Sliced Bread

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 want...

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 achiev...

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 after...

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...

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 centr...

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 question...

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 rang...

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 h...

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 Yorksh...

“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,...

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-car Electric 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 hea...

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 cancell...

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 pr...

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...

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 sig...

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 B...

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 eviden...

We’ve all seen athletes sporting brightly coloured stripes on the backs of their legs – but is kinesiology tape all it’s cracked up to be? Presenter Greg Foot is joined by Olympic medallist heptathlete Kelly Sotherton, along with consultant rheumatologist Dr Benjamin Ellis and Manchester United FC’s head of physical therapies Prof Michael Callaghan, to ask whether these products can, as some claim...

Do topical pain products really relieve aching muscles? Presenter Greg Foot is joined by Olympic medallist heptathlete Kelly Sotherton, along with consultant rheumatologist Dr Benjamin Ellis and Manchester United FC’s head of physical therapies Prof Michael Callaghan, to test the cooling gels and warming sprays that promise to reach deep into painful joints. Presenter: Greg Foot Producer: Marijke...

Can turmeric lattes prevent memory loss? Greg Foot is joined by Blur’s Alex James and experts to put claims about this ancient Indian spice to the test. Presenter: Greg Foot Producer: Marijke Peters Studio Manager: Sue Maillot Editor: Rami Tzabar

Does kombucha boost your immune system? Greg Foot is joined by Blur’s Alex James and experts to put this fermented wonder drink to the test. Presenter: Greg Foot Producer: Marijke Peters

Vitamin C is one of the most popular products used to combat the common cold. But does it work? Greg Foot reviews the evidence for both vitamin C and zinc to see if they are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread. He’s joined again by podcaster, rapper and actor Scroobius Pip and virologist Wendy Barclay from Imperial College London. The team will be giving you their Top Tips, backed by real scientific...

With offices and schools set to a soundtrack of sniffles, science presenter and YouTuber Greg Foot is on mission to find 'The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread' to beat the winter bugs. Joining him for this double episode is rapper, podcaster and actor Scroobius Pip, a man for whom protecting his voice is a professional priority. Under the microscope today are those handy hand sanitisers that promise...

Will activated charcoal, which these days can be found in everything from face creams to smoothies, really purify your pores? Science presenter and YouTuber Greg Foot is on a mission to bust marketing BS, looking for the facts behind the fads and challenging products’ bold claims with scientific evidence. In the second episode, Greg is joined by actress and beauty blogger Rebecca Humphries, consul...

Can collagen face cream reduce wrinkles and make your skin more youthful? Science presenter and YouTuber Greg Foot is on a mission to bust marketing BS, looking for the facts behind the fads and challenging products’ bold claims with scientific evidence. In the first episode, Greg is joined by actress and beauty blogger Rebecca Humphries, consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Wedgeworth and Cambridge P...