,

276
00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:17,430
then lean against a wall, put your
foot up and just stretch a bit,

277
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,990
And you should really feel
it here, down in the calf.

278
00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,910
'Stretching overcomes the
signals from your nerves,

279
00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,390
'and reverses the
contraction of the muscle,

280
00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,710
'allowing both to settle down
and get back to normal.'

281
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,110
And we've got demonstrations
of different stretches

282
00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,360
you can try, on our website.

283
00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,590
But how to prevent cramps
from starting --

284
00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,350
especially at night?

285
00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,550
Well, you could try this.

286
00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:43,590
Get a spare pillow, put it down here,

287
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,150
put your foot on top of it, like that,

288
00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:47,910
and that sort of supports it,

289
00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,200
but it also creates a little
bit of stretch in the calf.

290
00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,390
The theory is that sleeping
in a position that gently

291
00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:59,830
stretches your muscles might
prevent an attack of cramp.

292
00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:01,070
And lying on your front,

293
00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,230
hanging your feet over
the end of the bed,

294
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,350
might do the same thing.

295
00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,590
Road-test these, and it may just
give you a better night's sleep.

296
00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:11,110
Goodnight!

297
00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,030
Still to come -- what's the
best way to get rid of earwax?

298
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:26,710
It looks lovely!

299
00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,300
And could aromatherapy really work?

300
00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,030
But first...

301
00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:35,950
In this series, I want to investigate

302
00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,790
the products on our shelves
that are sold on the promise

303
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,350
of improving our health.

304
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,070
How do we know we're not
just wasting our money?

305
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,030
The marketers are trying
to persuade us that all

306
00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,670
kinds of products are good for our
health, and it's not always easy

307
00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,800
to see through their smokescreen
of confusion to the real truth.

308
00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,070
Today, I'm looking into herbal products.

309
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,030
It's a growing market.
As a nation, we now spend

310
00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:06,990
a staggering £118 million
on them every year.

311
00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,870
Now, many people question whether herbal
remedies are effective at all.

312
00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,510
But even if you think they ARE,

313
00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,500
how do you know exactly
what you're buying?

314
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,030
How much of THIS would
you say there is in THIS?

315
00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,350
- All of it, I reckon.
- I think half of it. Half the tree.

316
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,510
- 10%?
- Quite a lot, I would imagine

317
00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,270
So most people very reasonably assume

318
00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,390
that if it says "ginkgo" or
"milk thistle" on a bottle,

319
00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,310
then it does in fact contain
ginkgo or milk thistle.

320
00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:33,790
But is that always the case?

321
00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,840
Is what's ON the bottle
what's IN the bottle?

322
00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:42,190
We've teamed up with University
College London to find out.

323
00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,070
We've bought over 70 different
herbal products,

324
00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,390
and the School of Pharmacy
here is going to test

325
00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,510
what's actually in them.

326
00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,870
'These products fall into
two different groups,

327
00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,160
'although you'd be hard-pushed
to notice when you buy them.'

328
00:17:57,520 --> 00:17:59,910
Herbal products are divided
into categories

329
00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:02,070
based on the health
claims that are made.

330
00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:05,430
So, if a manufacturer makes
a specific health claim --

331
00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,710
for example, on this pack of Echinacea,

332
00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,190
it says it's "a traditional
herbal medicinal product

333
00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,270
"used to relieve the symptoms
of colds and flu" --

334
00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:17,030
that specific health claim
changes everything.

335
00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:19,910
'To make such a claim, the
product must have been awarded

336
00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,800
'this mark, THR -- Traditional
Herbal Registration.'

337
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,430
'It means the quality control
for the product's manufacture

338
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:29,870
'is regulated.

339
00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,310
'So it should be safe,
its dosage is verified

340
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,100
'and it won't contain anything harmful.'

341
00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,790
Products without the THR symbol

342
00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,750
aren't allowed to make any
specific health claims.

343
00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,670
So, on this bottle, there
is in fact no information

344
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,710
about what milk thistle does and
it's sold as a food supplement.

345
00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,950
But what that means is that this product

346
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,590
is not subject to anything
like the same degree

347
00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:57,750
of legal and manufacturing scrutiny

348
00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,560
as this product is, even though they
both claim to be milk thistle.

349
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,390
So we've taken three
common herbal remedies.

350
00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,950
Milk thistle, sold for
indigestion and upset stomachs.

351
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,960
We guzzle £3 million worth of it a year.

352
00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,310
Gingko, sold as a memory enhancer.

353
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:20,200
We spend £6.5 million a year on this.

354
00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,470
And evening primrose,
sold for hormone balance

355
00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,630
and "healthy-looking skin and hair" --

356
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,680
something we pay nearly
£8 million a year for.

357
00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,390
For our tests, we took a
number of different brands

358
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,310
of each of these, some with
the THR mark, some without.

359
00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:42,350
The team at UCL have analysed
their chemistry to see

360
00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,520
whether each one really contains
what the label says.

361
00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,710
The results are in.

362
00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,300
First up, the milk thistle products.

363
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:55,990
These are the chemical traces

364
00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,870
of a sample of the products we tested.

365
00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,790
The first band on the left here
is the chemical "signature"

366
00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,510
of the herb milk thistle --

367
00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,270
so this is the pattern
we're looking for.

368
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,030
Three of the products tested
had a very similar pattern,

369
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,030
so these did actually
contain milk thistle.

370
00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,230
One of these was a THR product,

371
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,270
and the others were sold
as food supplements.

372
00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,270
Two others looked similar,
but the researchers estimate

373
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,030
they contained less
than 20% milk thistle

374
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:24,870
compared to the reference.

375
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:29,200
And two had apparently no milk
thistle in them whatsoever.

376
00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,750
'Professor Michael Heinrich
heads the team here at UCL.'

377
00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:36,710
This one's totally different colours --

378
00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:37,950
what's going on with that?

379
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,190
It doesn't look like a
plant sample, actually.

380
00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,110
It looks more like a mixture
of synthetic compounds.

