Jayani fizzes over fermented food. You can even get fermented tea at your local bar now. Gareth makes no bones about arthritis. Almost 185,000 people live with it. And the real reason kids won't eat their greens. Brussel sprout. ALL: Ew! But first ` concussion. How many head knocks is too many? Like most doctors, I'm a huge advocate of exercise ` the benefits of which far outweigh the risks. That said, I wouldn't dream of hitting the road without my trusty lid for one reason and one reason only ` to protect my brain. The brain controls every function of the body. If it gets injured the consequences can be devastating. This egg represents the brain in our skull sloshing around in fluid. And if you get hit or jolted, the brain can hit against the skull, leading to bruising, which can cause concussion. Someone who knows more than most about concussion is Steve Devine. Today Steve is an active member of the fire service, but he may be more recognisable as a former All Black and Blues halfback. I've been concussed from basically being in and around the rugby field, either playing or training ` sometimes making tackles, sometimes being tackled. I played professionally for 10 years, and I know I had at least three a year, so that puts me at 30. Sports injuries account for one-fifth of the concussions reported in New Zealand. In Steve's case, the symptoms were many and varied. Everything, yeah, from dizziness to blurred vision to vomiting to just completely being asleep, and then other times, I was just... like, I was still running and I could still play rugby, but I just had no memory. I wasn't really... with it, as such. Like I was sleep` sleep running or walking. And then` And then I'd` You'd sorta come to and you're like, 'Oh, whoa, I'm playing a game here, all right.' My left pupil doesn't dilate properly, so bright light, I find it really difficult in, and it's sorta` I need to get out of it and close my eyes or have to normally wear sunglasses all the time outside. Extreme fatigue. To the point where I'd make it home from training, and I was waking up in my hallway. And then I'd wake up and realise it was time to go back to training; I had to get in the car and drive back to training. I also suffered... really, really serious migraines, where I was probably three to four times a week,... I was in bed, lights drawn and basically incapable of doing anything for days. Sometimes I'd wake up with a migraine, I'd go to bed with a migraine. Initially, we all sort it was some sort of fatigue syndrome, so did I take it seriously enough? No. But was there the knowledge around of 'something is going on with your brain'? I don't think so either. Amongst the general population, the most common cause of brain injury is taking a fall. But it's repeated concussions that are really concerning. Hey, hey, nice to meet you. Good to meet you too. The after-effects and dangers of multiple concussions have been the prime focus of associate professor Alice Theadom's work. Why are multiple concussions so dangerous? Well, the brain's really vulnerable when there's been an impact to the head. The brain is a really important organ in the body because it controls everything that we do. It controls the way that we think, and it controls all our body movements, and so it's already busy in everyday life. When there's an impact to the brain, the brain then has to recover and heal itself and put energy into that, and so it's already under a lot of pressure, so then if you have a second injury to that brain, that's already working really hard to recover, it's much harder than for it to be able to do so, because it's already` its resources and energy is exhausted. And what does that mean for recovery after a subsequent concussion? What we've found in many research studies now is that when people have had multiple concussions, they do tend to find that there's an increased risk of symptoms and a delayed recovery. We also know that people who've had one concussion are at further risk of having another one. Do you think people just shrug off a concussion? You know, is it something to do with... Kiwi or being blokey culture? Well, I think it's difficult because symptoms don't already` always show immediately. And so it's easy to think, 'I'm OK,' whereas actually it's something we do need to be taking seriously because there is a risk there may be swelling in the brain, which can cause some quite significant problems later on, so it's really important that we do take it seriously, even if you feel OK at the time, just in case you experience any other further problems later on. I had to retire from rugby because my symptoms in the end from the head knocks became just too much. It was hard initially to let it go because I loved sport and playing rugby so much that it was difficult, but it took me the best part of two years to get over the last one, so by the time I got to that point, it was... well, it was a no-brainer as such. I don't know what's coming down the track for me with what's happened, so, you know, I feel I just should enjoy today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow and yesterday what was yesterday. Prebiotic foods acts like a fertiliser and helps motivate the growth of healthy bacteria. When it comes to eye protection, do I need to spend this... or will this do? * Like fashion, food trends come and go. Who knows, maybe one day cheese and pineapple on a toothpick might be back in vogue, but some of the most modern trends have their roots in the past. Pickled and fermented foods have been a staple in many diets around the world for hundreds of years. We have things like German sauerkraut, Korean kimchi, Indonesian tempeh, Japanese miso, and Indian lassi using yoghurt. Yum! In the past, when fridges, freezers and even the good ol' chilly bin weren't around, pickling and fermenting food were essential to preserve it. Today, these foods and other fermented products hitting our shelves are growing in popularity, not only because they preserve food, but they can do wonders