There’s a chill in the air as the winter months come around again. But the cold isn’t always something to fight or guard against. With a little bit of care, you can invite the cold into your life - with real benefits for health and mood. In each episode of this new podcast series, Dr Michael Mosley uncovers the science behind a different way you can harness the power of the cold, alongside the very latest research and atmospheric sound design. In this episode, how and when to ice an injury,...

There’s a chill in the air as the winter months come around again. But the cold isn’t always something to fight or guard against. With a little bit of care, you can invite the cold into your life - with real benefits for health and mood. In each episode of this new podcast series, Dr Michael Mosley uncovers the science behind a different way you can harness the power of the cold, alongside the very latest research and atmospheric sound design. In this first episode, how turning your...

There’s a chill in the air as Dr Michael Mosley uncovers the surprising power of the cold to enhance your health and wellbeing in ways you might not expect.

Bring on the tunes! In this episode, Michael explores the power of music, from reducing pain to forging strong family relationships. Neuroscientist Dr Psyche Loui from Northeastern University in Boston reveals how just eight weeks of music listening can change activity in the brain, impacting our reward centres in our brain, and why this could be important for healthy ageing. Our volunteer Roberta has a go at “mindful” music listening with an eclectic range of music from Bollywood music to...

Step out - backwards! The Chinese have a saying that 100 steps backwards are worth 1000 steps forward - and they might be onto something! It may look bizarre to onlookers, but Michael delves into the research and finds some surprising benefits. It’s been used for decades in rehabilitative physical therapy, and recent research reveals that it could even boost memory - by giving your brain a workout! Michael also speaks to biomechanics expert and champion of backwards walking, Professor Janet...

Laughter really is good medicine. From releasing pain-killing endorphins to improving your memory, laughter can have many benefits on your body and brain - it’s even been shown to boost “gamma” brainwaves, which are associated with higher level brain processes, like learning and memory. In this episode, Michael shares a chuckle with cardiologist Professor Michael Miller from the University of Pennsylvania in the US to discuss how laughter can help your heart health, keep your blood vessels...

Get that brolly out! It may feel deeply counter-intuitive - but rainy days could offer a host of health and mood-lifting benefits. Rain improves air quality, literally washing fine particulate pollution away, and rainfall also releases Geosmin, a fragrant compound which is linked with relaxation and increased serotonin levels. What’s more, Professor Michael Terman, from Columbia University in New York, introduces Michael to negative air ions created after rainfall. He is researching how high...

Load up on those leftovers - because it’s surprisingly easy to make your bowl of pasta better for you! In this episode, Michael uncovers how reheating carb-heavy foods actually boosts the resistant starch in them. Resistant starch is a healthy carb that can benefit your gut, reduce blood sugar spikes and lower your cancer risk. Dr Darrell Cockburn, Assistant Professor of Food Science from Penn State University, reveals how these carbs can benefit your microbiome. They discuss why reheating...

It’s a low-impact, low-intensity exercise that can make you stronger, more flexible, and benefit your posture and balance. It’s proven to reduce lower back pain and it can even enhance your exercise performance! No surprise that tennis star Andy Murray uses it in his training routine. In this episode, Pilates expert Professor Ruth Melo from the University of San Paulo reveals all about the benefits of Pilates on our cardiovascular endurance, core strength and healthy ageing. Meanwhile,...

Take a nice deep breath in… through your nose. It’s a simple way to get healthier gums, a better memory, and improved lung function. How? Well, it may partly be due to a special molecule called nitric oxide. Michael Mosley speaks to Professor Jon Lundberg from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who made the fascinating discovery that nitric oxide is produced in your nose and travels to your lungs where it has some surprising benefits, including boosting oxygen uptake and possibly helping you...

Tomatoes are packed full of goodness & cooked tomatoes are even better for you! In this episode, Michael reveals how cooking your tomatoes - sautéed, or in a sauce or soup - can reduce your blood fat levels, help your body recover from exercise, and even protect your skin from damage. It’s all to do with a beneficial compound called lycopene which is released under heat. Michael speaks to Professor Richard van Breemen from Oregon State University who reveals his studies on lycopene and...

Michael Mosley ventures to his local pool and the sea to explore the unique benefits of going for a swim - from improving memory and mental agility, to boosting longevity. Professor Hirofumi Tanaka, from the University of Texas at Austin, reveals why water-based exercises like swimming are especially good for improving the elasticity of your blood vessels and a new way to exercise in the pool. There really seems to be something special about being in the water that can help your heart,...

