ZOE Science & Nutrition

Humans have been in love with chocolate for thousands of years. But not all chocolate is created equal, both in terms of health and taste. In this episode, chocolate expert Spencer Hyman and Professor Sarah Berry will take us on a trip into cacao. They’ll teach us what distinguishes good chocolate from bad chocolate and how we can beat our impulse to binge. 

Spencer breaks down how to produce craft chocolate. In six steps he will show us how we get from bean to bar. Sarah shares research into the health benefits of chocolate with a focus on fibre, flavanols and theobromine. They will also look at the controversy around the association between chocolate and heart health. 

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Can chocolate be healthy?

01:32 Quickfire questions

03:37 From cacao bean to chocolate bar

05:30 What is cocoa butter?

08:03 Healthy chemicals in chocolate

09:19 Is chocolate healthier than other treats?

14:16 Why chocolate melts in your mouth

16:20 Chocolate and cholesterol

23:30 Why savouring flavour improves health

23:25 Can we trust the chocolate industry?

33:00 Is mainstream chocolate healthy?

40:30 The unhealthiest ingredient in chocolate

43:45 Craft chocolate tasting session

44:45 How to make your chocolate last longer

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today, we’re discussing Antibiotics. These incredible medicines target bacterial infections and save countless lives, but they don’t discriminate - killing off our good bacteria and impacting our gut health too. 

Some experts suggest probiotics as a solution. But do they really help? And can fermented foods be the answer to reversing the damage to your gut microbiome? 

Professor Tim Spector and Dr Will Bulsiewicz are here to help you understand what to do to boost your gut health after taking antibiotics.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
• MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

The internet is panicking that seed oils cause inflammation and disease. Yet, they're everywhere. Canola, sunflower, safflower oil - these are all seed oils.

So why is there so much fear? And are any of the accusations true?

In this episode, we unpack the science of seed oils. With Professor Sarah Berry's expertise, we simplify what seed oils are, what the latest science says and why countless videos online say they’re toxic. 

Sarah Berry is a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King's College London and Chief Scientist at ZOE. She reveals the surprising truth about seed oils and tips to navigate a world full of them.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Seed oils are in everything

02:07 Quickfire questions

03:29 What is seed oil?

05:31 Are seed oils full of chemicals?

10:41 Why are seed oils everywhere?

12:46 3 types of fat you should understand

19:32 Are seed oils toxic?

24:03 Is omega 6 dangerous?

26:57 These fats reduce disease risk

29:24 Key seed oil science 

37:15 Are seed oils unnatural?

44:57 Seed oil vs palm oil

49:50 Is it safe to cook with seed oil?

Books by our ZOE Scientists

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector 
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
• MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today, we’re discussing the health benefits and potential harms of the world’s most popular drink - Coffee.

We drink 2 billion cups of the stuff every day. But how much coffee is bad for your health?

Coffee expert James Hoffmann and leading scientist Prof. Tim Spector are here to help us understand.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
• MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Half of the world’s population will go through menopause. Yet research shows that a large proportion of women do not feel informed and equipped for menopause. In this episode, we reveal the results of a brand new study that highlight the impact of diet on menopause symptoms.

Davina McCall is a British household name and much-loved TV presenter on a mission to change this. Her 2022 book Menopausing provided a roadmap for women to be fearless in tackling this stage of life. She has her own very personal menopause story and today, she shares it with us.

Together with ZOE’s Chief Scientist, Prof. Sarah Berry, we’re having an honest and open conversation about perimenopause and menopause.

🤲 MenoScale Calculator - Track your menopause symptoms with our free tool 👉 zoe.com/menoscale

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

Follow ZOE on Instagram here.

Timecodes

00:00 Every woman goes through this

02:20 Quickfire questions

04:25 Davina’s menopause experience 

14:16 What happens during menopause

15:20 The impact of estrogen decline

17:40 How long does perimenopause last?

18:30 Is there a blood test for menopause?

24:20 What menopause symptoms are most common?

32:35 Does everyone get symptoms?

35:54 Does menopause increase disease risk?

39:15 Should you consider HRT?

45:30 Davina’s life changing experience

47:40 ZOE’s new study on diet and menopause

52:33 Can ZOE membership improve menopause symptoms?

54:26 Can supplements improve menopause symptoms? 

56:21 Gut microbiome health in perimenopause

58:26 Davina’s tips for exercise in menopause

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
• MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Mentioned in this episode:

• Menopause is associated with postprandial metabolism, metabolic health and lifestyle: The ZOE PREDICT study (2022), published in eBioMedicine
• Sex and Menopausal Status Modulate the Impact of Meal Timing on Postprandial Glucose: Data From the ZOE PREDICT 1 Study (2024), published in Current Developments in Nutrition
• Management of menopause: a view towards prevention (2022), published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 
• Menopause: a cardiometabolic transition (2022), published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 
• Treating menopause — MHT and beyond (2022), published in Nature
• The Menopause Transition: Signs, Symptoms, and Management Options (2020), published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Bread has been a staple of our diet for literally thousands of years.

Around the world, millions of us start the day with a slice of toast, enjoy a sandwich for lunch, or tuck into a burger bun for dinner. 

But all bread is not baked equal. Professor Tim Spector and Vanessa Kimbell are here to help you choose the right type for your health.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
• MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Thirty plants this week, think you could do it? It might sound a lot, but it’s easier than you think. Fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, even coffee all count as plants.

Legendary chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall joins us to share tips on eating more plants. Hugh’s new book ‘How to Eat 30 Plants a Week’ explores the wild world of legumes, grains, herbs and beyond. He explains that getting your thirty plants each week can be simple, fun and delicious.

Joining Hugh is Tim Spector - professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and ZOE’s scientific co-founder. Tim explains why our gut microbiome loves plants, highlighting the importance of polyphenols, healthy fats and fiber.

You’ll finish this episode inspired, empowered and likely... hungry.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com for 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Thirty plants every week?

01:57 Quickfire questions

05:04 What happens when we digest plants?

08:43 Why are plants so different?

11:28 Why eating the rainbow is important 

18:42 Why 30 plants?

22:13 How much fiber should you eat a day?

25:53 The science that proves the power of plants

32:00 How to get more plants in your diet

34:45 How to get more plants on-the-go

38:36 Plant-based cooking made simple

46:45 Are dried and frozen plants just as nutritious?

47:51 How does cooking affect plants

48:56 What to do with your leftovers

49:44 Do mushrooms count as plants?

51:06 How important is organic food? 

55:40 Hugh’s showstopper dish

57:16 Surprise taste-test from Hugh’s garden

Books

• Hugh’s book How To Eat 30 Plants a Week
• Tim’s book Food For Life

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
• MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Mentioned in today's episode

• American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research (2018), published in mSystems from American Society of Microbiology
• Could you eat 30 plant-based foods a week? (2021), published by World Cancer Research Fund
• Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States (2019), published by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
• Why 5 A Day? (2022), published by NHS
• Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (2023), published by WHO
• Fruit and vegetable consumption and incident breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2021) published by British Journal of Cancer
• Consumption of Plant Seeds and Cardiovascular Health: Epidemiological and Clinical Trial Evidence (2013), published by Circulation

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Why do some people feel fine eating lots of carbs when others feel energy slumps? Is blood sugar to blame?

In this episode, we learn why blood sugar varies so much between people, and the tools to manage these levels. 

Tim Spector and Jessie Inchauspé (aka the Glucose Goddess) will discuss the latest science around glucose control, what the cool new device on the block – the CGM – can tell us and why blood sugar levels are only one part of the picture of our health.

Jessie is a bestselling author and science communicator with a community of over 5 million followers. Tim is a professor of epidemiology at King’s College London and ZOE’s scientific co-founder.

🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Quickfire questions

02:39 What is glucose?

07:50 What are blood sugar spikes?

09:15 Are lots of spikes dangerous?

10:45 What happens when your blood sugar spikes?

14:03 Should I worry about blood sugar levels?

15:11 HbA1c and fasting glucose explained

19:30 What are CGMs?

23:24 How breakfast impacts the rest of your day

29:07 Eat these foods first

33:12 Can physical activity reduce spikes?

35:46 How gut microbiome and blood fat play a role

41:39 The risks of ultra-processed foods

Find more from Jessie at glucosegoddess.com 

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Studies relevant to this episode:

• CGMap: Characterizing continuous glucose monitor data in thousands of non-diabetic individuals. (2023) published in Cell Metabolism.
• Dose–response relationship between genetically proxied average blood glucose levels and incident coronary heart disease in individuals without diabetes mellitus. (2021) published in Diabetologia.
• Optimised Glucose “Time in Range” Using Continuous Glucose Monitors in 4,805 Non-Diabetic Individuals Is Associated With Favourable Diet and Health: The ZOE PREDICT Studies. (2022). published in Current Developments in Nutrition. 
• Normal Fasting Plasma Glucose Levels and Type 2 Diabetes in Young Men (2005). published in NEJM 

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re discussing Nuts. If you’ve heard that nuts are bad for you because they’re full of fat, then, you’re in for a surprise. Professor Sarah Berry has led large scale human studies to uncover how nuts affect our health. And she’s here to tell us the healthiest way to incorporate them into your diet.

She'll also tell us about a new discovery that’ll help when you’re reading the nutrition information on the back of a nut packet.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Allergies are on the rise in both infants and adults. Many are calling it an epidemic. Allergies can limit your diet, cause irritation, and in some cases be life threatening. 

In today’s episode, we discuss the evidence suggesting that our gut plays a key role in protecting us from food allergies.

Professor Gideon Lack tells us how we can reduce the risk of allergies developing in children. Gideon also shares innovative ways to treat allergies and significantly reduce the risk of death. 

Gideon is Professor of Paediatric Allergy at King’s College London. His groundbreaking studies into allergies have reversed the official medical advice of multiple countries. 

🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Allergies are on the rise

01:30 Quickfire questions

05:02 Allergies vs intolerances

06:48 Do allergies only develop in childhood?

11:18 Why allergic reactions happen

15:33 Hay fever and asthma 

18:28 How to spot birch pollen allergy

19:58 Which allergies do children develop?

26:50 Gideon’s light bulb moment

32:16 Does eczema play a role?

