The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Fancy something different to watch over Christmas? Worried you may not be eating the right things over the festive period? Tune in to The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures which this year delves deep into our guts – to reveal the revolutionary latest science around what happens inside our bodies when we eat. Dr Chris van Tulleken investigates how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, uncovers the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and asks how we can all eat better in future, for the sake of our own health and the health of the planet. 

Chris will reveal how what we eat can have a massive effect on both our bodies and our brains. He’ll bring the science to life through a series of fact fuelled demos, special guest appearances, festive food hacks, and a healthy dose of self-experimentation.  

From tastebuds to toilet, you’ll find out what happens in the body when we eat. How we eat with our eyes (green eggs and ham anyone?) and how smell and even sound can affect the taste of our food. And for the less squeamish amongst you - they'll also be lifting the lid on our number twos – revelling in the importance of poo and how it offers clues to our health and well-being.

The Christmas Lectures can be watched on BBC 4 and iPlayer in late December