OU on the BBC: Trust Me, I'm a Doctor - Sunshine

Copyright: BBC Trust Me, I'm a Doctor is a health magazine show which cuts through the hype and media confusion on all things health related. In the first programme of series 2: 

Can getting out in the sun more be good for our health? Research suggests that around half the adults in the UK don’t have adequate levels of the sunshine vitamin; vitamin D. It’s essential for strong bones and increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems.

To carry out a Trust Me experiment, Michael Mosley headed for the sunniest place in the UK, Bognor Regis. We tested a group of office workers to find out if they, like the rest of the UK have insufficient levels of vitamin D in their blood. Then we put them on a diet of sunshine, oily fish and vitamin D supplements to see if any of these methods could boost their vitamin D levels.

In Guildford Dr Chris van Tulleken asks can we cheat our way to a healthier plate. Starchy foods like potatoes and pasta contain lots of calories but Trust Me heard a surprising claim that you make these foods healthier  just by changing the way they’re prepared and without altering a single ingredient. The results of this experiment, run by the University of Surrey were remarkable and had never been seen before. A world first for Trust Me I’m A Doctor.

GP’s can prescribe acupuncture on the NHS but does it work. Dr Salehya Ashan looks at the evidence for a treatment that many medical professionals are now recommending to their patients.

Surgeon Gabriel Weston travels to the US to investigate a remarkable surgical procedure that’s giving new hope to the paralysed. A chip implanted in the spine not only allows wheelchair patients to stand without help but it’s also achieved something completely unexpected. It’s restored voluntary movement so for the first time these patients can move their legs at will.

Watch Trust Me, I'm a Doctor on BBC Two

You can watch this episode on Wednesday 15 October at 8:00pm on BBC Two. More information, details of broadcast and links to watch online when available can be found on the BBC website.