36:36 The importance of the gut microbiome

45:08 How to protect your baby

50:05 Skin and allergies

54:06 Should nuts be banned on planes?

57:49 The truth about airborne allergens

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Studies related to today’s episode: 

• Self-Reported Prevalence of Allergies in the USA and Impact on Skin—An Epidemiological Study on a Representative Sample of American Adults, published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 
• Trends in Allergic Conditions Among Children: United States, 1997–2011, published by US National Center for Health Statistics 
• Early exposure hypothesis: where are we now? published in Clinical and Translational Allergy 
• Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy, published in New England Journal of Medicine 
• Randomized Trial of Introduction of Allergenic Foods in Breast-Fed Infants, published in New England Journal of Medicine 
• Birch Pollen Immunotherapy by Consumption of Apples, published by AppleCare Project, Interreg Italy Austria 
• Food allergy and the gut, published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here

Today we discuss intermittent fasting with Professor Tim Spector, and Gin Stephens, New York Times best selling author of Fast. Feast. Repeat. 

As many of you long term listeners will know, ZOE ran the world’s largest ever study on intermittent fasting. We know a lot of you are interested in the potential benefits. I’m talking about improved blood sugar control, heart health, and mood. 

But practically, how do you get started with fasting?

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Forty percent of people in the UK and US have high cholesterol. Knowing how to lower it can be confusing. In today’s episode, we simplify the science of cholesterol, drawing from ZOE’s 2021 PREDICT study, which explored its link to the gut microbiome.

Dr. Sarah Berry explains the differences between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol, discusses how cholesterol can impact your health, and shares tips on maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Sarah is a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King's College London and Chief Scientist at ZOE. She is also the lead nutritional scientist on the PREDICT program.

🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Quickfire questions

04:01 What is cholesterol?

05:50 LDL vs HDL cholesterol

11:35 How diet affects cholesterol

13:55 Which fats should you increase?

16:00 Why do some people have high LDL levels?

18:40 The gut microbiome and cholesterol

20:37 What is ApoB?

24:00 Why don’t all doctors measure ApoB?

25:50 Why triglycerides matter to your health

29:30 Triglycerides and post-meal responses

30:45 Which foods can help lower cholesterol?

33:20 Saturated fat explained

35:30 How refined carbs affect cholesterol

39:50 Can you trust ‘low fat’ food labels?

41:15 The benefits of whole grain carbohydrates and fibre

45:03 Sarah’s personal view on statins

48:13 Cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Mentioned in today's episode

• What are triglycerides and why do you need them
• Does variation in serum LDL-cholesterol response to dietary fatty acids help explain the controversy over fat quality and cardiovascular disease risk? Atherosclerosis VOL 328
• Determination of variability in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol response to the replacement of dietary saturated fat with unsaturated fat, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.
• Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol: cracking the myths around eggs and cardiovascular disease, J Nutr Sci. 2023
• The effects of probiotics on total cholesterol, Medicine (Baltimore)
• Microbiome connections with host metabolism and habitual diet from 1,098 deeply phenotyped individuals (Zoe’s PREDICT study)

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

There seem to be good arguments for and against eating dairy. 

But how do we know what to listen to? Well at Zoe, we consult the latest research to draw our conclusions.

In this episode, our two resident professors join us to unpack what the science says about dairy and your health. 

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Olive oil could transform your health. It regulates blood sugar, helps with weight management and prevents long-term disease. That is if it's the right kind of olive oil.

Distributor of the world’s finest olive oils, Elizabeth Berger, and Professor Tim Spector discuss its health benefits, debunk myths, and explain how storage and cooking can affect nutritional value.

In today's episode, we learn how to get the most from olive oil, why choosing the right olive oil is crucial and the significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of this kitchen staple.

Elizabeth Berger is the founder of Frantoi, which works with growers and millers across Italy to harvest exceptional extra virgin olive oils. Tim Spector is a true olive oil evangelist, as well as one of the world’s top 100 most-cited scientists and ZOE's scientific co-founder.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:05 Quick fire questions

03:15 How is olive oil made?

04:25 The 4 grades of olive oil

11:20 Olive oil in Mediterranean diets

13:15 The science behind healthy olive oil

16:35 Why we need healthy fats

21:05 What are polyphenols?

23:06 Extra virgin vs regular olive oil

27:03 Is there food industry misinformation about olive oil?

25:55 The power of seasonal eating

26:50 The best time to buy olive oil

28:00 The biggest myths about olive oil

31:25 How to properly store olive oil

33:00 How long do the health benefits last?

39:10 Is it safe to cook with extra virgin olive oil?

42:55 Tasting session of 3 extra virgin oils

55:10 How to identify high-quality olive oil

57:30 Tips to get more olive oil in your diet

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Mentioned in today's episode

• Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Critical Ingredient Driving the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet?, published in Nutrients 2023
• Is There More to Olive Oil than Healthy Lipids?, published in Nutrients 15
• Protective effects of oleic acid and polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil on cardiovascular diseases, published in Food Science and Human Wellness
• Only virgin type of olive oil consumption reduces the risk of mortality, published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 77
• Extra-virgin olive oil and the gut-brain axis: influence on gut microbiota, mucosal immunity, and cardiometabolic and cognitive health, published in Nutrition Reviews
• What do polyphenols do, and where can I find them?, published by ZOE
• What is fat, and how much do you need?, published by ZOE
• Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating, published by Acta Scientific Nutritional Health

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

While researching for his bestselling book, Food for Life, Tim dug deep into the new science around UPFs. We used to think they were unhealthy because of their high salt, fat and sugar levels. But there’s much more to the story. 

Tim helps us navigate our UPF-filled grocery stores to eat healthier, and explains what he got wrong about a food group he'd previously overlooked... the humble mushroom.

Learn how your body responds to food with ZOE 👉 start here

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Rates of colorectal cancer have declined in people over 65 but doubled among people under 50 in the last few decades. By 2030 it’s expected to be the leading cancer-related death in this age group.

In today’s episode, gastrointestinal cancer and prevention specialist, Dr. Andy Chan, explains how changes in the gut microbiome could be to blame.

Dr. Chan discusses the critical role your diet plays in cancer risk, how your gut microbiome can influence the development of colon cancer and the steps you can take to lower your risk.

Dr. Andy Chan is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Program Director for Gastroenterology training at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

04:00 What is colon cancer?

05:20 How does cancer develop?

08:50 How common is colon cancer?

11:00 Demographics and shifting trends

14:00 Leading cause of cancer death for men under 50

15:32 Why are cancer rates rising in younger people

17:10 The role of diet and obesity

19:40 Does alcohol have an impact?

21:10 What is metabolic health and why does it matter?

25:10 Gut health and colon cancer 

27:50 Evidence from animal studies

33:43 Why overuse of antibiotics can be harmful 

38:15 Screening recommendations and methods

44:40 Can changing your diet reduce risk?

49:50 Should we avoid red meat?

53:28 Does physical activity reduce risk?

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer, from Gastroenterology
• Reducing Risk for Colorectal Cancer, from Center for Disease Control & Prevention
• Colorectal cancer statistics, 2017, from CA Cancer Journal
• Association Between the Sulfur Microbial Diet and Risk of Colorectal Cancer, from Gastroenterology and Hepatology 
• Fusobacterium nucleatum and colorectal cancer: From phenomenon to mechanism, from Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology  

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Let's take control of our blood sugar. We’ll dive into a conversation with Professor of Human Physiology, Javier Gonzalez. He explains which exercises can reduce your blood sugar spikes and dips - which will have a positive impact on your long term health. And don’t worry, you don’t have to become an Olympic Weightlifter to do it.

Learn how your body responds to food with ZOE 👉 start here

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Did you know you can build muscle just as effectively with plant protein as with animal protein?

In this episode, nutritionist Simon Hill, and board-certified gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz, explain how our bodies use protein to build muscle and highlight the health benefits of plant proteins, such as reducing the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and hypertension.

In today’s episode, Simon and Will debunk common myths about protein and discuss the broader benefits of plant proteins, including improved gut health and reduced chronic disease risk.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

06:20 What is protein?

08:01 Essential amino acids explained

09:30 The role of protein in building muscle

11:00 Why muscles matter

12:05 Optimising protein intake for health

14:30 Protein and healthy aging

15:48 Best sources of protein

21:35 Animal vs plant protein sources

28:35 How to achieve fitness goals with plant protein

33:45 Which plants have high levels of protein?

38:07 Is gut health linked to muscle mass?

40:35 How to introduce more plant-based foods into your meals

44:54 New Harvard study on protein intake and healthy ageing

47:55 How much protein is in eggs and dairy?

51:24 Concerns about ultra-processed foods 

Books

• Buy Simon's book The Proof Is In The Plants
• Buy Will’s book Fiber Fueled

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Mentioned in today's episode

• Effects of Consuming Ounce-Equivalent Portions of Animal- vs. Plant-Based Protein Foods, published in Nutrients 2023
• Improving the bioavailability of nutrients in plant foods at the household level, published in PNS
• Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations, published in Peer J
• Vegan and Omnivorous High Protein Diets Support Comparable Daily Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Young Adults, published in The Journal of Nutrition
• A mycoprotein-based high-protein vegan diet supports equivalent daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates compared with an isonitrogenous omnivorous diet in older adults: a randomised controlled trial, published in British Journal of Nutrition

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re finding out how to improve blood vessel health with New York Times best selling author, Dr. William Li.

Dr. Li has some simple steps we can take to not only slow down the deterioration of our blood vessels, but also to reduce any existing blockages that we may, or may not yet know about.

Learn how your body responds to food with ZOE 👉 start here

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

Emulsifiers are common in our diets, enhancing the texture, appearance and shelf life of many foods. But are they safe?

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Federica uncover the surprising truth about emulsifiers in our food. We learn the science behind emulsifiers, their impact on health, and the rising concerns over there extensive use in ultra-processed foods.

Dr Federica Amati is a King’s College London researcher and a registered nutritionist. She is also a lecturer and Nutrition Topic Lead at Imperial College School of Medicine. Federica empowers people with accessible, practical knowledge to make informed choices on diet and lifestyle and to improve health based on unique needs and preferences, at every stage of life.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

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Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:10 What are emulsifiers doing in our food?

02:15 How common are emulsifiers in our food?