381
00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,750
It's worrying that they don't
have the milk thistle.

382
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,670
It's maybe even more worrying that
they've got something else in

383
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,950
that we also don't
understand what it is.

384
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,390
Absolutely, and there are many,
many cases globally now

385
00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:59,000
where adulterants have caused
all sorts of problems.

386
00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:05,430
And it's not just milk thistle
pills where we found problems.

387
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,470
Next up, ginkgo.

388
00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,830
THR ginkgo pills are not
readily available in the UK,

389
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,350
so all the products we tested
were food supplements.

390
00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,910
So what did you find?

391
00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,790
We found that 8 out of 30 samples

392
00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:23,710
don't contain any significant
or detectable amount of ginkgo.

393
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,560
- 8 out of 30?
- So more than a quarter.

394
00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,550
We also tested a range of
evening primrose products.

395
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,430
Again, these were all non-THR
food supplements.

396
00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,470
These products DID contain
what the packet claimed.

397
00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,310
So clearly, not all supplements are bad.

398
00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:43,750
The problem is that, as a consumer,

399
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,510
there's little way of
knowing which are OK.

400
00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,840
And our tests suggest that
a worrying proportion are not.

401
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,550
In essence, a large share
of these products --

402
00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:56,750
about a quarter to more than a third --

403
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,070
do not contain what is on the label,

404
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:01,750
- so what they claim to contain.
- Really?

405
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,910
So, Michael, I don't
get how this happens.

406
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:07,630
If I look at all these packs on
the table, they're all very clear,

407
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,230
they have ingredients,
they have a dosage...

408
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:11,990
I mean, they can't just be lying?

409
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,870
Well, I'm sorry to say, I
think some of the suppliers

410
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,070
of food supplements,
yes, they are lying.

411
00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:22,270
In other cases, I think they simply
don't know what they're doing.

412
00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:23,790
Now, many of the botanical drugs

413
00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,310
come from rare or
increasingly rare species,

414
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,750
so it makes perfect sense
to get something cheaper

415
00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,350
and to do something which helps you

416
00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,070
to get a better price at a lower cost.

417
00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,870
However, there does seem to be
one reliable guide to choosing

418
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,390
a herbal product -- the THR mark.

419
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,230
Although they're not always available,

420
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,270
we found that all the THRs we tested

421
00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,990
did contain what they were supposed to.

422
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,230
But price was not a
good guide to quality.

423
00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,670
Many of the supplements are not cheap,

424
00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,670
and we have one product
in this collection here,

425
00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:06,030
which is extremely expensive,
one of the most expensive ones,

426
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,430
and seems to contain nothing.

427
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,030
So don't think that a high
price indicates high quality.

428
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:13,880
That doesn't work.

429
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,390
We were so shocked by the
results that we approached

430
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,950
the Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency,

431
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,910
the Food Standards Agency

432
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,470
and the Chartered Trading
Standards Institute

433
00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:30,420
and offered to pass them our
results to investigate further.

434
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,630
The MHRA told us that the regulation
of herbal food supplements

435
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:36,270
isn't their responsibility,

436
00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,470
it's up to the FSA
and Trading Standards.

437
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,950
Both of them said that they would
only act if a complaint were made

438
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,750
about a specific product not
containing what it claims.

439
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:51,200
So, we've now passed our results
to the FSA's Food Crimes Unit.

440
00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,710
But without lab tests like
ours, how would anyone know?

441
00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,390
So if you want to be sure
that the pills you're buying

442
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:03,230
really are what they say they are,
the best advice I can give you

443
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,870
is to look for that THR
label on herbal products.

444
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,710
It's a mark that they've been checked
and don't contain anything

445
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,110
they shouldn't and they do contain
everything they should.

446
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,790
When it comes to herbal
food supplements,

447
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,560
an ingredients list is no guarantee
of anything whatsoever.

448
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,190
Back at our Trust Me video booth,

449
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:30,150
more Newcastle residents are popping
in with their health questions.

450
00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,990
What's the safest way
to clean out my ears?

451
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:35,710
One for Gabriel Weston,

452
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,800
our very own ear, nose
and throat surgeon

453
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,270
For most of us, our first port of call

454
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,390
for cleaning our ears is one of these.

455
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,630
- Do either of you use these?
- Yes. - Yes.

456
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:51,710
- And what do you use them for?
- Cleaning my ears.

457
00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,790
My ears. And make up.
But mostly my ears.

458
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:59,150
So if I were to tell you that using
these is actually not helping you,

459
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:00,950
would that change what you do?

460
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,510
It is a nice feeling.

461
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,950
There's something irresistible about it?

462
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,400
There is. It's a guilty pleasure.

463
00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,710
These are the devil's work.

464
00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,630
Now, you might think that putting
one of these in your ears is going

465
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,990
to clean the wax out of them,
but what it actually does

466
00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,470
is pushes the wax right
in against the drum.

467
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:23,950
And I'm pretty sure that more
than 50% of the hardest cases

468
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,040
I've treated of wax have
been because of these.

469
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,150
'But something that
fires me up even more,

470
00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,870
'is poking one of these in your ears.'

471
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,510
This is an ear candle.

472
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,670
What you're meant to do with
this is put it in the ear

473
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:45,160
and apparently, that sucks the
ear wax into the candle itself.

474
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,110
It's a wild claim.

475
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:51,270
Though you can see a waxy deposit here,

476
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,710
the candle hasn't been near an ear.

477
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,430
The wax has come from within
the candle itself.

478
00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,520
It's a complete sham.

479
00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:06,430
'Far from trying to remove it, we
should leave our wax where it is.'

480
00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,470
Wax is actually really important --

481
00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,670
it's produced in this outer
portion of the ear canal

482
00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:14,070
and it protects the ear

483
00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:17,190
and stops things getting
in there that shouldn't.

484
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,030
And if you leave your wax,

485
00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:23,760
it will naturally come out
of the earhole all by itself.

486
00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:29,510
So for the majority of
us, wax isn't a problem.

