Latest news with #Xand
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
BBC's Dr Xand issues 'three myths' alert over pneumonia after Pope's death
Dr Xand van Tulleken appeared on BBC's Morning Live to address common myths around pneumonia - including the idea that it is just a winter illness A BBC doctor has issued three warnings over pneumonia. One in five of us will experience problems with our lungs at some point - with one of the more serious conditions being pneumonia. The infection was recently prominent in the press due to the death of Pope Francis, who died following a five-week stay in hospital for double pneumonia. The infection contributed towards the multiple problems that ultimately caused his death. However, there are a few common myths surrounding the infection. Now BBC Morning Live's Dr Xand van Tulleken has tried to clear up the confusion in an appearance on BBC Morning Live this week. Myth 1 - Pneumonia is just a problem during winter Dr Xand was quick to crack down on this misconception, explaining: "You've got to be alert to it even in summer, it's not just a winter problem". He continued: "In the winter, the NHS might expect two to four thousand cases a week but in the summer you could be getting anywhere from 700 to 1500 cases." "It is a year-round thing", the GP warned. Myth 2 - Pneumonia is contagious The second myth is about how you might contract pneumonia, with Dr Xand saying that it's "not very contagious like Covid or a cold are contagious" but rather that pneumonia are an inflammation of your lungs that are "almost always caused by an infection". He continued: "Think of a pneumonia as an opportunity that bacteria have seized to start infecting your lungs because of some other problem. "Frequently, people get an upper respiratory tract infection, something like Covid or a cold or a cough, bit of bronchitis . . . that changes the microbiome in your lungs, which is an opportunity for 'bad' bacteria to overgrow and cause problems much deeper in your lungs and that interferes with the oxygen getting in and the carbon dioxide getting out." Myth 3 - Pneumonia is a disease that only affects older people Dr Xand clarified the third myth, stating that pneumonia "can be life threatening at any age". He explained: "Your lungs are like sponges - imagine a sponge that's been left by the sink and you never squeeze it out and let it dry, it gets a bit 'rotty' and smelly - that's essentially what's happening in a pneumonia - the fluid has got into the air spaces in the lungs, reducing air flow and blood flow, [allowing] 'bugs' to grow in the lungs, and that's what causes the problems." The NHS warns that "babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital". Pneumonia symptoms Responding to presenter Michelle's question about first symptoms to look for, Dr Xand was clear to express that pneumonia needed to be ultimately diagnosed with a chest x-ray. However, the following symptoms should be a sign to contact your GP: According to the doctor, these symptoms may be present, but in his personal experience, they may not be - and "so it can be an easy thing to miss". Speaking from experience, the medical professional explained that his mother had pneumonia a few years ago, but both he and his brother - who is also a doctor - nearly missed it as she wasn't displaying any of the regular symptoms. She just "looked grey and went to bed". Ways to protect yourself from pneumonia Vaccination The NHS advises that: "The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against serious illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis. It's recommended for people at higher risk of these illnesses, such as babies and adults aged 65 and over. Your GP surgery will usually contact you if you or your child are eligible for the pneumococcal vaccine. This will usually be by letter, text, phone call or email." The NHS also advises that the flu, Covid and RSV vaccinations can help protect you or your child from infections that can cause pneumonia. Cut down or quit smoking Really important, says Dr Xand, "because it stops your body from shifting mucus out of your lungs". Avoid cough syrup and "keep the air flow in your lungs" According to Dr Xand, cough syrups will help you stop coughing, but "you want to cough, and you want to get mucus out of your lungs". To this point, he showed Gethin and Michelle a deep breathing exercise that many clinical practitioners suggest people with lung complaints do before and after surgery. He explained: "Put a hand on your tummy. . . take a deep breath in and puff your tummy out so that your really open up the bottoms of your lungs - hold that for 2-3 secs and then you can let it out with a bit of a 'huff'. "That may give you a bit of a cough but that's good - repeat that 3 or 4 times and what you're doing there is keeping your lungs ventilated", said the GP. Keeping your chest open gets air in, keeps the blood flowing and it doesn't give those bugs an opportunity to settle in your lungs." Good hygiene Hand washing and avoiding people that are obviously ill will prevent your risk of opening yourself up to infection. If you have had a cough for more than 3 weeks, or are coughing up blood, have chest pain or are short of breath at all, call your GP or ring 111.
