Sliced Bread

With shorter days, longer nights, and bad weather leading to the winter blues for many, and for some the more severe Seasonal Affective Disorder, Sliced Bread investigates whether specially designed lights can really help improve how we feel.Listener Ross got in touch on WhatsApp after he?d read claims Wake Up Lights and SAD Lamps can boost our mood, and wanted to know what ?medically certified? means when accredited to them, and if it?s worth paying extra for it? Greg Foot finds out by speaking to a leading expert in light therapy, as well as by visiting a manufacturer of these lights, to ask them to explain their claims, and whether they?re medically recognised in the UK. This series, we?re testing and investigating your suggested wonder products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there?s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

It's getting colder and with the cost of living rising, how best to heat our homes in the most efficient way possible has become a big question.Listener Ken got in touch about a new kind of portable ceramic heater he's seen advertised, promising to heat your room using 30% less energy.Greg Foot teams up with Octopus Energy to run it through the evidence mill and test it against three other types of portable heater: a convection heater, a fan heater and an oil-filled radiator to find out which gives the most heat for the lowest energy used. The aim is to find out which portable heater is best for heating you, and the room you're in. And how does all that compare to using gas central heating?This series, we?re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there?s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: SIMON HOBAN

The Natural Deodorant market has recently expanded, with plenty of products out there promising to keep you fresh, and dry, without the use of traditional ingredients such as aluminium salts. Listener PC Hollie got in touch on WhatsApp after she?d seen claims that regular deodorants and antiperspirants containing aluminium salts might be bad for our health, and wanted to know if natural deodorants are really better for us?She also wanted to know why they?re more expensive, if it?s worth paying more, and if they can do the same job and keep her dry while she?s fighting crime. Greg Foot finds out by speaking with a dermatologist Dr. Adil Sheraz, a chemist specialising in the makeup of natural products, Dr. Barbara Olioso, and by performing a ?sweat test? where he convinced fellow gym goers to sniff his pits, and assess his sweat patches.This series, we?re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there?s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

Can compression leggings improve performance and help your limbs recover after exercise? Do magnesium bath salts really help soothe aching muscles? And do water softeners and filters really help save us money on our appliances by preventing scale from building up in our pipes?With Greg still in Edinburgh for the Festival, we?re sticking with last week?s format and investigating THREE of the wonder-products you?ve sent us on WhatsApp in a "triple slice" of quick investigations.First up, Listener Sarah from North Devon wants to know if buying expensive compression leggings can really help improve her exercise performance and speed up her recovery. Greg speaks to one of the UK?s leading researchers on compression garments, Dr. Jess Hill, to find out the science behind them ? and when we should wear them. Second is listener Rosie from Sheffield who wants to know if magnesium or 'Epsom' bath salts really can help soothe aching muscles ? so Greg chats to leading expert on magnesium, Dr. Lindsy Kass from the University of Hertfordshire to find out what it does in our bodies, and if we can actually absorb it through our skin. And third, Listener Matthew from Suffolk wants to know if Water Softeners and filters can improve water quality, if they?re necessary, and if they can save us money on our household appliances by preventing the build up of scale. Greg chats to internationally recognised expert in drinking water Vanessa Speight - to find out.Keep your suggestions coming for wonder-products you?d like us to investigate. Send them over on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or as a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807. PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

Is expensive dog food better for your pooch than the cheap stuff? Are diet fizzy drinks actually ?bad? for you? And should we all add mouthwash to our bathroom routine?With Greg up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this week we?re doing something a little different - investigating THREE of the wonder-products you?ve sent us on WhatsApp in a triple slice of quick investigations.First up, listener Ali in Bristol wants to know whether the expensive dog food she bought is really better for her new pooch than the cheaper stuff. Greg speaks to one of the UK?s most senior vets to find out the differences between wet and dry dog food and whether the latest doggy diet trends of vegan and raw food diets are a good idea for our canine companions.Second is Sophie who loves Diet Coke but her friends and family say it?s bad for her. Greg finds out about the latest evidence from the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK regulator, the Food Standards Agency.Finally, listener Helen wants to know - what?s the point of mouthwash? And in finding out, Greg?s bathroom routine is turned on its head!Keep your suggestions coming for wonder-products you?d like us to investigate. Send them over on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or as a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