487
00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:31,830
But sometimes, it can build up,

488
00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,550
causing discomfort or loss of hearing.

489
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,590
If that happens, there's
quite an array of products

490
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,160
you can buy to unclog your ears.

491
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:46,510
These work by soaking into
ear wax and softening it,

492
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,880
although simple almond oil and
olive oil are just as effective.

493
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,710
Warm the oil up to no more
than body temperature.

494
00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,590
Fill your ear and leave
for 5-10 minutes,

495
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,180
until the wax softens and falls out.

496
00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:08,150
'If there's a real problem, your
GP might recommend ear irrigation,

497
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,630
'also known as syringing.'

498
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,470
This involves pushing some
water into the ear canal

499
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,670
to dislodge the wax there.

500
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,350
Now, in my opinion, it's often painful,

501
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:22,070
it can be useless,

502
00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:25,480
and most importantly, it
can damage the eardrum.

503
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:30,680
So what can you do about
an excess of wax?

504
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,630
'Well, one option is
what I'm doing here,

505
00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,630
'sucking wax out through a tube
using a tiny vacuum cleaner.'

506
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,390
Oh, yes. You've got loads
of wax on this side.

507
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:44,790
'In my experience,

508
00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:48,830
'this is the only way to deal
with persistent blockages.'

509
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,670
There's a nice big bit coming out now,

510
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,080
which I'll try and let the camera
see before it disappears.

511
00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:58,590
It looks lovely!

512
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,150
Most of us have a got a completely
normal amount of wax in our ears.

513
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,910
So my advice is, unless
you've got a real problem,

514
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,750
leave your ears well alone.

515
00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:16,080
And I beg you, whatever
you do, DON'T use these.

516
00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,160
Over to Dr Salehya Ahsan.

517
00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:31,350
One of the most difficult things
about working in A & E

518
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,910
is dealing with the death of a
patient who may have been saved,

519
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:40,630
had they recognised the danger signs
and sought treatment in time.

520
00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:44,110
Sometimes, a symptom
can appear harmless,

521
00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,350
but it's actually what
we call a red flag

522
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,790
for something more serious.

523
00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,470
A textbook example of this
is deep vein thrombosis,

524
00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:57,030
a blood clot that is most
commonly found in the leg.

525
00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,350
One in nine of us will develop
one in our lifetime.

526
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,150
A DVT in itself is not life-threatening.

527
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,230
However, if the blood clot breaks away

528
00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,030
and travels up to the lung,

529
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,230
it can cause a blockage known
as a pulmonary embolism,

530
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,080
which can be fatal.

531
00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:17,470
'So I'm going to give you
the information you need

532
00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:19,390
'to recognise a DVT to save a life.'

533
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:23,320
Either your own or someone else's.

534
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:29,950
There are three main risk factors
to be aware of when it comes to DVT.

535
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,350
Sticky blood, which can
be caused by illness,

536
00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,150
old age, pregnancy and medication,

537
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:40,030
vein damage, which can come
from trauma such as surgery,

538
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,230
and immobility.

539
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,070
How often do you get up from your desk?

540
00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,310
Em... I think a few times a day.

541
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:47,710
Do you take lunch here?

542
00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,510
Um, maybe two days a week,
I will have lunch at my desk.

543
00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,230
I've got all my snacks
here, ready for me.

544
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,270
So, when did you last get up?

545
00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,470
Probably about an hour ago,
to get a glass of water.

546
00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,590
And when do you think you'll
be getting up again?

547
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,230
Probably as that glass of water
goes through my system!

548
00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,870
It's been shown that sitting for
90 minutes can reduce the blood flow

549
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,470
in the legs by half,
increasing the risk of DVT,

550
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,830
so if you end up with a
DVT, how do you spot it?

551
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:20,880
What I want you to do is roll your
trousers up and get those legs out.

552
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,670
Sometimes the only symptom is pain,
a bit like a pulled muscle,

553
00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,110
but other signs include redness,

554
00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,510
tenderness and warm skin
in the area of the clot.

555
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,880
It will feel warm to touch as well.

556
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,870
Another sign that we look
for in A & E is swelling,

557
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,310
and the best way to spot it
is to measure your calves.

558
00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,070
- Jared, what did you get for your calves?
- 37.

559
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:46,460
Decent.

560
00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:49,630
If you have a blood clot,

561
00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,590
the swelling might make one leg bigger.

562
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:57,560
If it's three centimetres or more,
it is a very important red flag.

563
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:03,470
If you do have a DVT and you
consult a doctor quickly enough,

564
00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,750
you can get treatment before
it becomes more serious,

565
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:08,830
but it would be even better

566
00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,000
if we could avoid getting
a DVT in the first place.

567
00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,750
It's really important
to stand up regularly.

568
00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,390
When you do that, you use your muscles.

569
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,390
They contract, that squeezes
the vessels, the veins,

570
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,710
which, in turn, pushes the
blood around your body,

571
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:29,120
and stops it from pooling and
staying in the same place.

572
00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,230
Simple preventative
measures like this can

573
00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,960
reduce our risk of developing
a fatal blockage.

574
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:43,230
So, remember, if you have
pain like a pulled muscle,

575
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,270
especially in your leg,

576
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:51,590
and there's swelling, redness
and warmth, it could be a DVT.

577
00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:54,590
Ask yourself, are you at risk?

578
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:59,310
Could you have sticky blood due
to age, illness or pregnancy?

579
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,390
Or have you lately experienced
a triggering event like trauma,

580
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,670
or a period of immobility?

581
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:10,230
If any of these red flags are
raised, seek medical advice.

582
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,350
It could save your life.

583
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:15,790
All this information and more

584
00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:17,710
on all of the items in this series

585
00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:19,560
are on our website.

586
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,070
Over at Newcastle University,
our big experiment

587
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,390
to find a way to keep our minds sharper

588
00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:38,350
as we get older is under way.

589
00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,990
We've asked three groups
of volunteers to take up

590
00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:43,360
a new activity -- puzzles...

591
00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:45,980
.. walking...

592
00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:49,430
.. or life drawing.