02:52 What to look out for on packaging

03:55 What are emulsifiers made from?

04:36 How emulsifiers work

09:50 Are emulsifiers bad for us?

10:40 Emulsifiers and our gut health

11:50 New risks emerging from human studies

14:50 How to reduce emulsifiers in your diet

Buy Federica’s book: Every Body Should Know This 

Free resources from ZOE:

• Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 
• Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Food additive emulsifiers: a review of their role in foods, Nutrition Reviews 
• Emulsifiers Impact Colonic Length in Mice and Emulsifier Restriction is Feasible in People with Crohn’s Disease, Nutrients 2020
• Food Additive Emulsifiers and Their Impact on Gut Microbiome, Permeability, and Inflammation, Journal of Crohn's and Colitis
• Bacterial Overgrowth and Inflammation of Small Intestine After Carboxymethylcellulose Ingestion in Genetically Susceptible Mice, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re talking about pesticides. More specifically, about the surprising levels of pesticides found in some common foods.

Professor Tim Spector is here to tell us how to avoid giving these to our families.

Learn how your body responds to food with ZOE 👉 start here

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

- Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

- Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Mentioned in the episode:

Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Listen to the full episode here

What do astronauts and cancer patients have in common? 

Jonathan explores this fascinating connection with Dr. Jessica Scott, learning how six decades of NASA research is being used to help the recovery of cancer survivors. New research challenges the traditional notion that you should rest during cancer treatment. Instead, Jessica’s studies into exercise could hold the key to a long and healthy life post-diagnosis. 

Dr Jessica Scott started her career at NASA where she spent 7 years designing exercise programs for astronauts in outer space. Now, as the principal investigator at the world-leading Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she is using her unique skillset in the fight against cancer.

​​Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off 

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:32 Quickfire questions

03:10 Health challenges for astronauts

07:19 Impact of exercise on astronauts

10:43 NASA’s exercise program

14:28 Transition to cancer research

15:40 Exercise and cancer treatment

17:10 Side effects of cancer treatments

23:13 Studies on the benefit of exercising alongside cancer treatment

26:27 Tailoring exercise to the individual 

28:10 Global perspectives on exercising alongside cancer treatment

29:47 Understanding different types of exercise

33:26 Implementing NASA's non-linear exercise training techniques

41:04 The next steps for Jessica’s research

42:45 Episode summary

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Studies related to today’s episode:

• Cancer Survivorship Statistics from The National Cancer Institute https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/ocs/statistics#stats
• Multisystem Toxicity in Cancer: Lessons from NASA’s Countermeasures Program from The National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7380275/
• A randomised trial comparing the effects of moderate versus moderate to high-intensity aerobic training in women with operable breast cancer from The National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2965727/
• Effects of exercise countermeasures on multisystem function in long duration spaceflight astronauts from The National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9898566/
• Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Cancer Survivors: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study from The National Library of Medicine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35772913/

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Obesity is a physiological condition that can be managed with the right education and treatment.

In today's episode, Dr. Louis J. Aronne, a leading expert in obesity research, sheds light on the science behind weight management and obesity treatment.

Dr. Aronne dives into groundbreaking weight loss medications. He also explores how lifestyle and eating habits affect long-term health and why medications combined with dietary changes can unlock transformative results.

Louis J. Aronne, M.D. is a leading authority on obesity and its treatment. He’s a former president of The Obesity Society, which publishes the peer-reviewed scientific journal Obesity, of which Dr. Aronne is an associate editor. He has also authored more than 60 papers and book chapters on the topic. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:01 Quickfire questions

03:51 What is obesity?

05:06 What’s the difference between overweight and obesity?

07:38 Why has there been such a quick rise in obesity?

10:55 Why it’s not just a lack of willpower

13:50 The complexity of weight regulation

15:54 What is Leptin and why is it so important for weight control?

19:51 The brain’s role in weight regulation

20:36 Curing obesity in animal studies

22:29 Why hunter-gatherers did not gain weight

23:58 Natural experiments in weight gain and loss

26:01 How medications can cause weight gain

28:42 The impact of calorie restriction diets

30:13 Reducing diabetes risk through weight loss

34:10 Research into medications as a tool for weight loss

38:36 How well do weight loss drugs work?

41:38 The future of weight loss drugs

43:51 Will you regain the weight if you stop taking weight loss drugs?

48:08 Can obesity be avoided without the use of drugs?

49:42 Concerns about weight loss drugs

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Mentioned in today's episode:

• Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after "The Biggest Loser" competition in Obesity 
• The Finnish diabetes prevention study (DPS) in Diabetes Care
• The National Diabetes Prevention Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Our modern lifestyles mean that most of us don’t live our lives in sync with our circadian rhythms, which puts our health and well-being at risk. Eating and sleeping at the right time are important tools to help us align our circadian rhythms and reduce our risk of chronic disease. 

In this episode, circadian rhythm expert Prof. Satchin Panda will tell us how light and food act as master regulators of our body clock, how aligning our lifestyles with our body clock can improve our health, mood and energy levels and how to do this in practice. 

Satchin is a world-leading expert in the field of circadian rhythm research. He’s associate professor at the prestigious SALK institute, he’s recipient of the Dana Foundation Award in brain and immune system imaging and he’s also the author of two best-selling books, The Circadian Code and The Circadian Diabetes Code.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Quickfire questions

03:02 What are circadian rhythms?

03:48 How do we know about circadian rhythms?

04:44 Are all body parts on a 24 hour clock?

06:40 How the body enters sleep mode

09:25 What happens during sleep?

12:08 Why you’re not sleeping enough

13:30 The surprising impact of daylight savings time

17:00 Circadian rhythms aren’t just about light

19:55 The dangers of shift work

21:20 Should you go to bed at sunset?

25:40 Why should stop snacking at night

26:10 Satchin’s famous mice study

33:00 The best eating window for health

37:27 Does intermittent fasting promote better food choices?

40:40 Should you drink black coffee when you wake up?

Satchin’s books:

• The Circadian Code 
• The Circadian Diabetes Code

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Studies referenced in today’s episode: 

• Effects of 3 months of 10-h per-day time-restricted eating and 3 months of follow-up on bodyweight and cardiometabolic health in Danish individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the RESET single-centre, parallel, superiority, open-label, randomised controlled trial, published in Lancet Healthy Longevity
• Neuronal reprogramming of mouse and human fibroblasts using transcription factors involved in suprachiasmatic nucleus development, published iScience
• Learning from circadian rhythm to transform cancer prevention, prognosis, and survivorship care, published in Trends Cancer
• The Untapped Potential of Circadian Timing as a Variable for Discoveries and Reproducibility, published in Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepato

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

After the tragic news of Michael Mosley's passing, we are re-releasing our episode with him, originally released in March 2023:

If you had to do just one thing to improve your health, what would it be?

Our busy lives mean it can be difficult to keep up healthy habits, and with so much conflicting advice out there it’s tricky to separate fact from fiction. In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by medical doctor, journalist, and presenter Michael Mosley, who is alongside ZOE regular Tim Spector, to discuss Michael’s four key habits to improve our health. 

Michael’s latest book ‘Just One Thing’ explores these habits and has seen him speak to singing scientists and eccentric iceman to healthy habit experts and evangelists. And of course, being Michael, he tried every habit out himself. We talk about which methods are the most effective, which he has incorporated into his life, and how he makes his new habits stick.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your membership.

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 Tim Spector's tribute to Michael

01:01 Introduction

01:55 Quick Fire Questions

05:15 Are cold showers good for you?

06:48 How long do you need to be immersed in cold water for the benefits to work?

8:20 Can cold showers improve mental wellbeing?

11:30 Potential dangers of cold water swimming

12:45 Do cultural differences present different outcomes across the world?

13:58 Can these small stressors help us?

14:27 What is the theory behind this working?

16:15 Will this work for everyone or is this very personalized?

18:30 What effects does breathing have on your health?

19:55 How breathing exercises affect our brain

22:27 How do you keep up the breathing exercises?

23:27 ZOE app breathing exercise

25:40 Is there a difference between breathing through your nose and your mouth?

27:20 How important are plants and nature for our health?

30:25 Can exposure to nature improve things like mental health and even gut health?

32:00 Can herbs also help improve our health?

32:47 What are the benefits of exercise?

33:30 What are endo-cannibinoids?

34:41 Are preferences for exercise genetic?

36:12 Is it endorphins that make us feel good after / during exercise?

37:31 How exercise affects us is extremely personalized

39:42 How do we encourage people who don't enjoy exercise to do it?

41:13 Tips to improve your exercise routines

44:08 Are there benefits to walking downhill?

46:42 Summary

Michael Mosley’s book 'Just One Thing' is available to buy here

Episode transcripts are available here

Meat consumption continues to be high in both the US and the UK. Yet many governments advise reducing meat consumption, particularly red meat, due to both environmental and health concerns. 

In this episode, we delve into the sizzling world of meat alternatives. They promise sustainability, animal welfare, and better health. Buzzwords like "plant-based" and "meat-free" proudly adorn their packaging. But are they actually healthy? Or should we consider them as ultra-processed foods and avoid them?

Christopher Gardner is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of the Stanford Prevention Research Centre, and a world-leading expert in how the food that we eat impacts our health. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:25 Quickfire questions

03:50 What is a meat alternative?

05:22 What's driving the trend for more alternatives?

07:47 Should you eat less red meat?

08:38 What is in meat alternatives?

10:22 Traditional meats vs meat alternatives

13:41 Are meat alternatives ultra-processed?

14:47 Latest scientific studies

23:56 What were the findings?

29:48 Is the quality of the protein as good as real meat?

34:00 Are meat alternatives healthy?

38:53 Are whole food based meat alternatives healthier?

40:05 What are the practical tips around meat alternatives?

43:21 How do ultra-processed foods come into this?

45:23 What are other ways people can transition away from red meat?

50:33 What are the differences between bad and good quality meat?

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
• Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Studies referenced in today’s episode: 

• Study With Appetizing Plantfood—Meat Eating Alternative Trial (SWAP-MEAT), published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• SWAP-MEAT Athlete (study with appetizing plant-food, meat eating alternatives trial) a randomized crossover trial, published in Nutrition Journal.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Periods are taboo! Despite the fact that half of the world’s population experience them. This taboo has led to countless myths around the topic. “The internet’s gynecologist” Dr. Jen Gunter is here to usher in a new era where people understand – and can advocate for – what they need as their body changes each cycle.

