Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, the Doctors turn their attention to the curious emotion of embarrassment - why do we feel embarrassed? They want to know how it links to blushing, how it differs from shame or guilt, and whether it might actually serve a useful, protective and even healthy role in our lives.

To get some answers, they speak with Dr Tiffany Watt Smith, a writer and cultural historian interested in the histories of emotion and medicine.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about nature with Baroness Kathy Willis, Professor of Biodiversity at Oxford University.

They look a little deeper into the relationship between nature and our health and wellbeing. They also discuss Kathy's thoughts on how society interacts with nature. These insights go beyond the science to explore the bigger picture of our relationship with the natural world. Plus, they discuss what we can be doing to help the natural world in return for helping us.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

In this special episode, Chris and Xand are out of the studio and into the woods, exploring something a little different - the connection between nature and our health and wellbeing.

You’ve probably heard claims that just being in green spaces can boost your mood, help you recover from illness, and even lower your stress. But how much of that is really backed by science, and how much is just the latest wellness fad? To do this they are joined by Baroness Kathy Willis, Professor of Biodiversity at Oxford University.

If you want to get in touch, you can email [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Chris and Xand continue their conversation with Dr James Rucker, a consultant psychiatrist at King's College London who is leading the European arm of a global trial of a psychedelic designed to treat people with severe depression.

They discuss the history of psychedelics, the discovery of LSD and the popular (and often illegal) practice of microdosing. Is there any evidence to suggest that taking minute quantities of psychedelic substances will boost your brain function or mood?

Chris and Xand also discuss their own experience of taking psychedelics several years ago for a TV series about traditional medicines.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

This week, Chris and Xand meet Dr James Rucker, a consultant psychiatrist at King's College London who is leading the European arm of a global trial of a psychedelic called psilocybin in a study designed to treat people with severe depression for whom other pharmacological treatments have failed.

The use of psychedelics in both traditional medicinal and spiritual ceremonies dates back thousands of years and examples include peyote and ayahuasca from Central and South America, Iboga root from Central Africa and LSD, which is synthesised from a fungus found throughout Europe. As the number of clinical trials involving psychedelics increases, scientists are cautiously optimistic that they may be able to help with a range of conditions from eating disorders and anxiety to depression and addiction.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about fibre with Dr Deirdre Tobias, an obesity and nutritional epidemiologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA.

Together, they dig further into the relationship between our fibre intake and our microbiome. Plus, they delve into some of the socioeconomic aspects of increasing our intake of fibre.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken clear up the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, they want to answer some of the most important questions about dietary fibre. What is it and why do our bodies need it? They’ll explore the best sources of fibre - both natural and processed - and unpack the growing trend of fibre-enriched foods. Also, they’ll discuss easy ways to add more fibre into our daily routines without overhauling our diets.

They speak to Dr Deirdre Tobias, an obesity and nutritional epidemiologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, to find out.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Dr Mindy Cairns, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at the University of Hertfordshire.

They discuss how mental health issues can contribute to back pain, what women can do to manage back pain during pregnancy, and the difficulties of living with long-term back pain alongside other medical conditions. Plus, are there any types of beds and chairs that are good for our backs?

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

On the agenda this week is back pain. It’s a condition that will affect around 80% of us at some point during our lives, with low back pain being the single leading cause of disability worldwide.

Joining Chris and Xand in the studio to discuss the science behind these statistics is Dr Mindy Cairns, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at the University of Hertfordshire. She explains what causes back pain, how it can be managed and treated, and what we can do to protect our backs.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Chris and Xand continue their conversation with Professor Stella Volpe, head of the department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.

They talk to Stella about her work as a sports nutritionist, specialising in diabetes and obesity, about whether athletes need to think about magnesium differently, and the relationship between magnesium and diabetes.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.