593
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:53,270
Challenging, something that that
I would never in a million years

594
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,270
think about doing... at all.

595
00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,510
When they've been doing their
allotted task for eight weeks,

596
00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:00,790
we'll be testing them

597
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,140
to see which has the biggest
brain-boosting effect.

598
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,110
But meanwhile, I'm going to try
a very different technique --

599
00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,870
something with a more instant effect.

600
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:17,240
Now, we'd all of us like a better
memory, but how do we get one?

601
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:21,630
Lauren and Kamila are researchers

602
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,790
from the Brain Performance
And Nutrition Research Centre

603
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,030
at Northumbria University.

604
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:31,350
Their team is researching the
effect of aromas on our memory.

605
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,350
I've always quite liked
the idea of aromatherapy,

606
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,230
but perhaps I've never taken
it all that seriously,

607
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:38,950
so I'm intrigued.

608
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,510
First, I'm going to find that how
they test memory the hard way.

609
00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:44,430
We're going to start with the glasses,

610
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,710
they're just going to sit over there.

611
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:50,510
'I have to try to remember where
Lauren has hidden five items,

612
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,470
'while doing other tasks
designed to distract me.'

613
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,470
Write down as many words
as you can think of

614
00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,990
with the following first
and third letters.

615
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:01,590
'And along the way,

616
00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,710
'there'll be a number of
extra tasks to confuse me.'

617
00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,350
At five past three, using this clock,

618
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,830
could you please remind
me to ring the garage

619
00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:11,870
and check if my car is ready.

620
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,870
I'm hoping there's nothing really
wrong with Kamila's car,

621
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,120
because I don't think I'm
going to remember that.

622
00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:21,190
Right.

623
00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:26,590
OK, so we have finished the test.

624
00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,550
Now I have to remember to tell
you where those objects are.

625
00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,470
The glasses are on that desk.

626
00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,070
Doll, pocket watch.

627
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,830
Baseball, pocket knife on the
stairs behind the bottles.

628
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:40,750
Yep, that's correct.

629
00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:45,230
- There's one more thing.
- Oh! Oh, your car!

630
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,590
Which you're now going to crash
cos I forgot to tell you.

631
00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:51,150
- Thank you.
- So how did I do?

632
00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:54,230
OK, you scored a total of
32 out of a possible 36,

633
00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:57,550
- which means for your age, you
did average on the task. - Oh.

634
00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,870
It's better than below average.

635
00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:02,790
That is true, I could
have been below average.

636
00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:06,110
'Oh, dear. I'd flattered
myself I'd get full marks.

637
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,990
'Clearly, I need all the help I can get.

638
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,470
'And the team here at
Northumbria University

639
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,750
'suspect the answer might have
been hiding in plain sight

640
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:16,870
'in our gardens for centuries.

641
00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:18,680
'Rosemary.'

642
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:21,470
Since Shakespeare's day,

643
00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:25,270
this common garden herb has
been associated with memory.

644
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,990
As a modern scientist,
I'm pretty sceptical

645
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,040
about whether it really
could have an effect.

646
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:36,590
But, here at the University, I'm
going to see it put to the test.

647
00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:40,550
We've prepared a series of
rooms with exactly the task

648
00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:44,750
I've just done all ready for
an influx of 60 volunteers.

649
00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:47,550
So the first group are going
to do the test like I did,

650
00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,310
with no smells in the air,
but for the second group,

651
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:52,510
we are going to switch this on.

652
00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,230
It's a diffuser and it
heats up rosemary oil,

653
00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:57,680
sending the aromas into the air.

654
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:03,320
I'm going to hide it
behind this little guy.

655
00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:08,030
And, for a third group, we're
going to infuse the room

656
00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:12,510
with the scent of another
common herb, lavender,

657
00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:14,960
widely believed to help us sleep.

658
00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,510
And we've got another little
friend to hide this one.

659
00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,550
That is now counting down.

660
00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,750
This one is yours, just place it
in front of you so you can see it.

661
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,230
The volunteers don't know it, but
I'm monitoring their every move

662
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:32,870
with Lauren and Kamila's
boss, Dr Mark Moss.

663
00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:34,990
When there are seven minutes...

664
00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:38,870
I would like you to remind
me not to forget my keys.

665
00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,910
You were going to do something when
there were seven minutes left.

666
00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:45,200
Did you remember what it
was? Great stuff. Thank you.

667
00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,750
So, if there is an active
compound in the rosemary oil

668
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,870
that we think might help
this form of memory,

669
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:57,190
why is it better to inhale
it and not just eat it?

670
00:36:57,240 --> 00:36:59,990
Inhaling something is
the most efficient way

671
00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,040
to get it to the brain.

672
00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:03,950
When you inhale something,

673
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:05,870
any active compounds that are inhaled

674
00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:07,870
are directly passed into the blood

675
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,860
which is then pumped
straight to the brain.

676
00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,880
We have finished this test.

677
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,470
Straight afterwards, our
volunteers have a blood test

678
00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,310
to see if they've absorbed
anything from the herbs

679
00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:22,700
that might affect their memory.

680
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,030
In both groups, it shows their blood

681
00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:28,590
now contains different
chemical compounds

682
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,680
which research has shown to
have effects on the brain.

683
00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:37,190
These compounds have
drug-like properties.

684
00:37:37,240 --> 00:37:41,550
They affect the neurotransmitter
systems in the brain.

685
00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,950
So, the moment of truth --
are these chemical compounds

686
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,150
really doing anything to
our volunteers' memory?

687
00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:53,150
First, the part of the test where
people had to spontaneously remember

688
00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:56,710
the positions of objects as
soon as the test finished.

689
00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,150
As you can see from this figure,
there was a 10% improvement

690
00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:03,470
in terms of performance from people
in the rosemary condition.

691
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:05,660
That is really remarkable.

692
00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:11,150
Then my nemesis, remembering to
do something at a particular time

693
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,190
like ringing the garage.

694
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:17,110
Lavender aroma actually leads
to an 18% impairment.

