Dr Xand's Con or Cure

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The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

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Factual: Health & Wellbeing

The facts, not the fakes, about your health.

The facts, not the fakes, about your health with Dr Xand van Tulleken and Ashley John-Baptiste. From social media scams to health scares, they'll shine a light on bad medicine.

Series 1

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Alexander van Tulleken

Ashley John-Baptiste

Richard Collier

Brendan Hughes

Karen Donnelly

Angela MacMillan

Dr Xand's Con or Cure: Series 1: Episode 5

Episode 5

BBC One - Dr Xand's Con or Cure, Series 1, Episode 5

Is exercise ‘snacking’ a quick fix that actually works?

Is gut health really the key to good health, the fake medicines being touted as ‘cures’ for autism, and we ask, is 'exercise snacking’ really a quick fix that works?

Epilepsy drug sodium valproate causes birth defects and developmental delay in babies whose mother take the drug while pregnant. But when Susan got pregnant taking the drug she wasn’t aware of the life changing consequences her epilepsy medication would have. Three babies a month are still being born after exposure to sodium valproate and Susan campaigns to raise awareness of the issue. 

As more and more of us search for easy fixes using supplements, there’s a huge trend in people buying prebiotics, probiotics and now postbiotics. But what are they, and what do they do? Having good gut health is linked to fewer sick days and lower risk of allergies and autoimmune conditions. Dr Megan Rossi is a dietitian, nutritionist and author specialising in gut health. She joins us in the studio to explain what works and what doesn’t, and the surprising importance of the intestines.

According to the National Autism Society, around one in every 100 people in the UK has autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a range of conditions that affect how a person communicates and interacts with the world around them, as well as their interests and behaviour. It's not a disease or an illness, but a condition that somebody is born with. Its effect can vary greatly from person to person. Yvonne Odukwe is mum to Jasmine, a 21-year-old who lives with a severe type of autism. However, Yvonne’s own cultural background has made living with Jasmine’s autism more challenging for them both. She is originally from Nigeria, where having an autistic child is seen as a stigma. Many of the country’s men struggle to accept a child with autism, there is a feeling that there is something shameful about it, and some of them will try to place the blame on the mother. Yvonne tells us of her experiences, where people have offered to ‘cure’ her child. She is angry at the idea that fake medicines are being touted and has set up a support group – Autism’s Hidden Voices – to provide a solid resource for those needing some answers about autism.

And we look at the new social media trend of ‘exercise snacking’. Can bursts of exercise only lasting seconds really do you any good? Dr Xand explains.


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