Viewers of Steph’s Packed Lunch have criticised a segment on the show that suggested immunity boosting swaps to make before the winter to avoid getting ill. The segment was presented by CBBC ’s twin Doctors Raph and Dan Olaiya.
The doctors, who present CBBC’s Operation Ouch! and also work as frontline NHS doctors, shared their top tips for staying healthy as the flu season approaches. But their advice was met with scepticism from some viewers who said they were “not impressed” with the tips which included taking cold showers each day.
One of the doctors’ tips advised swapping your usual mouthwash with 40ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They said: “It might sound a little bit weird but swapping olive oil for mouthwash as olive oil is antibacterial, so it stops Ecoli - 40mls [of olive oil] to be precise.
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“It stops bacteria growing, and you can swallow it as well so there's actually more benefits. So it's got antioxidants and anticarcinogens.”
One viewer wrote: “I mean I get the idea for the segment, but suggesting 40ml of olive oil instead of mouthwash… That isn’t good for the wallet.”
Another viewer suggested using salt water as a cheaper option. They tweeted: “A cold shower? That would make me super cold and I would be tempted to put the heating on which I can no longer afford. Salt water mouthwash is cheaper than extra virgin olive oil everyday. Not impressed by the twin doctors.”
One viewer joked: "I swapped olive oil for mouthwash. Worst spaghetti bolognese ever… ."
During the segment presenter Russel Kane then admitted that he already has a 5ml dose of olive oil each morning. He told the audience: “I actually start the day not with 40mls but with 5ml of olive oil every day. I have a number of biohacking supplements you can take better when absorbed with fat into the bloodstream.
He continued: “There's loads of evidence that if you eat breakfast, if it's fat and protein heavy, it suppresses ghrelin, the hunger hormone, for a longer period of time.”
The doctors then went on to suggest taking a cold shower each morning. They said: “There's evidence to suggest that actually cold showers for a particularly long period of time, you know six weeks even longer, that's going to raise your white blood cells and white blood cells are the active ingredient in the immune system.
“They're fighting off all the bugs, and cold showers actually help that and they push them up. They also increase your metabolism, it's also good for weight loss too.”
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