695
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,910
I think this lavender impairment
is really interesting,

696
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,270
because don't people use lavender
to try and fall asleep?

697
00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,880
Certainly this would suggest
that you are being sedated.

698
00:38:29,720 --> 00:38:33,190
I have to say that I'm quite
taken aback by this experiment,

699
00:38:33,240 --> 00:38:36,470
clearly demonstrating that
one herb can improve memory

700
00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:39,870
and another impair it to such a extent.

701
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,470
I had never considered the
possibility that aromatherapy

702
00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:46,950
was anything more than using nice smells

703
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,270
to make people feel nice.

704
00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:53,150
But today I've seen how those
chemicals can go straight

705
00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,030
into our blood and even
affect our memory,

706
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,080
and it's given me something
else to remember.

707
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,070
Maybe as scientists, we should
all be a little bit less

708
00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,920
SNIFFY about aromatherapy.

709
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:17,070
Still to come -- can being
obese ever be good for you?

710
00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:19,870
And the results of our big experiment,

711
00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,460
how can we avoid losing our marbles?

712
00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:25,830
But first...

713
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:29,630
At some point in our lives,
an amazing 80% of us

714
00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:31,550
will develop back pain.

715
00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:35,710
If it's serious, you will probably
need surgery, which carries risks.

716
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:37,670
But is there an alternative?

717
00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:41,880
Well, surgeon Gabriel Weston has
been to California to find out.

718
00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:48,790
I'm on my way to witness a trial
of a pioneering treatment

719
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:52,760
that could transform the lives of
people with debilitating back pain.

720
00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,830
For these people, every
day is a struggle,

721
00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:01,480
and until now, the only hope
has been surgery on their spine.

722
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:10,390
I got in a car accident in 2000 and
had a bulging disc at that point

723
00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,280
and then it's just been progressively
degenerating since then.

724
00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:20,350
The pain is now prohibiting me
from all physical activities --

725
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:22,590
sports, bike riding,

726
00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:25,360
walking upstairs, lifting anything.

727
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,030
It's just at a point now

728
00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:31,380
where I can't... I can't
handle the pain any more.

729
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,470
Jessica's pain is being caused
by damage to the discs

730
00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:38,110
that sit between the bones of her spine,

731
00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:40,110
and after so many years of agony,

732
00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:42,630
she feared she'd have to
resort to risky surgery,

733
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:46,950
but just before taking that step,
she was given the opportunity

734
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:51,560
to become part of a study trialling
a new kind of treatment.

735
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:57,710
The trial that I've come
here to see in LA is testing

736
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:02,070
an entirely different approach
to the problem of lower back pain.

737
00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:06,710
Instead of subjecting patients
to invasive and risky surgery,

738
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:11,390
doctors here are attempting to
regenerate discs from within

739
00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:14,720
using an injection of stem cells.

740
00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:19,110
Stem cells are unique
within the human body

741
00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:21,830
because they have the ability to develop

742
00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:24,220
into many different cell types.

743
00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:26,910
But because of this potential,

744
00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:29,070
they are surrounded by a lot of hype,

745
00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,920
so I'm going to need
a bit of convincing.

746
00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:36,190
The trial is now in its
third and final phase,

747
00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:40,240
and is being led by spinal
expert, Dr Hyun Bae.

748
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:43,750
Before this intervention
that you are trialling now,

749
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:45,630
what would the options be?

750
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,550
Typically, our method of treatment
is really taking the disc out,

751
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:52,790
so removing the disc, and either
fusing it or we would put a cage

752
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,790
or device in-between the bones

753
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:57,270
and then we would place
screws to fixate it.

754
00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,550
That's a pretty brutal-looking option.

755
00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:03,960
Yes, what we're doing to the body
is a major physiological change.

756
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,430
Spinal surgery like this is risky.

757
00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,950
There's no guarantee of success

758
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,640
and there's a danger that any
improvement could be temporary.

759
00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,150
I would prefer to avoid
surgery at all costs.

760
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:22,150
Fusion surgery, they say that the
odds are that in 10 to 15 years,

761
00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:23,670
there's a 20% chance

762
00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:26,790
that my adjacent discs
will have a problem,

763
00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:33,030
and so that puts me at 50 with
three discs, instead of one.

764
00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:34,680
No, thank you.

765
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:38,550
The therapy that Dr Bae's
trial is offering

766
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,310
is innovative but simple.

767
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,910
The idea is that a single
injection of stem cells,

768
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,840
directly into the disc, will
stimulate healing from within.

769
00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:52,750
It's hoped this procedure
could revolutionise

770
00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:55,340
the treatment of chronic back pain.

771
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,880
So the results of this
trial will be critical.

772
00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:03,270
There are two different treatment
arms in this trial --

773
00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:06,350
some of the patients get the stem cells,

774
00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:09,990
but others receive a
placebo, and, in fact,

775
00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:13,430
the protocol for this trial is so tight

776
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:16,790
that they don't want me to witness
a procedure being done,

777
00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,550
just in case my presence in the room

778
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,110
might influence a patient into thinking

779
00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:24,870
that they had one treatment or another.

780
00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:28,950
The doctors must carefully
prepare the stem cell samples.

781
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:32,910
As a surgeon, I know that the
procedure is far less invasive

782
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:37,870
than removing a disc and placing
implants in the spine.

783
00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:41,160
The injection will take
just a matter of minutes.

784
00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:46,070
But there's one question
that always preys on my mind

785
00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,790
when it comes to stem cell treatments.

786
00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:54,190
How do you manage the kind
of public desire fanatically

787
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:59,150
to believe that if any physician
offers stem cells for anything,

788
00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:02,590
that's going to treat them and cure
them and make them young again.

789
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:04,990
I think that what's really
needed in this field,

790
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,110
because there is just so much hype,

791
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:10,590
so much hope, is we need results.

792
00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:14,790
We really need something that tells us

793
00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:16,910
that, hey, this actually works.

