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PODCAST

Sliced Bread

Sliced Bread is the series that investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really "the best thing since sliced bread"? Science presenter Greg Foot finds out.Greg speaks to experts on a bunk-busting mission to test the latest consumer trends chosen by listeners. Do they live up to the hype? Or are they just marketing BS?Greg chats to the experts, dives into the data, performs tests and crunches the numbers before putting

health & fitness

All Episodes

23:15

Manuka Honey

Sliced Bread ·

2022/06/30

A small jar of this sticky stuff can cost anything from around ten pounds to over a thousand. Some brands claim it can help with sore throats, skin problems, hay-fever and poor sleep. Other producers curiously make no health claims at all about their manuka products. So what’s the buzz about and is there any science behind it? Listener and beekeeper David got to get in touch to ask whether manuka honey can boost the immune system, and if it has any benefits over and above the ordinary honey from

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30:14

Air Fryers

Sliced Bread ·

2022/06/23

It seems like everyone’s talking about air fryers. They were recently dubbed the product that defined 2021, with sales up by 400%. But how do they fry with air?Listener Sally in Harrogate has another question too: at a time when the cost of living is rocketing will cooking with an air fryer save her money? And, because they use little to no oil, is cooking food in an air fryer also “healthier”? Greg Foot investigates, speaking to a food scientist at Imperial College London and the BBC’s Good Food

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24:43

Air Purifiers

Sliced Bread ·

2022/06/16

Air purifiers have become one of the most popular home gadgets in recent years and you can spend hundreds of pounds on the top-end models. They promise to remove harmful pollutants in the air, reduce the symptoms of allergies and help you breathe more easily in a more healthy environment. But what's the evidence around how effective they are? Listener Laura, a respiratory doctor, got in touch wanting to know whether they work and even if they could help some of her patients in their daily lives

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25:25

Carbon Negative and Carbon Offsetting

Sliced Bread ·

2022/06/09

Brands are promising to plant a tree for each can of beer, tshirt, or pair of trainers you buy, offsetting their carbon emissions so they can put an attractive ‘carbon negative’ sticker on a product to show green they - and you - truly are. But how effective is a new forest at offsetting a company’s emissions, what does ‘carbon negative’ really mean, and how do they go about proving they’ve achieved it? Trees are just one type of carbon offset. Another, albeit promising but expensive, option is

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24:51

Meal Replacement Drinks

Sliced Bread ·

2022/06/02

Huel and Soylent are two of the best known names in ‘complete nutrition’ drinks. More of us are trying them and you can now get pre-made bottles of these concoctions in the food aisle in supermarkets. Firms sell them as an instant alternative to breakfast, lunch and dinner too. But how ‘nutritionally complete’ are these liquid lunches? Listener Tom admits snacking on one in the middle of the afternoon but has questions. Does the fact they start as an ultra processed powder affect how healthy they

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24:53

Electric Toothbrushes (& Water Flossers)

Sliced Bread ·

2022/05/26

Take a look down the aisle of any high street chemist and the array of electric toothbrushes on offer is as dazzling as the teeth they promise to give you. You can pay upto £500 for the latest versions whiose myriad features include interactive apps that give you feedback on your brushing technique.The market is dominated by two big brands, both promising a ‘professional’ clean: Oral B, whose iO brush has an oscillating action and Philips’ Sonicare, which uses tens of thousands of vibrations every

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24:04

Blue Light Filtering Glasses

Sliced Bread ·

2022/05/19

According to some businesses, the laptop, phone and TV screens we use every day are causing us big problems. They claim these devices emit concentrations of "harmful blue light" which leaves us with tired eyes and poor sleep. One firm goes even further by suggesting this may contribute to a worrying long term condition, macular degeneration which leaves you with a permanent black hole in the centre of your vision.Their solution? A pair of trendy looking spectacles which claim to filter out this

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24:34

Personalised Vitamin Plans

Sliced Bread ·

2022/05/12

The vitamins market is growing fast, with many companies now offering bespoke vitamin plans that claim to produce the perfect personalised prescription just for you.Our listener Gareth wants to know if this could be a quick fix for his low energy and poor diet so Greg is going to find out. He’s got his sights on the popular companies suggesting personalised plans based on a simple online questionnaire that builds up a picture of your vitamin deficiencies via questions about your exercise, stress

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24:31

Running Shoes

Sliced Bread ·

2022/05/05

They cost anything from less than £20 to more than £250. So how do you pick the right pair? And will paying more make you run faster?With the ‘Couch to 5K’ app breezing past 5 million downloads, and marathon season well underway, two listeners ask Greg: What will they get for the extra money? A shoe more suited to their running style? More cushioning and fewer injuries? And will a top of the range pair with a carbon plate in the sole make them faster? Greg Foot gets the answers from biomechanist, Dr

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25:01

Air Source Heat Pumps

Sliced Bread ·

2022/04/28

One of your most requested ‘wonder-products’ so far. Heat pumps are promising to not only make our houses greener but to also cut our energy bills. But will they? The Government says every home could have one and have reintroduced grants to help buy them. However Nick wants to know if an air source heat pump would be suitable for the 1930s house he’s about to move into with his family. Given the higher cost of the unit and the extra insulation he needs, will he actually be better off with a new