Daily Mirror
03-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Dietitian and Doctor Xand share message to anyone who has turmeric, ginger or chilli
Do you have these in your diet? If so, you may be dissapointed Doctor Xand has revealed that the benefits you've read when it comes to spices may not be as beneficial as you think. Speaking to expert Laura Clark, known as The Menopause Dietitian, the pair delved into spices and their little-known benefits, urging others to add them to their diet - but to be careful. On Dr Xand's Con or Cure series on the BBC, the doctor pondered the question 'do we need to add spices to our diet for our health?'. And whilst they can help, it may be more of a "con". Clark explained: "Spices are really appealing because they're natural and we know that a lot of spices have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. They are rich antioxidants, and we're all about antioxidants because we know they help to protect us against disease, and they also help fight the ageing process." Is turmeric worth adding to my diet? "Turmeric is a really hyped one", according to Dr Xand, with Clark adding that the hype may not be justified. She said: "We're seeing this in supermarkets and cafés. "We can buy shots of it. The active ingredient is a compound called curcumin", she revealed. This compound is a naturally occurring substance classified as a curcuminoid - a group of bioactive compounds. It is a yellow polyphenolic pigment derived from the turmeric plant. She continued "The idea is that this has really powerful antioxidant properties, so I suppose it can help protect against cardiovascular disease. It's very anti-inflammatory so there's lots of ways in which it can potentially help us. "But the caveat is that actually turmeric itself, only 3% of it contains this active component." Citing studies which say turmeric is a powerhouse, she revealed that in these, many of them use a "curcumin extract which is 95% curcumin so you're getting much more power rather than the standard space that someone might have at home." Dr Xand, who many may recognise from BBC Morning Live, replied: "So that leap between going 'it seems like turmeric does have important compounds and a diet high in turmeric in general is associated with good health' leads you down the road of going 'therefore the supplements are good'. "But at that point it's an unregulated product that is definitely expensive and the evidence that will improve your health in a really specific, measurable way, is just not there and if it was, we'd give it out on the NHS." The dietitian replied: "Exactly, yes. I think we have to take all these things with a pinch of salt, excuse the pun, and one of the ways I suppose in which herbs and spices can come into our lives to give us variety to help our gut health. "And salt ironically, is our biggest modifiable dietary risk factor, so actually if we can get more spices with cooking, we can then reduce the amount of salt we add then brilliant, that's a win-win. But we cannot expect a turmeric shot to undo the amount of ultra processed food that we may end up eating later on in the day, for example." Do chilli and cayenne pepper have health benefits Clark told Xand that spicy foods such as chilli and cayenne pepper "are associated with potentially boosting metabolism". This is "because there is a heat that generated when we eat foods that contain them." Like many of us, Dr Xand wondered if sweating from eating spicy food is equivalent to a workout. Unfortunately, the answer isn't that straightforward. Clark observed that many people are eager to boost their metabolism, with the common belief that doing so can aid in weight loss and help maintain energy levels. "But context is key and the reality is that the claim that cayenne pepper can do that is not substantiated." Dr Xand concluded: "Having a hot curry is not the same as going to the gym, that's a con. That's good. We are clear about that." Is ginger good for me? Highlighting "there's lots of medical literature on it" and "there seems to be very tantalising health potential for it", Dr Xand asked the expert whether it's worth having at all. According to the dietitian: "It definitely helps our digestion in some way. It also has anti-informative properties, but again, to get to the level of ginger that's going to really have these therapeutic benefits, you need to be having quite a lot and that might not be very practical as a number one solution for how we're going to improve our health." Concluding their health segment, Dr Xand summarised: "The bottom line is, by all means added spices to your meal, it will allow you to cut down on the salt, it will probably be good for your gut, it may all be good for your health in general, but that isn't the only or the most powerful way to affect your health." Clark replied: "Absolutely. They are a piece of the puzzle, and like I always say, we have to look at the bigger picture."