794
00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:21,510
If we can do that, then I think
that it will be tremendous,

795
00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:23,230
it will be an inflection point

796
00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:27,640
where truly regenerative medicine
will enter the new era.

797
00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:34,460
It's a hope that's shared
by patients like Jessica.

798
00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:37,990
Over the last 15 years,
I've tried everything,

799
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:43,750
so I'm hoping that I
get the real stem cells

800
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:45,870
and that they see the improvements

801
00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:48,670
that these studies have
actually been showing

802
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:50,790
so I don't have to have surgery.

803
00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:53,830
I can start doing things
like riding a bike.

804
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:57,190
Yeah, just normal things.

805
00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:02,710
What's giving everyone such
strong grounds for optimism

806
00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:07,110
is that earlier phases of this
study were highly successful.

807
00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,800
And I'm going to meet one of
the patients who took part.

808
00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:14,030
Stephen is a personal trainer

809
00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:17,480
who spent years suffering from
life-altering back pain.

810
00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:24,150
'I used to just lay on the floor
on ice for often up to three hours

811
00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:28,950
'at a time to try and relieve some of
the pain that I got most of the day.

812
00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:32,150
'I went to physical therapy,
I went to chiropractic services,

813
00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,320
'you name it, and I tried it,
to no avail unfortunately.'

814
00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:39,350
As part of the trial,

815
00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:41,830
Stephen received an
injection of stem cells.

816
00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:46,400
And after a few weeks,
he began to feel a change.

817
00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:50,590
Six weeks in, eight weeks in,
was when I started going,

818
00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,750
"Wow, something's going on
here, whether it's in my head

819
00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:55,510
"or whether it's physically",

820
00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:57,110
but something was happening.

821
00:45:57,160 --> 00:46:00,270
I started to notice that
I could sit down at dinner

822
00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:02,430
and not have to get up
and use the restroom

823
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:03,670
to kind of stretch out.

824
00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:08,390
I was able to drive in my car for
30 or 40 minutes without going,

825
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:11,630
"This is miserable", and having
that just driving pain.

826
00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:14,110
I knew something was going on

827
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:19,870
and I would say 80% of my
pain at that point was gone.

828
00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:22,840
And now I have no pain, and so it's...

829
00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:25,710
.. amazing.

830
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,830
I came out here full of scepticism,

831
00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:33,510
but, in fact, what I've
seen has amazed me.

832
00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:38,230
Dr Bae's study has been
set up incredibly robustly

833
00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:42,190
and this one patient absolutely swears

834
00:46:42,240 --> 00:46:45,670
that the stem cell intervention
has worked for him.

835
00:46:45,720 --> 00:46:48,590
Now, it's obviously way
too early in the day

836
00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,670
to be drawing any permanent conclusions.

837
00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:55,630
But if this one person
is anything to go by,

838
00:46:55,680 --> 00:46:58,480
it looks like it could
be a real success.

839
00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:13,950
There are eye-catching headlines
in the newspapers every day,

840
00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:16,390
some making the most
extraordinary health claims.

841
00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:18,510
There was one the other
day, for example,

842
00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,750
which said that being overweight
protects against dementia.

843
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:23,870
Can that really be true?

844
00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:27,750
The most recent headlines about dementia

845
00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:29,550
join a long list of reports

846
00:47:29,600 --> 00:47:33,110
claiming that being overweight
is a health benefit.

847
00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:36,270
Which is a surprise, because
overweight people

848
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:39,350
are generally more prone
to health problems

849
00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:41,910
like diabetes and heart disease

850
00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:43,670
and yet their survival,

851
00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:47,020
when they get these conditions,
seems to be better.

852
00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:51,910
It's a phenomenon known
as the obesity paradox.

853
00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:56,070
But there may be a simple explanation.

854
00:47:56,120 --> 00:47:58,670
It turns out the obesity paradox

855
00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:00,710
has got less to do with being fat

856
00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:03,190
and more to do with being fit.

857
00:48:03,240 --> 00:48:07,750
Because the way the researchers have
measured fatness is to use BMI,

858
00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:11,990
or body mass index -- a
ratio of weight to height.

859
00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:14,580
And that's just not a good measure.

860
00:48:15,240 --> 00:48:19,950
In fact, many people with a high
BMI are actually very fit --

861
00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:21,910
just tall, or muscly.

862
00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:25,400
That might explain why they
recovered well from illnesses.

863
00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:31,190
What's a more relevant measurement
is the size of your waist --

864
00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:34,910
a measure of dangerous belly fat.

865
00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:37,950
So the message is ignore the headlines,

866
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:39,870
and ignore BMI too.

867
00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:44,030
The best way to stay healthy
is to keep your belly fat down,

868
00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:46,280
and your exercise levels up.

869
00:48:57,360 --> 00:48:58,630
On Trust Me I'm A Doctor,

870
00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:02,070
we try to tackle issues
that most matter to you.

871
00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:03,430
We wanted to find out

872
00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:06,630
which questions you particularly
wanted answers to,

873
00:49:06,680 --> 00:49:10,070
so we commissioned a
poll of 2,000 people.

874
00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:11,950
When the results came in,

875
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:14,990
the question you most
wanted answered was

876
00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:17,240
"How can I avoid dementia?"

877
00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:21,320
So what, if anything, can
we do to reduce our risk?

878
00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:27,270
There are lots of theories out there.

879
00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:29,230
In fact, hardly a week goes by

880
00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:32,870
without some new piece of medical
research being reported in the news

881
00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:35,790
which suggests that some
aspect of our lifestyle

882
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:39,320
will either raise or lower our
chances of getting dementia.

883
00:49:41,640 --> 00:49:43,950
What I want you to do
is put the things here

884
00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:47,240
under risk, benefit, or ones
that you have doubt about.

885
00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:52,960
- Aluminium.
- Hearing loss. - Pardon?

886
00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:57,070
- Age is a risk.
- Yeah.

887
00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:00,920
Obesity. You tend to think it
would be under everything...

888
00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:04,310
There's clearly a lot of confusion.

889
00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:07,030
So what can we do to get to the truth?

