TVScope:The Truth About Food, BBC2, 9.30pm, Thursdays
In an age in when we are bombarded with often contradictory facts about which foods benefit us and how, this new six-part BBC2 series is timely, if it can deliver on its title.
The first programme was encouraging in its presentation of scientific information in an accessible and often funny way. This, combined with having comedian Vic Reeves and his model wife Nancy Sorrell as guest presenters to kick-start the series, resulted in a very different format from the guilt-inducing trips of similar programmes such as Channel 4's You Are What You Eat.
The emphasis instead was on trying to establish if there was any truth in myths and old wives tales about food and sex. Some of these were more relevant to real life problems than others, such as what foods made sperm healthier or reduced pre-menstrual tension.
Other sexy research which sought to establish if aphrodisiacs really worked and which food smells men found arousing, showed how creative science can be.
So, did we learn any truths about food and sex? Well, traditional aphrodisiacs such as oysters and truffles did not work, although the fact that the experiment subjects were rigged up to intrusive monitors measuring heart rate and sweating, while in a romantic clinch, may have had some impact on that result.
There were intriguing national differences in the smells that men found arousing. Apple pie did it for British men, while for their American counterparts it was pumpkin pie. In contrast, German men were turned on by the smell of roast beef.
While the entertaining format worked well for these experiments, it was less successful when dealing with infertility and PMT, as the real life consequences were no laughing matter for the subjects who volunteered.
Results for five men who drank daily doses of raw fruit and vegetable smoothies to increase their sperm count and make healthier sperm were mixed. All five did improve the quality of their sperm, but for two their sperm count dropped rather than rose. Ironically it was the wife of one of these men who succeeded, after years of trying, in becoming pregnant.
A diet of cheese and oily fish resulted on average in a 33 per cent improvement in the symptoms of PMT for the women who took part, but again results were mixed with some women feeling their lives had been transformed, while others experienced very little improvement.
This first programme may have been more successful in identifying interesting areas for further research than in telling us the truth about food. However, while the remaining programmes may not have the lure of sex, they will no doubt provide adequate food for thought.
Review by Olive Travers, clinical psychologist