Jonathan is joined by Dr Sarah Berry and Dr Jen Gunter to get a better understanding of our body's behavior during the menstrual cycle. Jen will provide you with her period toolkit and offer solutions to the most common problems of modern-day period health.

Dr. Jen Gunter is a gynecologist and pain medicine physician at the Permanente Medical Group in northern California. Her books ‘The Vagina Bible’ and ‘The Menopause Manifesto’ were both New York Times bestsellers. Her 2024 book ‘Blood’ tackles the science, medicine and mythology of menstruation.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:26 Quickfire questions

02:31 Shame culture around menstruation

04:20 The evolution and purpose of the menstrual cycle

06:30 Menstrual cycle mechanics

11:08 Understanding heavy periods and iron deficiency

14:01 Addressing period pain and discomfort

21:39 Diet, appetite, and periods: what's the connection?

26:09 Understanding PMS and PMDD

27:55 PMS causes and symptoms

30:52 Treatment options for PMS and PMDD

31:51 Demystifying polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

35:42 The role of diet and obesity in PCOS

37:32 Advice for managing PMS

40:19 Menstrual cramps and pain management

47:08 Iron supplementation strategies

📚 Dr. Jen Gunter’s books:

• The Menopause Manifesto
• Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Recipes for a Better Menopause by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Studies related to today’s episode:

• Prevalence of Iron Deficiency and Iron-Deficiency Anemia in US Females Aged 12-21 Years, 2003-2020, from the Journal of the American Medical Association
• The Role of Estrogen in Insulin Resistance: A Review of Clinical and Preclinical Data, from The American Journal of Pathology

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

55 million people suffer dementia worldwide with numbers expected to double every 20 years. Understanding the link between our heart health and brain function is critical, illuminating the profound impact that heart health has on preventing dementia.

Dr. William Li, an expert in cardiovascular and metabolic health. He reveals how caring for our heart is not just about longevity but maintaining sharp, effective brain function as we age. His groundbreaking work has impacted more than seventy diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Dr. Li is also a New York Times best-selling author.

In today’s episode, Dr. Li explains how simple lifestyle choices in diet, exercise and sleep can drastically shape our brain's health and stave off dementia.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, 👉 zoe.com/podcast, for 10% off your membership.

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:23 Quickfire questions

03:30 Understanding dementia and Alzheimer's disease

04:50 Dementia versus ageing

06:35 The role of blood vessels in brain health

07:55 How circulation affects brain function

09:23 What causes blood clots and strokes?

11:06 The importance of maintaining healthy blood vessels

12:15 The impact of lifestyle choices on brain health

15:01 What happens in our brains when we sleep?

19:35 What is the glymphatic system?

22:40 Vascular dementia may be the most common form of dementia

24:35 The role of glucose in brain function

27:10 What causes dementia and why does it happen when we get older?

29:00 Preventing dementia with lifestyle changes

31:10 What are healthy blood vessels like?

37:50 The surprising role of EPCs in brain repair

41:30 Can you slow down or reverse dementia?

52:08 The connection between gut health and brain health

51:40 The importance of exercise for brain health

56:30 How to avoid dementia

01:01:16 The link between mental health and cardiovascular disease

📚 Dr. William Li’s books:

• Eat to Beat Disease
• Eat to Beat Your Diet

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Relevant studies:

• A human brain vascular atlas reveals diverse mediators of Alzheimer’s risk, published in Nature
• Heart-brain connections: Phenotypic and genetic insights from magnetic resonance images, published in Science
• Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study—a randomized controlled trial, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Inflammation is a complicated topic. Short-term inflammation plays an essential role in fighting infections and healing injuries. But too much inflammation can be a catalyst for chronic ailments, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and obesity.

What we eat can influence our inflammatory responses and contribute to chronic, low-grade inflammation.

In today’s episode, Prof. Philip Calder helps us understand the science behind inflammation, how it impacts our health and what food has to do with it.

Philip is head of the School of Human Development and Health, as well as a Professor of Nutritional Immunology, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. He’s also an internationally recognised researcher on the metabolism and functionality of fatty acids. His work focuses on the roles of omega-3 fatty acids and the influence of diet and nutrients on immune and inflammatory responses. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Quickfire questions

02:55 The role of inflammation in immunity

05:30 Chronic inflammation and disease

08:30 How to measure inflammation

09:53 Low-grade inflammation and disease risk

12:30 What causes blood vessel inflammation?

15:23 What creates the narrowing of blood vessels?

17:20 How inflammation can cause blood clots, heart attacks and strokes

19:15 Inflammation and aging

21:40 Inflammation and lifestyle factors

25:07 Obesity and inflammation

28:45 Muscle loss and inflammation (sarcopenia)

30:52 The impact of meals, sugar and fats on inflammation

33:35 How diet could reduce inflammation

34:42 Why we all respond to food differently

38:42 Dietary choices to manage inflammation

40:00 What are omega-3s?

41:17 Anti-inflammatory foods

43:40 Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

45:55 Challenges with farmed salmon

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Mentioned in today's episode:

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory processes: Nutrition or pharmacology? in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation in PLEFA

Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes in Nutrients 

Another relevant study:

Health relevance of the modification of low-grade inflammation in ageing and the role of nutrition in Ageing Research Reviews

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

The menopause transition can bring unexpected challenges — the effects can significantly impact daily life and long-term health.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified gynaecologist and a menopause specialist. She's helped thousands of women in perimenopause and menopause to realise their health goals. In today’s episode, she joins Jonathan and ZOE's Chief Scientist Dr. Sarah Berry to shed light on what to expect during these life stages.

Sarah and Mary Claire describe practical strategies for managing symptoms, critical conversations to have with healthcare providers, and how to advocate for yourself effectively in medical settings.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram. 

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:33 Quickfire questions

05:53 There is a lack of menopause training in medical school

07:02 Most women are going into menopause blind

07:43 Why menopause symptoms vary

09:30 The hormonal ‘zone of chaos’

11:45 ZOE PREDICT data on menopause symptoms

13:36 How long do perimenopause symptoms last?

17:52 Perimenopause at age 35?

18:34 Why hormone tests are worthless

20:53 The risk of chronic disease after menopause

24:53 Why does menopause increase hunger?

28:39 Why medicine and research is male-dominated

32:34 How to talk to your doctor about menopaue

34:12 Pregnancy research - 10x more extensive than menopause research!

35:14 Mary Claire’s toolkit of strategies for menopause

36:34 What are the long-term health benefits of hormone replacement therapy?

38:36 Is HRT safe for most women?

42:47 Brand new ZOE study results: diet and menopause

49:16 Top 3 tips to help with symptoms

54:34 What is ‘frozen shoulder’ and how can you treat it?

📚 Mary Claire's book

• The New Menopause

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
• Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Mentioned in today's episode

• Menopause transition and cardiovascular disease risk: Implications for timing of early prevention: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association in Circulation
• The controversial history of hormone replacement therapy in Medicina
• Dr. Vonda Wright’s website

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

In today’s episode we’re uncovering the medicines hiding in your kitchen. 

Molecular biologist Kanchan Koya joins Jonathan and Sarah to explore the incredible health benefits of spices. From controlling blood sugar to soothing a sore throat, we’ll discover what the latest research says about household favorites including ginger, cinnamon and cloves. 

Kanchan Koya is a food scientist, founder of the spice-centric food blog Chief Spice Mama and author of the cookbook ‘100 Recipes with Healing Spices for Your Family Table’. She will show us how to get the most out of spices, with simple cooking tips and delicious recipes. 

Want to make Kanchan’s show stopper spice dish? Find the recipe here.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:26 Quickfire questions

03:08 What are spices?

03:43 Polyphenols in spices

07:25 Spices and your health

11:01 Cinnamon and blood sugar control

14:49 Anti-inflammatory benefits of spices

21:08 A practical guide to using spices

31:40 Reviving old spices

33:11 The wonders of ginger: from morning sickness to gut health

35:56 Spiced cooking tips

37:41 Breakfast ideas: add spices to start your day

39:44 Simple spicy snacks

42:05 Dinner delights: spicing up main meals

44:11 Spices for kids

46:24 Spiced drinks: from chai to golden milk

48:24 The ultimate spice dish

Studies related to today’s episode:

• Safety and efficacy of curcumin versus diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized open-label parallel-arm study published in Trials
• Analgesic effect of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of clove, published in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
• Effect of cinnamon spice on continuously monitored glycemic response in adults with prediabetes published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Star anise (Illicium verum): Chemical compounds, antiviral properties, and clinical relevance published in Phytotherapy Research
• Ginger-Mechanism of action in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, published by Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Did you know that even at age 70, with the right nutrition, you could potentially extend your life by 6 years?

In today’s episode, we learn that it's never too late to change your diet for the better. Dr. Federica Amati, ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, dives into the unique nutrition needs at every life stage.

From the golden windows of opportunity that can transform your health, to practical food recommendations for adolescence, adulthood and beyond, Dr. Amati gives tips to enhance your wellbeing.

Dr. Federica Amati is a researcher at King’s College London and registered nutritionist. She is also lecturer and Nutrition Topic Lead at Imperial College School of Medicine. Federica empowers people with accessible, practical knowledge to make informed choices on diet and lifestyle and to improve health based on unique needs and preferences, at every stage of life.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:17 Quickfire questions

03:32 The first window of opportunity is before you are born

06:04 It takes two to tango: equal roles in conception

07:25 The science behind sperm health and diet

09:10 What is life course nutrition?

10:35 Why generic nutrition advice isn't enough

13:00 Critical changes in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy

16:25 Nutritional needs in the second trimester of pregnancy

17:20 Preventing allergies during pregnancy

20:30 Nutrition in childhood and adolescence

21:00 The importance of a diverse diet for teenagers

22:57 Children learn to eat from us: exposure is key

25:10 The impact of ultra-processed foods on teenagers

27:40 Do you need to eat meat to grow well?

32:55 Lifestyle choices in your 30s affect long-term health

36:00 Longevity supplement myths

37:40 Gut microbiome changes in adulthood

43:28 How to extend your lifespan through diet at any age

46:05 Preparing for healthy aging and avoiding 'Sniper Alley'

50:10 How to eat right in your 70s and beyond

54:22 Protein needs as you age

56:30 Becoming a ZOE member is like having a nutritionist in your pocket!

