I was very excited to find an email from the BBC in my Steeliac inbox the other day! Fame at last, I thought. Well, not quite…

BBC2 are looking for volunteers from Sheffield to take part in an experiment as part of a food science programme presented by Professor Alice Roberts (along with chef Tom Kerridge and journalist Sean Fletcher).  The experiment will be testing whether a gluten free diet could be beneficial to non-coeliacs.

Interested? Participants need to not be diagnosed coeliac and not already on a gluten free diet (so that’s us lot out), but might be thinking about trying it as a lifestyle choice, or even just people who want their 5 minutes of fame on the telly. Do you know anybody that fits the bill? If so, point them in this direction for more details. See the poster below or email experiment@bbc.co.uk.

It’s a fairly small scale study but it has great credentials as it’s being planned and run by Sheffield’s very own internationally renowned gastroenterology expert, Professor David Sanders, from the Hallamshire Hospital. Participants will need to undergo a blood test, a questionnaire and a two week gluten free diet. There will also a be a little bit of filming before and after the experiment (in Sheffield) and a few of the recruits will get a handicam to document their experiences in a video diary.

Importantly, the two week experiment will take place after Christmas, so no need to worry about missing out on Christmas treats!

I’ll be very interested to see the results, as there’s so much in the media about non-coeliac gluten sensitivity at the moment and obviously a lot of companies cashing in on consumers thinking gluten free is the healthy option. The show is expected be on air in February 2016.