The Independent
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
BBC doctor reveals how grey hair can be caused by stress
A BBC doctor has explained why stress can cause your hair to turn grey. Dr Xand van Tulleken, who is known for presenting the CBBC children's series Operation Ouch!, has given a deep dive into health facts, running through social media scams and health scares, while also shining a light on bad medicine practices. Speaking on Con or Cure, which is co-hosted by journalist Ashley John-Baptiste, Dr Xand revealed that 'it's not a myth' that stress 'does play a role' in hair turning grey. With Con or Cure now on its third series, the TV doctor explained that it's the melanocyte (the pigment producing cells that make melanin, pigment responsible for skin and hair colour) that stop working when you're stressed. This turns the hair white or grey because it has no pigment. He explained: 'Basically that's the default colour. And stress can definitely contribute to those pigment producing cells working less well in several different ways.' As we age, our hair 'gradually loses its natural pigment due to a decline in melanocytes', New York dermatologist Hadley King told Vogue. Despite most of our tendencies to go grey is genetic, Dr Xand confirmed that 'the general inflammation of stress in the body contributes to it' and can be 'sped up' by stress. Regardless of the type of stress you're feeling, Victoria Barbosa, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Chicago Medicine, confirmed that stress 'can have an effect on the sympathetic nervous system' due to the mitochondria in cells. '[But] more studies are needed to better understand these mind-body connections,' she told the magazine. The Oxford trained doctor's statement can be backed by a study published in Nature, which was funded in part by NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). They found that the sympathetic nervous system plays a critical role in stress-induced hair greying. Led by Dr Ya-Chieh Hsu of Harvard University, the research team used mice to investigate stress and its relation to hair greying. The mice were exposed to three types of stress – short-term pain, psychological stress, and restricted movement, all of which resulted in noticeable loss of melanocyte stem cells and subsequent greying. The researchers then explored various potential causes including the stress hormone corticosterone, immune responses and neurotransmitter noradrenaline. They found that noradrenaline was the main cause of hair turning grey. They found that noradrenaline, the main neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system and a key player in the body's 'fight or flight' response was the primary trigger for hair turning grey.
Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
BBC Doctor Xand and a nutritionist issue fresh food alert to shoppers
The doctor and nutritionist warned people that you may be spending more money than you need to If you've ever bought fresh fruit and veg over frozen because you think it's better, despite often being more expensive, then you need to stop. According to one nutritionist, there's almost a "snobbery" around this debate. Pondering the question whether it's better to buy fresh or frozen, Doctor Xand asked Rob Hobson, a nutritionist, what the answer is. The expert said: "I think it is a bit of a myth and I don't know where it comes from." Discussing the food topic on the BBC series, Dr Xand's Con or Cure, he suggested: "It's a bit of snobbery" with many assuming because it's cheaper it's not as good. He explained: "Fresh is going to be best. It's packed when it's harvested, it's super fresh, it's really nutritious, it's going to taste a little bit better when it comes to texture, but there's nothing wrong with frozen veg and it can be just as nutritious, if not more nutritious in certain situations." When it comes to frozen food, he said: "You're almost pausing the degradation process because you're freezing it as soon as it's been harvested. That's really useful because fresh vegetables, even when they're transported and then stored in the supermarket and your fridge, they start to lose nutrients." Highlighting other benefits, the nutritionist notes that frozen veg is easier to work with as you don't need to chop anything, and there's no food waste meaning it's a "brilliant option." He continued: "Apart from being very convenient, it might have more vitamin C and B vitamins because these are the nutrients that leech out. They degrade really easily when they're exposed to light, air and heat, which can happen when transported. "If you're on a budget, you might not have a very varied diet so if you've got lots of different vegetables in the freezer that haven't cost you as much money as fresh, then you could be getting more varied diet as well." In response, Dr Xand revealed: "I try to eat a lot more whole foods but it's very expensive compared to frozen vegetables and it's also very time-consuming doing all the shopping. "When I can remember to go to the frozen bit of the supermarket and get frozen fruit and veg it's convenient, it's quick, I don't have to chop it. If I'm making a pot of soup or stew, I can throw in way more frozen veg, almost straight at the end like a handful of peas, sweetcorn, and carrots - something like that - and really have way more vegetables and otherwise would." The nutritionist claimed that adding just a single handful of nutritious ingredients to your meals can significantly boost your diet. Simply toss in one extra portion while cooking and it's the easiest way to improve your nutrition. "A handful of peas, some spinach in a curry - whatever it is, it's a really simple way to boost your nutritional intake." In his conclusion, he summarised: "Fresh is best, but frozen is just as good". Asking what he meant, Rob explained: "I feel like you get a wide variety of food and I feel like if you capture at the right time, you'll get more nutrition". Dr Xand concluded: "Myth thoroughly busted - and I will be heading to the frozen aisle."