Michael gets cosy with a cuppa to find out how drinking tea can boost your heart health, reduce stress and may even benefit your bones! With the help of Professor Andrew Steptoe, Head of Behavioural Science at University College London, Michael learns the surprising benefits of ordinary tea. They discuss the benefits of bioactive compounds in tea, including L-theanine and polyphenols. A tasty brew can not only help you recover from stress, it can even benefit your heart health and reduce...

Dr Michael Mosley looks ahead to his new series which starts on Wednesday 20 September, 2023. He'll be revealing more surprisingly simple and scientifically proven ways to improve your health and wellbeing. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3zqa6BB

Michael explores the best way to help you look younger as well as live longer and healthier – revealing how strength training can benefit your waistline, preserve muscle fibres and increase healthy lifespan. Pumping up your muscles is one of the best ways to protect from the ravages of time and injury. In this episode, Michael speaks to Professor Abigail Mackey from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, to find out how resistance training can strengthen the connection between your brain...

Michael reveals the best food to boost your mood, your energy levels, reduce inflammation and improve your immune system. In this episode, Michael discovers the benefits of fermented foods and their live bacteria. He speaks to Professor Justin Sonnenburg from Stanford University who’s recent clinical trial revealed that eating fermented foods can increase your gut microbiome diversity and reduce inflammation, one of the main drivers of ageing. They discuss the role of your gut bacteria in...

Want to get the mental sharpness of someone decades younger? Challenging your brain with something difficult, like learning a new language or taking up juggling, can trigger your brain to form new connections, increasing your brain’s white matter and making it more resilient against age-related decline. In this episode, Michael speaks to Dr Rachel Wu from the University of California Riverside who has discovered that learning three new skills at the same time can significantly boost the...

How a simply dietary change can reduce wrinkles, improve skin texture and slow ageing. In this episode Michael reveals how a daily portion of colourful fruit and vegetables can help retain skin moisture and boost collagen. Carotenoids are compounds that give carrots, mangoes and tomatoes their bright red and orange colour – and they have been shown to boost your skin’s collagen and moisture, improving wrinkles, skin plumpness and texture. He speaks to dermatologist Dr Raja Sivamani from...

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to rejuvenate yourself at the cellular level – but what’s the best way to do it? In this episode, Michael speaks to Associate Professor Matt Robinson from Oregon State University, who has discovered that just a few minutes of high-intensity exercise can help rejuvenate you at the cellular level, by helping restore your mitochondria, your cell’s energy powerhouses. They discuss how exercise has many benefits across your body - from your muscles,...

In his new podcast series, Dr Michael Mosley reveals simple things you can do to rejuvenate yourself from the inside out.

Professor Tim Spector, a leading expert on nutrition and gut health, takes Michael Mosley through his top food and nutrition tips, sharing stories from his life and research along the way. Joined by an audience at the Hay Festival, Michael learns what happened the time Tim convinced his son to eat an ultra-processed food diet for two weeks and the surprising ways your gut influences your immune system. Tim, who is professor in epidemiology at King's College London, shares the shocking moment...

From the team behind the hit Radio 4 series Sliced Bread, this is Toast. You can find more episodes in the Sliced Bread feed only on BBC Sounds, or by searching for Toast on BBC Sounds. BBC business journalist Sean Farrington investigates wonder products and businesses which promised so much to consumers... but ultimately ended up as toast. Sean is joined by the self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White, to conclude what went wrong. Together they look at why a product or...

When things go wrong, you might think that focusing on the bad and writing about them would make things worse. But in some cases, the opposite seems to be true. Michael Mosley investigates a technique called “expressive writing”, a simple tip which can have surprising benefits for your health. The idea is to set aside 15 minutes to write about any worries that keep you up at night, showing many benefits - from improving lung function in people with asthma, to improving scores on exams and...

Turmeric is a close relative of ginger – it has a similar knobbly root-like stem. The golden-hued powder of turmeric adds colour and flavour to food, but it’s also been linked to some surprising health benefits. As well as helping with wound healing and skin conditions, it’s been linked to better brain health. Michael Mosley speaks to Dr. Benny Antony from the University of Tasmania in Australia who has found that turmeric extract was as effective as ibuprofen to reduce pain levels. ...

Nuts are a rich source of fibre and polyphenols. They are also very high in fats and calories, but studies have shown that eating these bite-sized snacks won’t add to your waistline. These nutrient powerhouses could also help slow-down the ageing process. Research has found that walnut eaters live, on average, over a year longer than those who don’t. What’s more, adding nuts to your diet can help your brain! Michael Mosley is joined by Dr Sze-Yen Tan from Deakin University in Australia who...