59:20 Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

• Life expectancy can increase by up to 10 years following sustained shifts towards healthier diets in the United Kingdom, published in Nature Food
• The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), published in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
• A single serving of mixed spices alters gut microflora composition: a dose–response randomised trial, published in Nature

Books:

• Every Body Should Know This by Dr. Federica Amati

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

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Every 12 years, our skeletons undergo a complete transformation.

Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Cyrus Cooper discuss how to avoid Osteoporosis, a condition where bones become fragile, significantly increases the risk of fractures from minor incidents, often without any noticeable symptoms. Worldwide, it affects one in three women and one in five men over fifty, leading to pain, potential disability and loss of independence.

In today’s episode, Jonathan, Tim and Cyrus ask the question: How can understanding osteoporosis and implementing targeted lifestyle changes enhance bone health and reduce the risk of fractures?

Cyrus Cooper is a Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Southampton, where he is also the Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and Vice-Dean of Medicine. In addition, he’s a Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford.

Tim Spector is one of the world’s top 100 most-cited scientists, a professor of epidemiology, and scientific Co-Founder at ZOE. Tim trained originally in rheumatology and epidemiology. 

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Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Quickfire questions

03:08 What is osteoporosis?

06:10 Why might our bones become more fragile as we age?

08:10 Your skeleton renews itself all the time

10:30 Does menopause cause osteoporosis?

12:48 What's it like living with osteoporosis?

15:16 How common is osteoporosis in males?

16:04 What are the symptoms of osteoporosis and at what age should you get checked?

21:40 Some chilling statistics about osteoporosis

23:10 Common myths about the effects of calcium and vitamin D on osteoporosis

27:50 What is the latest science on vitamin D supplementation?

34:10 Can vitamin D and calcium ensure children’s bone density is healthy?

34:55 Osteoporosis treatment options, including new drugs    

37:20 The impacts of HRT on bone density

39:30 What are the downsides to some of these treatments?

43:00 Does physical activity help to prevent fractures?

44:30 Lifestyle impacts: diet and nutrition

49:40 Can exercise make your bones stronger?

55:20 Ideal exercises to prevent osteoporosis

57:10 Cyrus and Tim’s top 3 actions to improve bone health

59:10 Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

• Accumulation of risk factors associated with poor bone health in older adults, published in Archives of Osteoporosis

Relevant studies:

• Influence of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral content, bone turnover markers and fracture risk, published in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
• Pregnancy Vitamin D Supplementation and Childhood Bone Mass at Age 4 Years, published in JBMR Plus
• The role of calcium supplementation in healthy musculoskeletal ageing, published in Osteoporosis International

Books:

• Osteoporosis: A Lifecourse Epidemiology Approach to Skeletal Health by Prof Cyrus Cooper

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

What we learned from the world’s biggest intermittent fasting study.

Did you know that intermittent fasting can have significant health benefits? By aligning your eating schedule with your body's natural rhythms, it can bolster heart health, enhance insulin sensitivity, and support weight loss.

In today’s episode, Jonathan, Prof. Tim Spector, and Gin Stephens dive into the world of intermittent fasting, with a focus on time-restricted eating.

Gin shares essential tips for beginners and explains what it takes to be successful. Tim explores the groundbreaking findings of The Big IF Study from 2022, the largest exploration of intermittent fasting to date. They also unpack controversies and describe who might want to avoid fasting.

Gin Stephens is an intermittent fasting advocate, New York Times bestselling author, and podcast host. Gin has been living the intermittent fasting lifestyle since 2014.

Tim Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study, scientific co-founder of ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers. 

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Timecodes:

01:25 Quick fire questions

03:25 What is intermittent fasting?

04:35 What are the most common types of fasting?

06:00 The circadian rhythm and fasting

08:22 The Big IF study explanation and results

13:41 Breakfast misconceptions explained

16:01 How do the Big IF study results compare to other research?

18:56 What are the health benefits of sticking to the Big IF study?

24:00 What is Tim’s intermittent fasting schedule like?

25:40 Jonathan's experience with the Big IF study

28:04 What is metabolic flexibility?

32:43 Practical advice for getting started.

35:40 Cephalic phase insulin response

40:30 Is there an ideal length for an eating window and time to start?

43:20 Can you eat whatever you want?

44:30 Can people over 70 years of age fast safely?

51:21 Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

Flipping the metabolic switch: Understanding and applying the health benefits of fasting in Obesity

The Big IF Study 

Books by Gin Stephens:

28-day Fast Start: Day By Day

Fast. Feast. Repeat. 

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Our bodies naturally follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, called our circadian rhythm. And every cell has a rhythm.

As we get older, we tend to lose muscle, making us more prone to falls and less able to live independently. Though we can't stop aging, staying active helps keep our muscles strong and our bodies healthy for longer.

Prof. Karyn Esser is a specialist in how the body's natural rhythms affect muscles. Today, she guides us through the latest research and shows that it's always possible to harness the power of your muscles to enhance your quality of life. She is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Aging at the University of Florida, where she’s also the co-director of the University of Florida Older Americans Independence Center.

In today's episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Karyn explore the body's internal clocks and ask: why do our muscles have their own schedule, and is there an ideal time of day to exercise?

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Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

00:18  Quickfire questions

02:01  Why are muscles important, particularly as we get older?

08:45  Why we all lose strength as we age

11:07  What type of exercise do we need to maintain our muscle strength as we age?

14:55  What is a circadian clock?

19:25  Everything has a circadian rhythm

21:32  Why do our muscles work on a 24-hour cycle?

24:20  Humans are stronger in the afternoon

30:24  Is there a best time to exercise?

35:01  Can exercise before or after work help shift workers with jet lag?

37:33  Is there a difference between men and women’s responses to circadian rhythms?  

41:44  What are the effects of time-restricted eating on muscle mass?

53:42  Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

Defining the age-dependent and tissue-specific circadian transcriptome in male mice from Cell Reports

Related studies: 

Timing is everything: Circadian clocks set the rhythm for vital functions in bacteria from the University of Chicago

Effects of resveratrol on in vitro circadian clock gene expression in young and older human adipose-derived progenitor cells in Aging

Age is associated with dampened circadian patterns of rest and activity: The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA) in medRxiv

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

How early should you start taking dementia seriously?

Here’s 5 things you can do now to reduce dementia risk today.

Professor Claire Steves and Jonathan Wolf explore the multifaceted world of dementia. They delve into the significance of dental health, genetics, diet, and physical activity — plus, they unpack the latest research — to give you practical strategies for preventing dementia.

Claire is a consultant physician in geriatric medicine at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. She’s also a senior clinical lecturer at King's College London and deputy clinical director of the institution’s Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology where she leads research on the characterization of physical and mental aging traits and frailty.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

01:26 - Quickfire questions on dementia

02:42 - Main discussion: understanding dementia

04:18 - Control over fate with dementia

06:52 - Why older people get more fractures

08:32 - Warning signs of dementia

09:55 - Unique aspects of dementia

12:12 - Cellular level discussion on dementia

15:49 - Risk factors for dementia

16:07 - Inheritance and dementia

18:29 - High-risk factors for dementia

19:15 - Fetal development and dementia risk

21:47 - Brain reserves and mental health

24:24 - New advances in dementia treatment

30:47 - Medications and life expectancy

33:21 - Diet and dementia prevention

35:58 - The role of physical activity

39:45 - Oral health and dementia

42:10 - Social interaction and brain health

44:02 - Diabetes and dementia

45:36 - Women, HRT, and dementia

49:09 - Recap: Types of dementia

53:39 - Hearing aids and dementia prevention

55:39 - Episode sign-off

Studies related to today’s episode:

• Brain-age is associated with progression to dementia in memory clinic patients from NeuroImage Clinical

Find our top 10 tips for healthier living: Download our FREE guide.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about a disease so widespread that it touches nearly every family in some way: type 2 diabetes. It’s not just a health issue, it's a rapidly expanding crisis. And many people don’t know that they have it. 

In the U.S. alone, 100 million people have prediabetes, and more than 37 million have type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition with life-altering effects.

Prof. Naveed Sattar joins us to shed light on preventing, treating, and potentially reversing type 2 diabetes. 

Naveed is a medical doctor and Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow. He’s one of the world’s top 1% most cited clinical scientists, and he’s worked on many clinical trials of lifestyle changes and drugs to prevent and manage diabetes. 

Learn your diabetes risk score:

If you’re in the U.K. click here. 

If you’re in the U.S. click here.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Topic introduction

02:28 Quick fire questions

05:33 What is blood sugar and why does it matter?

07:15 What is insulin and what is its relation to blood sugar and diabetes?

08:48 Why doesn't the body allow sugar to increase in the blood?

10:45 What happens when somebody gets pre-diabetes or type 2?

14:34 What is HBA1C?

17:08 Why has there been such an increase in diabetes?

23:05 How does muscle mass have any impact on diabetes?

24:54 Are risks different between men and women?

27:08 How does ethnicity come into this?

31:04 What other personal risk factors are there?

32:29 What are the symptoms of diabetes?

33:53 When do these symptoms begin?

35:09 What should you do if you have concerns?

36:33 How to find out your own likelihood of risk

38:34 How can we avoid getting diabetes?

42:10 How can we combat genetic risk factors?

44:26 Is it possible to lower blood sugar and reverse the effects of diabetes?

47:18 What is the science behind the new drugs coming on the market?

49:20 Summary

53:39 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Primary care-led weight management for remission of type 2 diabetes (DiRECT): An open-label, cluster-randomised trial in The Lancet

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Do you know what SIBO is and how it could be affecting your health?

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Dr. Will Bulsiewicz dive into the world of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition that may underlie common health issues ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to brain fog. 

Together, they tackle myths and share insights into SIBO diagnosis and treatment. Could rebalancing your gut microbiome be the answer you've been searching for?

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author. Dr. B has won multiple awards and distinctions for his work as a clinician. 

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Timecodes

00:00 Introduction to SIBO

01:01 What is SIBO?

02:43 An overgrowth of bacteria

03:41 SIBO Myth #1 debunked

04:34 What is the link between SIBO and other diseases?