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25:15

Wagyu Beef

Sliced Bread ·

2022/04/22

For many beef connoisseurs, a wagyu steak is the tenderest meat money can buy. They say it literally melts in the mouth. But Pete wants to know, if a Wagyu steak can set you back £100, how can supermarkets sell Wagyu burgers for around £3.50 a pair? How much of what makes wagyu beef so prized trickles down into a burger?Greg speaks to meat scientist, Martin Anderson, visits a Wagyu farm in Yorkshire, and sets up a blind taste test. All to find out if Wagyu burgers are the best thing between sliced

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25:21

Sustainable Jeans

Sliced Bread ·

2022/04/14

“Make better. Buy better. Wear it longer.” Lots of fashion brands are including claims like this in their adverts and one item of clothing that’s really getting the stamp of supposed “sustainability” is jeans.Maddie has asked Greg to look into what “sustainability” actually means when it comes to denim. Is it a term that marks genuine eco-impact, or is it more marketing BS? And, as adverts claim, do “sustainable” jeans last longer? Greg speaks to an organisation that rates clothing brands’

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29:41

Electric Cars

Sliced Bread ·

2022/04/07

Read Greg's blog for more info on the considerations and calculations made in this episode:https://www.gregfoot.com/post/should-you-switch-to-an-electric-carElectric Vehicles: Should you switch? In the first of this new series Greg runs Julian’s suggested wonder-product through the evidence mill and asks whether electric vehicles (EVs) really are the best thing since sliced bread? Julian has heard that switching his old petrol-guzzling banger for a shiny new EV will make him greener? But will

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2:27

Sliced Bread is back!

Sliced Bread ·

2022/04/06

Greg Foot is back to investigate more ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener.From personalised vitamin plans to NFTs, mindfulness apps to ‘sustainable’ jeans, Greg will find out if the latest wonder-products really are 'the best thing since sliced bread’.And he wants YOUR suggestions for what to investigate! Is there something you keep seeing on TV or hearing about on a podcast? Have you spotted something trending on Instagram or TikTok and want to

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20:48

Noise Cancelling Headphones

Sliced Bread ·

2020/05/06

Whether it’s cutting out the background chatter to hear the radio, or drowning out the snoring coming from the room next door, the promise of noise cancelling headphones is enticing. But do they live up to the marketing hype? Are they The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread, or BS?Greg Foot is joined by BBC 6 Music DJ & Host Mary Anne Hobbs, who lends her professional ear to a pair of noise cancelling headphones. While acoustic engineer Professor Trevor Cox unpicks the science fact from the science

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22:53

Teeth Whitening

Sliced Bread ·

2020/04/29

Teeth whitening toothpastes, strips and gizmos are more popular than ever. But what is the evidence that any of them actually work? And what about the HiSmile Teeth Whitening Kit that's been doing the rounds on social media?Are these products The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread or marketing BS?Greg Foot talks to fashion commentator and broadcaster, Grace Woodward about her experience with these products while Professor Martin Ashley, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University Dental

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23:47

Sunscreen

Sliced Bread ·

2020/04/22

We all know that sunscreen helps to protect our skin from the sun’s burning rays, but are you sure you’re using the right one? Do you struggle to untangle the UVAs from the UVBs, and the SPFs from the star-ratings?Greg Foot talks to Antonia Mariconda, beauty writer and founder of the Safety in Beauty Campaign, who knows just how baffled consumers are.On hand to decode the sunscreen labelling is Dermatologist, Dr Andrew Birnie, from East Kent Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. Common claims,

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21:54

CBD Products (Cannabidiol)

Sliced Bread ·

2020/04/15

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of the big buzzwords in health and well being products. A naturally occurring molecule of the cannabis plant, it’s popping up in everything - aside from the CBD oil tinctures, you can now eat it, down it in drinks, vape it, lather it on your skin and soak in it. You can even buy sports leggings infused with it. Consumer interest in CBD-based products shows no sign of abating, with enthusiasts claiming a whole host of benefits from relieving anxiety, to easing pain

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29:27

Caffeine Shampoo

Sliced Bread ·

2020/04/08

Can caffeine hair products prevent our hair from getting thinner as we get older and, even better, reverse the process? Or does this ingredient just end up going down the plughole?Joining Greg Foot in the studio is Ian Carmichael, Senior Director in Styling at Trevor Sorbie, the Hair Salon, who styles many high profile heads including Her Majesty the Queen’s.Dermatologist Dr Paul Farrant, from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust, is on hand to put two products through the evidence mill,

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67:15

Goop Lab Special

Sliced Bread ·

2020/01/24

As the Goop Lab TV series lands in Netflix accounts, Greg Foot and guests look at the scientific evidence for the therapies tried out by Goop staff, including Gwyneth Paltrow herself. Dr James Rucker, lead on the psilocybin trials at King's College, London, talks about psychedelic therapy, and Dr Sarah Davey, Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Science, Oxford Brookes University, discusses the evidence for cold water therapy. To check out if there's any science behind vampire facials and other skin

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