We watch paint dry for you to find out if pricey paint is worth it.Domestic interior wall paint comes in many different pots, colours, types and price points. However some claim the extra pennies mean they?re not only better quality and offer a better finish, but that they?re better for the environment too. Listener Emily got in touch on WhatsApp after she bought a house that needs redecorating. She has six children, two dogs, two tortoises, two ducks and five chickens, so is very much in need of a paint that will offer good coverage, but be wipeable, and durable too, and wants to know if she needs to pay more to get that?She also wanted to know about VOCs ? Volatile Organic Compounds ? that the expensive paints say they don?t contain, and if she buys a cheaper paint will any of these VOCs harm her kids and the environment?Greg Foot finds this out by speaking to a paint inspector, and testing out differently priced paints with a painter and decorator to find out which ones meet the promises they?re making. This series, we?re testing your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there?s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

Can massage guns from the likes of Theragun, Pulse Roll and others brands, help you warm up before exercise and recover more quickly after it?Massage guns are one of the biggest-selling fitness devices of the past few years. They have a vibrating silicone head that delivers percussive pressure onto the muscle. Manufacturers claim ?vibration? therapy increases bloodflow and helps the user warm up before exercise, perform better during it AND ease soreness afterwards. But does it?Listener Clare got in touch after she bought one following a tip-off from a friend that they could help relieve aches and pains after a run (including a bad back) as well as her husband?s sore shoulder.Greg Foot finds out if those claims are true by speaking to manufacturers, leading physiotherapists and scientists involved in the latest research.This series, we?re testing your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up a claim drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

Is there really a pill that can help you burn fat? Sticking to a good diet and exercising to lose weight takes hard work and discipline, so what if there was something you could take that could do some of that work for you?Listener June got in touch wanting to know if this is the case, or if it?s too good to be true? Are there really pills being sold online and on the high street that can help you burn fat, or speed up your metabolism?Greg Foot investigates, hearing from some people who?ve tried them, scientists and dieticians about what exactly is in these pills, and asking if there is any evidence to back up their claims that they can burn fat. This series, we?re testing your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up a claim drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807 PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

Do more expensive pairs better protect your eyes? Whether you?re hoping to catch some rays here in the UK or heading abroad for summer sun, you?ll want to think about protecting your eyes from the harmful UV in those rays. But how much do you need to spend on sunglasses to keep you safe?Listener Wayne got in touch wanting to know the answer. He also wondered whether darker tints better protect his eyes, and asked what the term ?polarised? means, and whether he should ensure any new pair are exactly that?Greg Foot sets out to investigate, testing sunglasses ranging in price from ?2.50 to over a hundred pounds - do they deliver on their UV protection? The results are surprising... This series, we?re testing your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up a claim drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

A small jar of this sticky stuff can cost anything from around ten pounds to over a thousand. Some brands claim it can help with sore throats, skin problems, hay-fever and poor sleep. Other producers curiously make no health claims at all about their manuka products. So what?s the buzz about and is there any science behind it? Listener and beekeeper David got to get in touch to ask whether manuka honey can boost the immune system, and if it has any benefits over and above the ordinary honey from his bees produce. Greg Foot gets stuck in to find out, talking with two microbiologists to learn why manuka honey is different and if there?s any truth to some of those sweet sounding claims. This series, we?re testing your suggested wonder-products. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up a claim drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807Presenter: Greg Foot Producers: Julian Paszkiewicz & Kate Holdsworth Researcher: Darcy Tapley