06:12 What are the challenges with SIBO Testing

06:48 Understanding testing methods

07:08 Myth #2 debunked

08:28 The issues with breath testing for SIBO

11:38 What are the root causes of SIBO

14:35 What is the impact of medication on SIBO?

16:12 Dietary management and low FODMAP diet

17:45 Probiotics and SIBO management

18:00 Myth# 3 debunked

19:55 Verdict

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

Fiber supplementation protects from antibiotic-induced gut microbiome dysbiosis by modulating gut redox potential from Nature Communications

Our earlier podcast on the low-FODMAP diet 

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Are you navigating the twists and turns of perimenopause and beyond? Traditional exercise advice often misses the mark for women in this phase, mostly because its source is research focused on men. 

In today’s episode, we're joined by the acclaimed Dr. Stacy Sims, a leading expert on women's exercise science. Stacy delves into how menopause affects our exercise responses, and she offers strategies to adapt your fitness routine for optimal health during and after menopause.

Ready to transform your approach to health and fitness? Tune in for expert insights and actionable tips.

Dr. Stacy Sims is an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who researches exercise performance and nutrition with a focus on women’s health and performance. She holds a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and sports nutrition from the University of Otago, and she did a postdoc at Stanford, where she remains an adjunct faculty member. Stacy is also a research associate at the AUT Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand.

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Timecodes:

00:00  Introduction

00:34  Quickfire questions

03:39  Menopause and perimenopause explained

08:23  What happens when oestrogen levels change?

11:28  When does perimenopause start to happen?

14:15  What is the role of exercise in menopause?

17:00  What are hot flushes?

20:20  How can exercise have a positive impact on menopause?

21:57  What are the best exercises to do?

25:20  You are NOT going to get bulky lifting weights!

28:36  Alternatives to going to the gym    

33:08  What is high-intensity training?

41:32  What is the minimum exercise needed to have a positive health impact?

47:27  How does fasted training affect women?

51:36  Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Hailey Happens Fitness
• Les Mills
• Train with Joan

And these books by Dr. Stacy Sims:

• Next Level 
• Roar

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

If you thought coffee was just a caffeine kick, think again.

Prof. Tim Spector & coffee expert James Hoffmann explore the intricate relationship between coffee and health.

They uncover truths and myths about caffeine and describe coffee’s fascinating role in improving gut health.

Tim also shares exciting news about soon-to-be published research. The topic: coffee and the gut microbiome. Plus, James brews coffee live in the studio and helps us understand the different coffee variants. He even dives into the world of coffee kombucha.

James Hoffmann is an English barista, YouTuber, entrepreneur, coffee consultant, and author. He came to prominence after winning the World Barista Championship in 2007 and is credited as a pioneer of Britain's third-wave coffee movement.

Tim is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study, scientific co-founder of ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers. 

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Timecodes:

00:00  Introduction

01:50  Quickfire Questions

04:24  Why are we all so obsessed with coffee?

05:02  What are the health benefits associated with coffee?    

06:40  There is a lot more fiber in coffee than you think

09:47  The effects of caffeine and gender differences

12:31  Why is coffee full of polyphenols?

15:12  Tim’s new research teaser

21:21  What is the health relationship between fiber, microbes and our bodies?

27:32  Should we all start drinking coffee and should we choose decaf?

31:52  Modern coffee is all about flavor

33:03  Does the way that we make coffee impact our health?

37:55  James explains his mini laboratory!

43:42  Why is coffee not regulated in coffee shop chains?

44:35 What's the best way to make coffee?

44:40  Coffee #1 Filter Coffee

47:10  Coffee #2 Decaf Coffee

51:00  Coffee #3 Instant Coffee

1:00:50 How does caffeine affect high blood pressure?

1:05:36 Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

How to Make the Best Coffee at Home by James Hoffman

Editorial correction: James refers to chlorogenic acid as a polyphenol. We have since learnt that this is incorrect. Rather, it is a phenolic compound or a phenolic acid. James has shared this short video on his YouTube channel clarifying this

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Episode transcripts are available here

Do you want to live to 100? Dan Buettner may be able to help. Dietary patterns, community, environment, and stress management play pivotal roles in longevity, and he’s studied the longest living people on earth.

From Sardinia's matriarchal villages to Okinawa's garden-rich diets, this episode takes us on a tour of insights. It's not just about living longer, it's about thriving.

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Dan Buettner and Prof. Tim Spector to discuss the secrets of a longer, healthier life. Together, they journey through the world’s blue zones, rare global hotspots where celebrating your 100th birthday is common. The guests also address the threats to these longevity havens and the decline of traditional diets.

Dan Buettner is an American National Geographic fellow and New York Times bestselling author. He’s also an explorer, educator, and creator of the Netflix series “Live to 100,” which discovers five unique communities where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.

Tim Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study, scientific co-founder of ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers. He's also the author of Food for Life, his latest book on nutrition and health.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:09 Quickfire questions

02:33 What are Blue Zones?

04:43 Why do people in Blue Zones live longer?

06:48 What is a Centenarian?

09:00 What are Blue Zone diets?

11:49 Foods for longevity

15:03 Why are these foods good for us?

19:15 Why Blue Zone diets are seasonal and inexpensive

22:30 Is eating meat 5 times a month healthy for us?

27:42 Why are the Blue Zones disappearing?

31:25 Blue Zone tactics to reduce stress

36:02 Can stress reduce life expectancy?

40:36 Why unconscious physical activity is best

45:07 How can we make our lives more ‘Blue Zone’ like?

47:23 The number one thing you can do to add years to your life is…

48:53 Dan's stress reduction techniques

51:39 What is Dan’s daily diet?

53:16 Summary

Mentioned in today's episode:

Telomere shortening and the transition to family caregiving in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study from PLOS One

Books and series from Dan Buettner:

The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer, Better Life

The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth

The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100

"Live to 100"

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

We've probably all heard of “antihistamines,” medications that can ease symptoms of hay fever and other allergies. 

But what is “histamine”? It’s a vital chemical that our bodies produce, and it plays a role in a number of functions that support our health. 

Histamine intolerance seems to be increasingly common, but it’s difficult to diagnose. Some people may not be aware that they have it or how to treat it.

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan speaks with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, ZOE’s U.S. medical director, to learn more about this flourishing area of research — and the best ways to identify and treat histamine intolerance.

Will is a board-certified gastroenterologist, and New York Times bestselling author of the microbiome book Fiber Fueled.

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Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Resistant potato starch supplementation reduces serum histamine levels in healthy adults with links to attenuated intestinal permeability published in Journal of Functional Foods
• Histamine and histamine intolerance published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Histamine intolerance: The current state of the art published in Biomolecules

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Stress is a main factor contributing to ill health, and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee believes that it’s the number-one cause of the illnesses he treats.

In today's episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Rangan sheds light on the causes of stress, ranging from sleep deprivation and overwhelming workloads to a lack of quality time with others.

You’ll learn how “microdoses” of stress can reach a tipping point, why recognizing these doses is key, and which powerful strategies can help you cope.

Are you ready to transform your relationship to stress?

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential medical doctors in the U.K. He wants to change how medicine is practiced for years to come, and his mission is to help 100 million people around the globe live better lives. He’s a professor of health communication and education at the University of Chester, and he hosts one of the most listened-to health podcasts in the U.K. and Europe — Feel Better, Live More has had over 200 million listens to date and is listened to and watched by over 8 million people every month.  

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:24  Quickfire Questions

04:24  What is stress?

08:00 Our bodies respond to physical and emotional stress in a similar way

10:48 How much stress is bad for us?

16:17 How do micro stress doses affect us?

20:08 Modern life stress is different!

23:16 Stress is the number 1 cause of disease today

29:37 Do women and men perceive stress in the same way?

30:54 Breathing techniques for stress reduction

36:28 Movement and exercise for stress reduction

41:32 How to make new behaviors into habits

43:37 The impact of human touch

49:04 The power of journaling

52:54 Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• The impact of daily gentle touch stimulation on maternal-infant physiological and behavioral regulation and resilience from Infant Mental Health Journal 
• Fogg Behavior Model from behaviourmodel.org
• The Stress Solution and Feel Better in 5 by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

Episode transcripts are available here.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

They’re not a plant or an animal — fungi are their very own kingdom of life. And their unique composition means they offer novel, often unbelievable, benefits to our health. Certain species of fungi are currently used to treat conditions ranging from cancer to depression. 

The love of mushrooms (or mycophilia) has grown in recent years. And at the heart of this movement is biologist Dr. Merlin Sheldrake, author of the bestseller Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures. 

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan, Merlin, and ZOE Co-Founder Prof. Tim Spector ask: Why are mushrooms so special?

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction 

1:42 - Quickfire round

3:04 - What are fungi?

8:40 - The connection between fungi, plants & gut health

14:10 - The human impact on fungi

19:41 - Mushrooms and mental health 

28:01 - Fungi as medicine

35:34 - Why should we eat mushrooms

40:39 - How to introduce more mushrooms into your diet

46:56 - How often should you eat mushrooms

51:17 - Summary

56:01 - Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Potential role of ergothioneine rich mushroom as anti-aging candidate through elimination of neuronal senescent cells from Brain Research
• Medicinal mushrooms in adjuvant cancer therapies: An approach to anticancer effects and presumed mechanisms of action from Nutrire
• Immunomodulatory effect of mushrooms and their bioactive compounds in cancer: A comprehensive review from Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

From fads to fallacies, misconceptions have permeated diet narratives for decades. So, we dig in and demystify to forge a personalized path toward sustainable well-being.

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Prof. Christopher Gardner and podcast regular Dr. Sarah Berry. Christopher is a professor of medicine at Stanford University and the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. Sarah is an associate professor in nutrition at King’s College London and chief scientist at ZOE.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

01:00 Quick fire questions

02:30 Why do people go on diets?

05:07 Is it too late to change your diet?

06:28 How to adopt a better diet lifestyle in the long term

11:06 What are the worst diets for our health?

16:47 Why is there such a big gap between the scientific evidence and what we see on the shelves?

19:49 What should we do to improve our diet?

25:40 Do whole foods make us feel more full?

31:14 What does plant based mean and how does it tie in with the mediterranean diet?

