Dr Xand's Con or Cure

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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.

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Alexander van Tulleken

Ashley John-Baptiste

Richard Collier

Brendan Hughes

Karen Donnelly

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Dr Xand's Con or Cure: Series 2: Episode 2

Episode 2

BBC One - Dr Xand's Con or Cure, Series 2, Episode 2

Can eating spicy curry cause ulcers? Advice on helping someone with an eating disorder. Beware of the small print in your travel insurance. And gadgets to help with headaches.

Travelling abroad is easier now than at any other time, but what happens if something goes wrong with your health while you are away? Taking out travel insurance is advised, and most people do. However, very few, if any of us, read the small print. And it was precisely that which did for Mick and Kat from Livingston in Scotland. On a stopover in Dubai, Kat became unwell. Very quickly, the bill racked up – £20,000 across six weeks. They thought their travel insurance covered it, but they hadn’t read the small print.

Most of us will be affected by headaches at some stage. Consultant neurologist Dr Brendan Davies looks at some of the latest gadgets that might help.

Curry has become a regular meal for millions of us. And there are some who revel in eating the spiciest possible. However, is it true that eating spicy food can cause ulcers? Or is that just an urban myth?

Around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder. NHS figures show that more young people than ever before are receiving treatment for disordered eating. Jazmin, a 19-year-old student from Leicester, developed anorexia when she was 13 and was being bullied at school for being overweight. So, she decided to look for a way of making herself look and feel better. She signed up to an online site where ‘coaches’ would help her deal with her body issues. What followed was a nightmare as these unqualified people drove her deeper and deeper into a very dark world. Kerry Fleming, head of safeguarding at a charity that helps people affected by eating disorders, lists some of the red flags to look out for if you are searching for help online and gives advice on how to deal with the issue if we come across it among our own friends or family.

Videos of people drinking chlorophyll water have amassed around 300 million views online, and those encouraging it make all sorts of claims about its effectiveness. They say that it clears the skin, helps you lose weight and boosts energy. It seems to be healthy, given that it comes from plants. But is it actually? Dr Xand unpicks the evidence.

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