890
00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:09,510
Well, in our big experiment,

891
00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:11,750
we're putting some leading
ideas to the test --

892
00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:13,510
brain-training,

893
00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:15,030
learning a new skill

894
00:50:15,080 --> 00:50:17,750
and doing aerobic exercise.

895
00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:19,830
But what else can we do?

896
00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:23,430
I've come to meet a man leading
major research projects

897
00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:26,110
across Europe to prevent dementia.

898
00:50:26,160 --> 00:50:28,590
From the Centre for Clinical
Brain Sciences

899
00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:30,270
at the University of Edinburgh,

900
00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:32,390
Professor Craig Ritchie.

901
00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:36,950
Dementia. What causes it?

902
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:38,390
There's multiple causes.

903
00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:41,790
There are different diseases, if
you like, that cause dementia --

904
00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,350
Alzheimer's disease,
cerebrovascular disease,

905
00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:45,990
Lewy Body disease.

906
00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:49,150
You know, there's probably a list
of about 50 or 60 different causes.

907
00:50:49,200 --> 00:50:51,190
Historically, we've always looked

908
00:50:51,240 --> 00:50:53,190
at dementia being a
disease of later life.

909
00:50:53,240 --> 00:50:56,550
I think what we're now realising
is that dementia has its genesis,

910
00:50:56,600 --> 00:50:59,030
- it starts in midlife and that's where we...
- In your 50s?

911
00:50:59,080 --> 00:51:01,230
In your 50s. Well, maybe even earlier.

912
00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:05,150
But certainly, I think going back
to your sort of midlife 40s-50s

913
00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:09,230
is probably a good place to
be looking at modifying risk.

914
00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:11,670
How good is the evidence
that the things you can do,

915
00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:13,110
and what are the things you can do?

916
00:51:13,160 --> 00:51:15,950
I remember 20 years ago, it was all
about aluminium pans, wasn't it?

917
00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,030
and everybody threw away
their aluminium pans.

918
00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:20,590
There are still people
exploring that avenue

919
00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:22,950
but I think the level
of evidence is such

920
00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:26,270
that... that we wouldn't
certainly be advising people

921
00:51:26,320 --> 00:51:28,310
to throw away aluminium
pans at this stage.

922
00:51:28,360 --> 00:51:32,750
So if you were to look at the
things that cause dementia,

923
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:36,350
that you can modify, what would they be?

924
00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:39,950
You would certainly rank very
high on the list diabetes.

925
00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:42,190
Type II diabetes is doing that.

926
00:51:42,240 --> 00:51:44,790
Does that not point to a future

927
00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:47,510
in which an awful lot more people
are going to develop dementia?

928
00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:49,070
I don't think one should say,

929
00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:51,550
"I've got diabetes, there is
nothing I can do about it."

930
00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:53,550
I think if you manage
your diabetes well,

931
00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:56,070
then you will hopefully
get back to the same risk

932
00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:57,590
as somebody without diabetes.

933
00:51:57,640 --> 00:52:00,070
So there are endless
claims in the newspapers

934
00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:03,670
about some sort of thing will make
a huge difference to your dementia.

935
00:52:03,720 --> 00:52:06,030
I'm clutching my favourite
drug of choice,

936
00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:07,390
which is a cup of coffee.

937
00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:10,750
How good is the evidence that
coffee might reduce your risk?

938
00:52:10,800 --> 00:52:12,470
There is evidence to say

939
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:15,230
that caffeine is probably good

940
00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:17,870
for your... for your brain health.

941
00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:19,710
It's one or two small studies --

942
00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:21,910
actually French studies,
as it happened --

943
00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:24,110
and they also tended to suggest

944
00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:29,150
that it was even more beneficial
in women than in men

945
00:52:29,200 --> 00:52:31,030
so it seemed to be a gender effect.

946
00:52:31,080 --> 00:52:34,710
In terms of alcohol, is alcohol
good for your brain?

947
00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:38,030
I think there is probably a
level of alcohol consumption

948
00:52:38,080 --> 00:52:39,870
which is good for your brain.

949
00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:41,750
Now there's, there's arguments...

950
00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:44,550
- How much? - Well...
- And what? - And what?

951
00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:47,230
There's a study from France which
says it's about Bordeaux,

952
00:52:47,280 --> 00:52:49,430
there's a study from Italy
that says it's Chianti.

953
00:52:49,480 --> 00:52:52,430
So I think, certainly, you know,
small doses of red wine --

954
00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:54,910
- small DOSES... - Yes.
- .. of red wine

955
00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:57,750
may well be good for-for brain health.

956
00:52:57,800 --> 00:52:59,910
What about something like, say, fish?

957
00:52:59,960 --> 00:53:03,150
There is reasonable evidence
that eating fish provides you

958
00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:05,990
with omega-3, fatty acids,
that's good for your brain.

959
00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:09,710
Absolutely. But it's highly unlikely
that one specific thing,

960
00:53:09,760 --> 00:53:12,750
more of or less of, is going to
make any sort of great benefit.

961
00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,270
So I think, you know,
if somebody thought,

962
00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:18,070
"Well, actually, I can still do
all the things I've been doing,

963
00:53:18,120 --> 00:53:21,230
"but as long as I have fish and
chips every night, I'll be OK",

964
00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:22,630
isn't going to be true.

965
00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:25,110
But if you were to choose a diet

966
00:53:25,160 --> 00:53:27,390
which you think might
maintain brain health,

967
00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:30,670
then you would be looking at,
you know, good fats in fish oils

968
00:53:30,720 --> 00:53:32,870
and pulses and what have you.

969
00:53:32,920 --> 00:53:35,790
Do you do any specific things yourself

970
00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:38,990
in order to protect your
brain into old age?

971
00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:41,830
One of the best protecting
factors we can have,

972
00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:43,710
and in some ways especially
later in life,

973
00:53:43,760 --> 00:53:45,030
is that social interaction.

974
00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:48,470
There is nothing more cognitively
stimulating than talking with people

975
00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:52,390
and being, you know, in a pub, in
a restaurant or a party with folk.

