Sliced Bread

Latest Episodes:

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Batteries Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

In the run up to Christmas, many parents will be checking on their battery supplies ahead of Santa bringing gifts that require them. But do branded batteries, that promise more power and longer life at a higher price point, really deliver it?

Listener Peter got in touch asking just that, as well as whether batteries have an expiry date?

Greg Foot recruits some year 7 pupils and their teacher to help him perform a test to find out, and speaks to one of the country’s leading scientists about what gives a battery more power, or helps it store more energy.

You can also hear more about the difference between single use, and rechargeable batteries in our longer podcast episode on BBC Sounds.

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

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Perfume Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

Smelling good can come with a hefty price tag with the price of perfumes often getting into the hundreds of pounds. But what if there was a cheaper alternative?

Listener Callum got in touch because his bottle of expensive perfume is about to run out. Presenter Greg Foot turns his nose to the task, testing so-called 'clone' perfumes which claim to get as close the originals as to be indistinguishable - but for a fraction of the cost. Speaking to an expert perfumer he finds out exactly how the clone houses copy the ingredients of designer perfumes and whether they last as long.

Do they pass the sniff test? Are they the best thing since sliced bread or just marketing BS?

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Razors Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

It’s something most of us will have used at some point, and a product that has been around for decades in various forms. But do all the advertised fancy features, pivoting heads, multiple blades and higher price tags, really make a difference to your shave?

Listener Tim got in touch, asking just that, as well as whether all the extras on razors these days also have an impact on the environment?

Greg Foot focuses on modern cartridge razors in this episode, and cuts through the marketing hype to get answers, by speaking to a leading Dermatologist, as well as one of the top scientists at one of the largest razor manufacturers, Gillette.

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Collagen Supplements Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

It’s one of the most talked-about cosmetic products but what’s the evidence that collagen supplements really do slow the visible signs of the ageing process?

Listener Jo got in touch wanting to know if the collagen supplement she’s spending £53 per month on will live up to its claim of reducing wrinkles, while promoting “glossy hair and plump dewy skin.”

Other listeners asked whether it can help with joint aches and pains, or strengthen nails?

Greg Foot sets out to answer all these questions by speaking to a leading consultant dermatologist as well as the co-founders of two of the biggest companies selling collagen supplements, Absolute Collagen and Ingenious Beauty.

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Wake Up Lights & SAD Lamps Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

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

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Portable Heaters Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

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?

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: SIMON HOBAN

Sliced Bread - Series 3: Natural Deodorants Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

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.

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

Sliced Bread - Series 4: Compression Leggings, Bath Salts, Water Softeners and Filters Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

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

Sliced Bread - Series 4: Dog Food, Diet Fizzy Drinks & Mouthwash Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

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

Sliced Bread - Series 4: Paint Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

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 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth

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