for our gut health. One kombucha, please. Sure. You can even get fermented tea at your local bar now. When we refer to our gut, we're really talking about our gastrointestinal tract, where our food is digested, helped by millions of microbes. But breaking down food is just one of the things they do. Gut microbes consist of a number of living organisms, including healthy bacteria. These microbes are thought to influence nearly every facet of our body's health. In fact, as scientists find out more about what our microbes do in our gut, it's even been referred to as our second brain. We can improve the way our gut functions by feeding it beneficial foods. There are two ways to do this. Firstly, by helping the microbes already there by feeding them prebiotic food, which acts like a fertiliser and helps motivate the growth of healthy bacteria. Secondly, with probiotic food, which contains live organisms that get into your gut and bolster the population of healthy microbes already present. This is where fermented food, like sauerkraut, comes in. Fermentation is a metabolic process that converts carbohydrates and sugars into acids, gases or alcohol. I think my sauerkraut is gonna be a bit chunky. Fermentation causes a friendly bacteria called lactic acid bacteria, which naturally live on fruit and veggies, to kick into overdrive. Then in our gut, this bacteria aids digestion, stabilises blood sugar and cholesterol, influences hormone balance, aids our immune system, and improves bone, liver and skin health. That's impressive. That's how it looks at the moment. We'll check in on it again in three weeks. All right, it's the moment of truth. It's been four weeks now. Eating fermented foods potentially increases the number of microbes up to 10,000 fold. So they're worth including in your diet. Eating a variety of fermented foods can help raise your overall health, but it's not a quick fix. They need to be part of your regular diet in order to see the benefits. Ever since Audrey Hepburn peered over her specs in Breakfast at Tiffany's, sunglasses have been a go-to fashion accessory. The most expensive ones in the world cost over $500,000. That's more than three times the cost of this car. But what about the health benefits of sunglasses? When it comes to eye protection, do I need to spend this... or will this do? To find out, I've collected a range of sunglasses to test at the University of Auckland's optometry clinic. What's the first thing we should be looking for when we're shopping for sunglasses? So, you really want sunglasses that are gonna be dark enough to protect you from sun glare; in other words, they're gonna make your eyes comfortable. And then there's also the issue of ultraviolet absorption, so we don't want them to transmit ultraviolet, cos that's the risk of effectively causing sunburn to the eyes. How much UV should be blocked by sunglasses? You'll find that a lot of sunglasses will claim 100% UV block, and there are ways of specifying, calculating that. So what I've got here is a little device that can measure both the visible light, the white light, and the ultraviolet light, and the` It's relatively simple. You can see at the moment, it's reading 100% for both. And if we just pick up one of the glasses ` and let's start with this one here ` and pop them in, it's gonna measure both at the same time. And you can see this one's showing zero ultraviolet, which is really good, and 28% transmission visible, so that means it's dark enough to be a good sunglass. All right, let's have a look at these sunglasses here. It's hard to tell just by looking at them how dark they are. The top value is visible light transmitting. It's about 55% transmission. So that's probably not quite dark enough to be considered a standard sunglass. You'd be down more around about 43%, so on the other hand, it's really good at blocking ultraviolet, so this would` sort of what would generally be called more a fashion spectacle than a true sunglass. Another feature of sunglasses that's important is the idea of coverage. We want, actually, protection that covers and stops stray light getting from above or below or particularly the sides. And that's where the curved or the visor-type sunglasses come in. These have also got a slight mirror tint on them, so let's see how... Yeah. ...that goes. Does it fit in? OK, again, zero ultraviolet and about 12% visible light, so that's, again, a really good functional sunglass. I'm interested in the kids' sunglasses. Let's pop these ones in. OK, you can see here, we've got 59% ultraviolet transmission,... Hmm. ...so there's an example of something that's not a true sunglass at all. These are toys effectively. Or what about these ones? All right, so these are quite a fancy-looking pair of sunglasses here. And really good. 0% UV, 30% transmission ` very good in terms of both comfort from glare and ultraviolet blocking. Are sunglasses regulated here? Well, we do have a standard in common with Australia, so it's the Australian New Zealand Standard. In Australia, it's a mandatory standard, so to sell sunglasses, they have to meet the standard. In New Zealand, it's an advisory standard. I guess, we have the benefit that a lot of our suppliers are in the Australian and the New Zealand market, so it means that probably the majority of our sunglasses do meet the standard. The results are in. Three pairs of glasses have failed the test. I'm keen to know how much I need to pay for sunnies that work. OK, oh, $15, that's pretty good. Yeah. OK, a bit more expensive, those ones. Yep. $3! That's pretty cheap, isn't it? Yeah. (LAUGHS) They were only $20? OK, that's pretty good. I would have expected those to be more expensive just looking at them. Yeah. What about the ones that didn't pass? $4. OK. $5. $5. See what the last ones is. $3. $3. OK, I'm not too surprised about that group. (LAUGHS) I'm really surprised that you can get really good sunglasses so cheaply, like these ones here for $20. Yeah, so what it shows you is that it's the material the lens is