976
00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:54,910
So again that's... that's
critically important.

977
00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:58,390
Well, Professor Ritchie has
certainly scotched some myths

978
00:53:58,440 --> 00:53:59,750
and given us clear pointers

979
00:53:59,800 --> 00:54:03,670
to what we should eat and drink
to help avoid dementia.

980
00:54:03,720 --> 00:54:06,750
And now it's time for the results
of our big experiment --

981
00:54:06,800 --> 00:54:08,830
testing three different activities

982
00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:12,120
that are believed to
ward off mental decline.

983
00:54:15,640 --> 00:54:17,990
Over to Gabriel.

984
00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:21,190
Eight weeks ago, we embarked
on an ambitious trial to see

985
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:25,910
if we could find a way to make
our minds sharper as we get older.

986
00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:30,110
We recruited 30 volunteers,
split into three groups,

987
00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:33,440
to put some brain-boosting
ideas to the test.

988
00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:38,720
For our first group -- Sudoku,
crosswords and brain teasers.

989
00:54:41,080 --> 00:54:43,680
For the second group -- brisk walking.

990
00:54:45,200 --> 00:54:48,040
And for our final group -- life drawing.

991
00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:54,390
All the groups have been
spending three hours a week

992
00:54:54,440 --> 00:54:55,750
on their new pastime.

993
00:54:55,800 --> 00:54:57,830
And they've also been wearing devices

994
00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:00,430
that monitor how active
they are generally,

995
00:55:00,480 --> 00:55:03,680
to see whether this has
an effect on their brain.

996
00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:07,230
Eight weeks later, they've returned.

997
00:55:07,280 --> 00:55:09,680
- Welcome back, everyone.
- Hi!

998
00:55:10,960 --> 00:55:13,190
Clinical psychologist Daniel Collerton

999
00:55:13,240 --> 00:55:15,630
is putting them through the
same set of mental tests

1000
00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:18,960
they did at the start to
see if they've improved.

1001
00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:26,350
Each of our three groups
was overseen by an expert

1002
00:55:26,400 --> 00:55:28,150
and they're all back together

1003
00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:30,350
to see which group has done the best.

1004
00:55:30,400 --> 00:55:31,750
Here are your results.

1005
00:55:31,800 --> 00:55:35,390
I feel a bit like the
magician's assistant.

1006
00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:37,870
'I was unsure as to whether

1007
00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:42,150
'we would see any change in our
volunteers in just 60 days.'

1008
00:55:42,200 --> 00:55:44,680
3, 2, 1 -- reveal!

1009
00:55:47,560 --> 00:55:49,150
'All three groups have seen

1010
00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:52,200
'an improvement in their
mental performance.'

1011
00:55:53,040 --> 00:55:55,830
You're speechless! Speechless!

1012
00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:58,590
'But which group are our winners?'

1013
00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:01,110
The group which improved the most was...

1014
00:56:01,160 --> 00:56:02,790
My group, the art group.

1015
00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:04,430
Yes!

1016
00:56:10,920 --> 00:56:13,920
That naked gentleman
certainly had an effect.

1017
00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:20,230
Taking up life-drawing was
undoubtedly a mental challenge

1018
00:56:20,280 --> 00:56:24,350
but, unlike puzzles, it combines
this with a new physical skill,

1019
00:56:24,400 --> 00:56:28,550
something that other studies show
to be especially beneficial.

1020
00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:29,790
But our results suggest

1021
00:56:29,840 --> 00:56:33,120
that's only part of the reason
this group came out on top.

1022
00:56:34,160 --> 00:56:38,470
The data from the activity monitors
showed that across all three groups,

1023
00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:41,310
the volunteers who where the most active

1024
00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:44,710
showed the greatest
improvement in the tasks.

1025
00:56:44,760 --> 00:56:47,550
And though exercise wasn't
their main task,

1026
00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:50,350
doing the art class made
this group, generally,

1027
00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:52,470
more active than before.

1028
00:56:53,160 --> 00:56:55,630
I remember the art group
complaining to me

1029
00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:59,350
about the amount of activity they
had to do to get to the art lesson

1030
00:56:59,400 --> 00:57:02,350
and then standing up for
three hours painting.

1031
00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:05,270
And probably that was
part of the benefit.

1032
00:57:06,120 --> 00:57:10,350
So it seems the art group may have
benefitted from the mental challenge

1033
00:57:10,400 --> 00:57:14,160
of learning a new skill, and from
being more active physically.

1034
00:57:15,200 --> 00:57:18,550
I must say I was sceptical
about whether we would notice

1035
00:57:18,600 --> 00:57:22,470
any change in our volunteers'
minds in just a few weeks.

1036
00:57:22,520 --> 00:57:26,310
But increasing their activity levels
and challenging their minds

1037
00:57:26,360 --> 00:57:32,030
in ways that barely cost anything
does seem to have produced results.

1038
00:57:32,080 --> 00:57:35,230
And it seems the most successful
way to boost your brain

1039
00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:39,790
is to combine a new mental challenge
with a more active lifestyle.

1040
00:57:39,840 --> 00:57:41,350
And what's more,

1041
00:57:41,400 --> 00:57:45,790
you can start to see the benefits
in just a few weeks.

1042
00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:48,920
That's enough to give us all
something to think about.

1043
00:57:51,320 --> 00:57:52,910
That's it from Newcastle.

1044
00:57:52,960 --> 00:57:56,030
Next time, we're in London where
we'll be doing an experiment

1045
00:57:56,080 --> 00:57:58,110
to see if you can lower your cholesterol

1046
00:57:58,160 --> 00:58:00,870
simply by making some
changes to your diet.

1047
00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:03,830
Revealing the new cure for snoring...

1048
00:58:03,880 --> 00:58:07,590
Get your tongue, and push it backwards.

1049
00:58:07,640 --> 00:58:12,350
.. and asking, what do skin products
really do to your skin?

1050
00:58:12,400 --> 00:58:14,390
Prepare to be shocked!