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Dietitian shares truth about meal replacement drinks
Dr Xand spoke to a dietitian about it all (Image: BBC iPlayer/Dr Xand Cure or Con) Doctor Xand has issued a warning to anyone who is drinking meal replacements. Speaking to expert Laura Clark, known as The Menopause Dietitian, the pair said many people are not using them correctly. On Dr Xands Con or Cure series on the BBC, the experts make it "clear" that many people are not using them for weight loss, but instead convenience. Laura noted: "Let's be clear about the term meal replacement drinks. I think traditionally meal replacement drinks came under the weight loss industry umbrella. "Now, fast forward a few years we've got much more products available and we have meal replacement drinks, which are not necessarily targeting the weight loss market, but they're targeting the busy consumer who is keen to not let their food decisions or food intake get in the way of their productivity." Dietitian, Laura Clark, shared her thoughts on meal replacement drinks (Image: BBC iPlayer/Dr Xand Cure or Con) Dr Xand asked if there was any evidence they work well for weight loss and sustaining weight loss. The dietitian replied: "I think the appeal of them is that people who are trying to manage their weight tend to lose trust in their ability to regulate their weight themselves. "So there's something about someone else having done the hard work for you that makes them believe that's going to be an effective strategy. In reality, it's a weight loss diet. "It's a calorie restricted diet and we have ample evidence that calorie controlled dieting in the traditional sense does not create sustainable weight loss." Warning people that it might work down the road, she warns: "So really, really big picture, it might work in the short term but it doesn't work in a long term. "That's what the evidence shows." Talking to the member of the public who have tried them, a number of people on the show attribute the words "ghastly powders" and 'dodgy ingredients' to the drink replacement meals. In response to their thoughts, Dr Xand, who often appears on BBC Morning Live, said: "Personally I agree with you" when talking to a woman who said she thinks the ingredients are questionable. He continued: "I think reading the ingredients is really important and there's a lot of strange things in a meal replacement drinks." Pondering whether or not they're really that healthy, the doctor asked the dietician that some claim to have "100% of the nutrition that you need" which are often "printed on these bottles". However he felt "that does not feel true' with Laura explaining: "Well, if a company has analysed that product and we can see that there are a certain number of vitamins and minerals such as protein, fats, fibre and carbohydrates, they will have nutritionally analysed that product and they will then be able to make that claim about what it contains ." In his response, the Morning Live doctor said: "So chemically fat, protein, sugar, fiber, vitamins, minerals - they can list them all and go 'no chemically it has everything you need'. But is that what food is?" A meal may be the better option (Image: BBC iPlayer/Dr Xand Cure or Con) The doctor replied: "No exactly, it's not. What's really interesting about food and health is that there's something beyond the nutritional value of food which confers a health benefit to us. "There's something about the way in which food interact as they are being digested absorbed by our bodies that brings the benefit so we don't want to be shrinking our nutritional health down to it's micro-components within a bottle. It's disconnecting us from food and that is not good thing. "We should be able to build a healthy food relationship and connect our mind and body together, and these sort of drinks are not enabling us to do that." If you're wondering whether or not there is an alternative, the dietitian noted that the basics are the best. She explained: "I think we need to dial it back to basics. "I think we need to remember that a meal does not need need to provide us with all 26 vitamins and minerals. Our diet generally, bigger picture, is there to provide our nutritional requirements. "As a good rule of thumb, we want to be making sure we've got some sort of protein in there, some sort of fuel which is going to come from carbohydrates and we've also got a crunch so that's a fibre." Addressing people who take it as a "shortcut", the doctor stresses: "If you are obsessed with productivity, you are going to get a bigger productivity gain by feeding your body properly." Laura said similar, urging people: "It's worth thinking about the shortcut. Think about what's motivating your desire to create that shortcuts and often it is a sense of toxic productivity. She suggests taking 20 minutes away from your screen as "that is a definition of a healthy food relationship, not something that we're knocking back at our desks whilst distracted with doing something else." Concluding the segment, Dr Xand said: "You can't really replace a meal. A meal has to be a meal." You can watch Dr Xands Con or Cure - Series 3: Episode 8 on BBC iPlayer here.