made from is what's important whether it absorbs ultraviolet or not. If it's the right type of material, they can still be fairly cheap and absorb ultraviolet. It's great to know we don't need to spend big bucks to get good eye protection. As for the fashion element, well, that's entirely up to you ` and your budget. How come our joints give us so much grief? And why is New Zealand a gout capital of the world? This lot have agreed to eat all these Brussel sprouts. ALL: No! * Why didn't the skeleton go to the ball? Because he had 'no body' to go with. When it comes to the bits in-between our bones however, it's no joking matter. How come our joints give us so much grief? And why is New Zealand a gout capital of the world? Oh. Hi there. How are you? This chap looks rather thin and emaciated. He does indeed. Gonna feed him a bit more? (LAUGHS) Look, we're just talking a little bit about joint pain, so we brought this down on to the street to speak to people like yourself... Yeah. ...about where you get joint pain. There's a bit of arthritis in the feet and, I guess, in the... Like there? ...things like the little fingers. Yep. Probably further down through here. Mine would probably more be around the lower-back area. Mm-hm. So, I've got shoulder pain. Right. Yep. Knee pain. Yep. Tiny bit in my, maybe, fingers. I might be getting something in that one. This little finger there? There are many causes of joint pain. One of the most common is arthritis. There are over 300 joints in our bodies, but the most common place for arthritis are the hips, knees, feet and the hands. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, but the two we hear most about are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Take a breath in. In New Zealand, osteoarthritis is the most common. One more time. It is thought to be caused by a number of factors ` inflammation, injury and wear and tear. Turn to one side. These sponges I've got here are like our cartilage. Cartilage is the protective layer at the end of our bones that help our joints move. They help them glide and also act as shock absorbers. When we're young, our cartilage is nice and thick and offers lots of protection. As we age, our cartilage wears out and becomes thinner, offering less protection and restricting joint movement. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an inflammatory condition that can occur spontaneously. Your body's immune, or defence system, starts to backfire and goes on the offensive, attacking itself. It's like fighting yourself in a boxing match. When your immune system turns on its own tissues, it can cause joints that become stiff, swollen and sore. Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated, but it's important to catch it early to avoid permanent joint damage and disability. There's another type of arthritis that's particularly relevant to us Kiwis. Gout arthritis affects more people here in New Zealand per capita than anywhere else in the world. Almost 185,000 people live with it. Gout arthritis causes sudden attacks of severe pain and swelling in the joints, usually starting in the big toe. This painful swelling occurs when there is too much uric acid in the blood. When levels get too high, the uric acids forms sharp needle-like crystals in the joints. It's a common-held belief that gout arthritis is due to overeating and overdrinking. While these do increase the risk, the main reason for high uric acid levels is that our body can't get rid of it properly ` a problem most likely down to our genes. In New Zealand, Pacifica people tend to have higher uric acid levels than Maori and Europeans ` a genetic adaptation that developed to fight diseases like malaria. It can be treated with medication, and a healthy diet does help. It's time we gave our joints the care they deserve. To fend off those aches and pains, make sure you maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. And if you do have arthritis, there are lots of really good treatments out there, so don't suffer alone. Kids can be great fun ` the cuddles, the jokes. But there's one thing that can drive us crazy. Fussy eaters. (RETCHES) Ew, disgusting. Ugh, blegh. (SIGHS) There are a lot of tips out there for parents of picky eaters, but are they locked in a battle of wills or is there more to it? Aryan and his class at New Windsor school are going to help me find out. In the name of science, this lot have agreed to eat all this cabbage, all these Brussel sprouts and a bucketload of garlic. ALL: No, we haven't! Yes, we did, guys. We talked about it. ALL: No! Our tongue not only lets us verbalise our opinions; it also helps with chewing and swallowing. And one of its key jobs is to help us taste. One our tongues, we have tiny bumps called papillae. They have taste buds in their walls. These taste buds have very sensitive microscopic hairs called microvilli. They help us recognise flavours, like sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savoury. I think we all know kids are pickier eaters than adults. Why is that? In a bid to find out, I've decided to challenge these teachers' taste buds against those of their students. (ALL LAUGH) Blue food dye will make the papillae stand out. Then using a slide, we're going to compare how many papillae each tongue has in the same sized area. (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION, LAUGHTER) The big difference between the children and the adults is the number of papillae and therefore the taste buds. As we get older, some of our taste buds deteriorate and aren't replaced. Adults are likely to have around 5000; while children have twice the amount ` around 10,000. Both kids and adults with a large number of papillae are sometimes referred to as super tasters. Does this mean our kids have the perfect excuse not to eat their greens? Yum! Brussel sprout. Sadly, no. Because picky eaters are not always super tasters, and super tasters are not always picky eaters. Captions by Antony Vlug. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019