OU on the BBC: Trust Me, I'm A Doctor - Alertness

Copyright: BBC Its recommended that we should all get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every week, but not everyone likes heading to the gym so wouldn’t it be great if housework counted as exercise. In this episode of Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, Dr Chris van Tulleken finds out if there’s a cheats way to getting fit. 

In the afternoon many of us experience an energy dip. That’s when we reach for the coffee, but what is all that caffeine doing to our body and is it really helping us to stay alert. Caffeine addict surgeon Gabriel Weston takes part in an experiment to find out. But caffeine has its down sides so what are the alternatives. Dr Chris van Tulleken is in Southampton with the staff of the Ordnance Survey to investigate the powers of three very different substances, chewing gum, sugary snacks and the garden herb sage. Can any of these really boost our alertness and performance in the workplace?

Medical journalist Michael Mosley examines the growing trend for electronic cigarettes. Are they a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes or do they come with their own hidden dangers? 

Great health claims have been made for Omega 3 and now you can find it added to everything from mayonnaise and fish fingers to low fat spreads. But what is it doing to our health and is more always better? Dr Salehya Ashan investigates.

At Papworth Hospital in Cambridge surgeon Gabriel Weston witnesses a lifesaving operation that only a few surgeons in the world can perform. It involves cooling the patient to 20 degrees and then draining all the blood from their body. It’s the only way to remove fibrous blood clots from the lungs but it’s an operation that has to be performed against the clock. 

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

You can watch this episode on Wednesday 29 October at 9:00pm on BBC Two. More information, details of broadcast and links to watch online when available can be found on the BBC website.