32:14 Why is fiber so good for us?

35:50 Is it healthy to have fat in your diet?

37:03 Are reduced fat foods in supermarkets as good as they claim to be?

39:33 Low carb vs low fat study

45:07 What dietry revalations can we expect to see this year?

52:15 Summary

57:39 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Life expectancy can increase by up to 10 years following sustained shifts towards healthier diets in the United Kingdom in Nature 
• Popular dietary patterns: Alignment with American Heart Association 2021 dietary guidance: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association in AHA Journals
• Cardiometabolic effects of omnivorous vs vegan diets in identical twins: A randomized clinical trial in JAMA Network 
• Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: An inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake in Cell Metabolism
• Effect of low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diet on 12-Month weight loss in overweight adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: The DIETFITS randomized clinical trial in JAMA Network

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Each day this week, we examine one of the world’s most popular diets. Putting the latest scientific evidence under the microscope, we’ll discover these diets' true impact on your health.

Today, we’re talking about the Mediterranean diet. This indulgent diet champions vegetables, beans, fish, and even red wine, all with a liberal helping of extra virgin olive oil.

However, this relatively high-fat diet undergoes many regional adaptations, and the wide range of options can be confusing, even intimidating, if you’re not that confident in the kitchen.

In this special episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Together, they discuss this diet's potential health benefits and pitfalls. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Topic Intro

02:42 What is the concept of the Mediterranean diet?

04:22 Why do we have more data on this diet?

06:08 What are the main differences between this and other diets?

07:30 How much meat is in the Mediterranean diet?

08:20 Is the Mediterranean diet a “whole food” diet?

09:10 How do whole grains fit into this diet?

10:06 Where do oils and legumes come into this?

11:31 What happens when you switch from a US/UK-centric diet to a Mediterranean diet?

13:23 What is going on inside the body to deliver the health benefits?

14:08 What are the possible challenges of the Mediterranean diet?

16:05 Keto vs. Mediterranean diet study

19:09 What's the verdict?

19:50 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Adherence to Ketogenic and Mediterranean Study Diets in a Crossover Trial: The Keto-Med Randomized Trial, from Nutrients  
• Effect of a ketogenic diet versus Mediterranean diet on glycated hemoglobin in individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus, from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition                                                                           

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Each day this week, we’re examining one of the world’s most popular diets. Putting the latest scientific evidence under the microscope, we’ll find out these diets' true impact on your health.

Today, we’re talking about the century-old paradigm of weight management — calorie counting. Rooted in the law of thermodynamics, the notion is simple: Consuming fewer calories than expended results in weight loss.

While seemingly straightforward, the practical application of calorie counting can prove challenging, with many of us underestimating our calorie intake or finding it difficult to maintain this diet long-term.

In this special episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Together, they explore this diet's complexities, addressing its potential and pitfalls. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to https://zoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalised nutrition program.

Top tips for better gut health from ZOE Science and Nutrition — Download our FREE gut guide 

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Pre warning

00:52 Topic Intro

01:20 Why is calorie counting so popular?

02:40 Does it matter what you eat or only about total calorie intake?

04:14 What happens in your body when you eat fewer calories?

07:08 What does the science say now?

08:35 How does your metabolism change when you cut calories?

10:29 Why is the diet still so officially accredited?

11:23 What's the verdict?

12:30 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Energy compensation and metabolic adaptation: "The Biggest Loser" study reinterpreted, from Obesity                                       

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Each day this week, we’re examining one of the world’s most popular diets. Putting the latest scientific evidence under the microscope, we’ll find out the true impact of these diets on your health.

Today, we’re talking about the carnivore diet, a zero-carb approach centered on meat, fish, eggs, and minimal dairy while excluding all plant foods and alcohol.

Advocates claim it can help with autoimmune conditions, type 2 diabetes, and weight loss, asserting that our ancestors thrived eating this way. However, there are questions about nutrient deficiencies and excessive saturated fat intake with this diet.

In this special episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Together, they explore its purported advantages and drawbacks.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Topic intro

01:10 Why would anyone want to follow the carnivore diet?

01:45 What are people eating on this diet?

01:59 What would happen if you ate this way?

02:53 Can we get all the essential nutrients we need to live from this diet?

03:37 What are the claimed benefits of this diet?

04:21 Could you live on this diet long-term?

05:18 What are the differences between animal carnivores and us?

07:08 Are there any studies to show what happens when you follow it?

08:32 Why aren't there any official studies on the carnivore diet?

09:56 What's the verdict?

10:25 Outro

Mentioned in this episode:

• Behavioral characteristics and self-reported health status among 2029 adults consuming a “Carnivore Diet”, from Current Developments in Nutrition                                    

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Episode transcripts are available here

Each day this week, we’re examining one of the world’s most popular diets. Putting the latest scientific evidence under the microscope, we’ll find out the true impact of these diets on your health.

Today, we’re talking about the paleo diet, rooted in the idea of emulating our hunter-gatherer ancestors after concerns about the impact of a modern westernized diet packed with highly processed foods.

However, the diet often involves consuming increased amounts of saturated fats, primarily from meat. This is associated with heightened cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.

In this special episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Together, they dissect the diet’s potential benefits, pitfalls, and sustainability. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Topic intro

02:05 Is the paleo diet a logical diet based on where we came from?

03:03 What’s so appealing about the stone age diet?

04:19 What’s the difference between paleo diets now and our authentic ancient diets?

05:30 What are the theoretical health benefits if you were to follow the paleo diet?

06:32 What are the downsides of following the paleo diet?

07:09 How closely does the ancestral paleo diet match our modern paleo diet?

09:25 What's the verdict?

10:04 Outro

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Episode transcripts are available here

Each day this week, we’re examining one of the world’s most popular diets. Putting the latest scientific evidence under the microscope, we’ll find out these diets' true impact on your health.

Today we’re talking about the low-fat diet, popularised in the 1970s and fueled by the belief that fat was the culprit behind heart disease and weight gain.

However, the aftermath saw a surge in low-quality carbs. Food manufacturers, in the quest for low-fat options, replaced fats with sugar and refined grains, resulting in us opting for low-quality carbs over whole foods and whole grains.

In this special episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Christopher Gardner, a professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Together, they unravel the complexities of the low-fat diet, addressing its potential and pitfalls. 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Topic Intro

02:11 Why do people still follow low fat diets today?

03:56 What happens in the body when you cut out fat?

05:26 Does a low fat diet make you healthier?

07:01 Is it possible to have a healthy low fat diet?

09:49 If you choose a low fat diet with healthy carbs, is it better than a high fat diet?

11:39 What happens if you remove all fat from your diet?

12:06 What's the verdict?

12:35 Outro

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Each day this week, we’re examining one of the world’s most popular diets. Putting the latest scientific evidence under the microscope, we’ll find out these diets' true impact on your health.

Today we’re talking about the keto diet, a global phenomenon favoring fats over carbs, lauded for potential health benefits like improved blood sugar control and weight loss.

Yet, the allure of keto does come with downsides. With a dearth of fiber and essential nutrients — as well a reputation for being notoriously difficult to keep on top of long-term — many find ketosis elusive.

In this special episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Christopher Gardner, a professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Together, they unravel the keto diet's complexities, addressing its potential and pitfalls. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Top tips for better gut health from ZOE Science and Nutrition — Download our FREE gut guide

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:42 Topic Intro

01:54 Why would anyone follow the keto diet?

02:59 What's the theory behind cutting carbs and switching to fat?

04:16 What happens in your body if you follow keto correctly?

05:59 What are the possible health benefits of switching to the keto diet?

06:34 What are the downsides to following the keto diet?

07:54 Keto diet study

10:01 What's the verdict?

11:37 Outro

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Many of us want to make positive changes to our eating patterns in January. But it’s not easy. Ultra-processed foods, for example, are everywhere. So how can we make healthy habits stick?

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by James Clear and Dr. Federica Amati, who offer strategies for overcoming obstacles and changing the way we eat, so we can all have longer, healthier lives. 

James Clear is a writer, speaker, and author of the number-one New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits. Dr. Federica Amati is a medical scientist and an Association for Nutrition-accredited nutritionist, as well as the head nutritionist at ZOE.

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Timecodes:

01:46 – Quickfire round

04:39 – New Year’s Resolutions

08 :47 – Why is it hard to achieve goals? What role do food companies play?

13:04 – Self-identity driven goals rather than result driven

20:14 – The challenge ultra-processed foods pose

27:30 – How to think about making changes to support New Year’s resolutions

29:24 – James’ 4 laws, make it: obvious, attractive, easy, satisfying 

33:57 – Make it obvious: how your environment

40:00 – How you social circle and community affects your habits

43:50 – 3rd law: make it easy 

47:19 – How many times do you need to do something to make it a habit

53:13 – 4th law: make it satisfying

55:07 – How can we approach healthy food with our children?

58:27 – Summary and outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Professor Andy Galpin brings you evidence-based exercise regimes to make a fitter future achievable for everyone.

Most people need to do more exercise. Despite us being aware of its obvious benefits to our health, we can still struggle to get active. So, what’s holding us back? A persistent injury, lack of free time, or simply not knowing how to get started? Dr. Andy Galpin believes it’s always possible to incorporate exercise.

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Andy ask: How can you improve your fitness to live a long, healthy life? 

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

1:03 - Quickfire round

4:16 - Definition of kinesiology, fitness, strength training, and cardio 

11:57 - How do you measure fitness?

13:37 - Fitness and its impact on longevity

18:41 - Strength and its impact on longevity 

23:06 - Strength training and its link to brain health

31:22 - Lowering blood pressure with strength training 

40:15 - How to start strength training

45:07 - Summary and outro 

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Demand Coupling Drives Neurodegeneration: A Model of Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Dementia. (2022) from Cells 

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here

Did you know that you can potentially extend your life by 10 years if you eat the right foods and that this is even possible if put into practice later in life? Inflammation is the cause of most diseases and illnesses, if you would like to learn how to reduce inflammation then look no further!

In today’s episode, Prof. Tim Spector and Dr Will Bulsiewicz delve into the gut microbiome, how it reacts to different foods and overall well-being. We learn about microbial diversity and its pivotal role in reducing inflammation.

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author. Dr. B has won multiple awards and distinctions for his work as a clinician. Prof. Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study, Scientific co-founder at ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers. He's also the author of Food for Life, his latest book focusing on nutrition and health.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Top tips to control your gut from ZOE Science and Nutrition - Download our FREE gut guide

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Audio Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:14  Quick Fire Questions

03:27  What is Inflammation?

07:40  Why is too much inflammation bad for you?

09:06 This is at the core of most diseases…

19:07  How blood sugar levels affect inflammation

24:22  What is the role of Gut and the gut barrier?

15:22 How does food affect inflammation?

23:47  What is the role of Gut and the gut barrier?

28:06  Gut microbes love good food!

30:09  Inflammation and Gut Microbes: A two-way Street

35:00  More plants and fermented food will reduce inflammation

40:15  We need microbiome diversity

45:45  Non-Dietary Approaches to Reduce Inflammation

47:57  Benefits of Time-Restricted Eating

52:01  Summary

Mentioned in todays episode:

• Gut microbiota targeted diets modulate human immune status from Cell
• The Big IF Study: What did we find? From ZOE
• PREDICT: The world's largest in-depth nutritional research program from ZOE

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Happy New Year! Thinking about extreme dieting this January? Think again. There are easy ways to eat well and boost your immune system while still enjoying every mouthful. 

In today’s episode, Tim and Sarah break down seven essential strategies for eating healthily in 2024. They also debunk common misconceptions, emphasize the importance of food quality, and encourage you to focus on the sheer enjoyment of what you eat. 

Dr. Sarah Berry is an associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at King's College London and chief scientist at ZOE. Prof. Tim Spector is one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists and scientific co-founder of ZOE.

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*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

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Follow Sarah on Instagram

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00  Introduction

02:30  Why does what we eat matter?

04:14  Are most people in the West eating well?

05:45  What are the risk factors of a bad diet?

07:20  Strategy #1: Food is more than fuel

10:38  Food is an energy source for our gut microbes

14:25  Strategy #2: Fat is not your enemy

18:00  Breaking the low fat diet myth

21:30  Strategy #3: Eat more Plants

25:11  What are plant based foods?

29:56  Strategy #4: Reduce ultra processed foods

34:38  What are the food guidelines with ultra processed food?

39:18  Strategy #5: Reduce your blood sugar spikes

42:59  Which carbohydrates are healthy?

52:00  Strategy #6: Eat fermented foods

56:25  Do probiotics have the same effect as eating fermented foods?

1:00:22 Strategy #7: Stick to an eating window

1:08:43  Summary

Mentioned in todays episode:

The Big IF Study from ZOE

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here

In this special two-part episode, we’re taking a journey back through all of our episodes to bring you 10 actionable tips that will have a big impact on your nutritional health. 

Here, in part two, we’ll find out why you should stop counting sheep and how fidgeting can boost your health. These are evidence-backed tips to help you live and eat healthier.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalised nutrition program.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Which oil is best?

06:45 Plants and the microbiome

10:37 Move after eating

16:40 Give your gut a rest

23:20 Getting to sleep

Resources from ZOE:

• Which oil is best?
• Plants and the microbiome
• Move after eating to manage blood sugar 
• Give your gut a rest 
• Getting good sleep

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here

In this special two-part episode, we’re taking a journey back through all of our episodes to bring you 10 actionable tips that will have a big impact on your nutritional health. 

Here, in part one, we’ll explore whether you actually need to spend more on organic food, why snacking can help your diet, and plenty more. 

These are evidence-backed tips to help you live and eat healthier.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalised nutrition program.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction 

01:57 Snacking

8:44 Ultra-processed foods

14:58 Organic food

21:00 Fermented foods

28:47 Protein

Resources from ZOE:

• Snacking 
• Ultra-processed foods
• Organic food 
• Fermented foods
• Protein

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Do you realize how closely your diet affects your general health and well-being? Have you ever wondered how advertising affects what you eat? How much do you think your childhood diet is affecting your health in the long run?  

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Prof. Walter Willett to discuss the importance of carefully considering what you eat and making decisions that support your health.

Professor Walter Willett, from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, is the world's most cited nutritional scientist — with over 2,000 publications and several books to his name. Prof. Willett has focused much of his work over the last 40 years on the development and evaluation of methods to study the effects of diet on the occurrence of major diseases. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00  Introduction

01:42  Quickfire questions

04:07  What is the average Western diet today?

08:01  Why is so hard to get a straight answer on diet and disease?

10:15  The latest understanding on the link between diet and disease

14:31  Carbohydrates: distinguishing the beneficial from the detrimental

17:47  The hidden truths behind refined starches and sugary beverages

27:06  Diet is a public health issue

32:18  How bad is red meat consumption and soy alternative?

46:09  Exploring the impact of childhood dietary habits on lifelong health

54:21  Is it too late to change what we eat and benefit from it?

58:10  Walters view on the current American diet guildelines    

1:05:15 What is the influence of vitamin supplements on sustaining peak vitality?

1:09:13 How the traditional Mediterranean diet can prevent diseases    

1:11:07 Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Diet assessment methods in the Nurses' Health Studies and contribution to evidence-based nutritional policies and guidelines from the American Journal of Public health

Diet, lifestyle, and genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes: A review from the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study 2, and Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study from Current Nutrition Reports

Association between healthy eating patterns and risk of cardiovascular disease from JAMA Internal Medicine 

The Mediterranean diet: Science and practice from Public Health Nutrition

Books:

Nutritional Epidemiology by Walter Willet

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Episode transcripts are available here.

Do you know what FODMAPs are? Many of us aren’t aware of these cryptic carbohydrates hidden in everyday foods.

How can undigested FODMAPs cause bloating, gas, and other symptoms as they ferment in your gut? 

In today’s episode, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, ZOE’S U.S. medical director and a board-certified gastroenterologist, teaches us about FODMAPs and how to tell if a low-FODMAP diet could be right for you. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Nutritional, microbiological and psychosocial implications of the low FODMAP diet from Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Personal view: Food for thought — Western lifestyle and susceptibility to Crohn's disease. The FODMAP hypothesis from Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Low fermentable, oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyol diet in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis from Nutrition

Low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet improves symptoms in adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to standard IBS diet: A meta-analysis of clinical studies from PLoS One

Nutritional, microbiological and psychosocial implications of the low FODMAP diet from the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

As we age, the distribution of our body fat changes, particularly around menopause.  

Most people think of body fat as bad, but fat tissue plays a number of hugely important roles in our health.

In today’s episode of ZOE Science and Nutrition, Jonathan is joined by Dr. Sarah Berry and Prof. Deborah Clegg. Together, they debunk the myth that fat is bad, enlighten us about why body fat is distributed where it is, and explore the differences in fat distribution between men and women. 

Deborah Clegg is a professor and Vice President for Research at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso. Her research focuses on sex differences in metabolism, adipose tissue, and the brain and the impact this has on our health. Dr. Sarah Berry is one of the world's leading experts on human nutrition. She has run more than 20 randomized clinical trials looking at how humans respond to different fats.

Head to zoe.com/podcast if you want to uncover the right foods for your body and get 10% off your ZOE membership.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

04:00 What is body fat?

06:32 What is healthy fat?

07:52 Female vs male body fat

11:56 Why is belly fat the most unhealthy?

19:43 Waist to hip ratio

21:24 How estrogen affects fat distribution

27:41 Perimenopause symptoms

31:01 Fat cells producing estrogen

36:00 Hunger the menopause

38:46 Weight gain and the menopause

40:54 Physical changes in men

42:28 Exercise and fat distribution 

43:26 What to eat during menopause

46:37 Estrogen supplements

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

The evolutionary impact and influence of oestrogens on adipose tissue structure and function from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 2023

Menopause is associated with postprandial metabolism, metabolic health and lifestyle: The ZOE PREDICT study from EBioMedicine 2022 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Admit it, exercise isn't everyone's favorite pastime. Of course, our ancestors weren't hitting the gym by choice — our evolution has wired us to stay active, and this natural activity actually slows down the aging process.

The good news is that you can achieve the benefits without feeling like you're "exercising."

In today’s episode, Prof. Daniel Lieberman debunks exercise myths. He also teaches us how exercise impacts our health and how learning from our evolution can unlock the secrets of a longer life.

Daniel Lieberman is a paleoanthropologist at Harvard University. He’s the Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and a professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. He’s best known for his research on the evolution of the human mind and the human body.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00  Introduction

01:34  Quickfire questions

03:22  The Rudyard Kipling view of our ancestors

04:54  Is exercise good for us and why do most of us hate it?

06:19  For millions of years, people were physically active for 2 reasons only…

15:38  Our bodies have evolved to save calroies and preserve energy

18:31  It’s normal to think your life is normal

22:27  We need to exercise because we don’t move enough!

34:00 Diet, exercise and sleep can prevent these diseases…

39:54  The active Grandparent hypothesis

43:10  Study of men matriculating as undergraduates at Harvard University

49:44  How can we enjoy keeping physically active?

01:00:00 The importance of weights exercise

01:06:43 Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

Three generations of HSPH researchers explore health benefits of exercise from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Stanford marshmallow test experiment, a summary from Simply Psychology

We also mention Daniel’s book Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health, and you can find it here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

We’ve been working for the past 2 years on a randomized controlled trial of ZOE membership. 

Participants used personalized nutrition advice to try to improve their health — and the results are fascinating. 

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan, Sarah, and Tim ask: How did ZOE hold up as part of this trial?

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

01:03 - Quickfire round

02:10 - Sarah’s first impression of Jonathan

05:29 - What is an RCT

10:20 - What is ZOE and how does it work

14:14 - What did the RCT participants experience

16:16 - Using cookies to measure blood sugar

20:07 - What is blood fat

25:02 - What happens once you’ve done your tests

26:17 - Recent dietary changes Jonathan, Sarah and Tim have made

34:52 - How are you guided through the ZOE program

37:19 - Control group vs ZOE group

41:23 - Results of the ZOE RCT

45:03 - Do other wellness products have RCTs

47:57 - Will the results be greater after a year of ZOE

54:44 - Does the ZOE membership work

57:02 - The difference between ZOE and other medical devices

58:44 - Summary and outro

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Epidemiology of constipation in Europe and Oceania: A systematic review published in BMC Gastroenterology 
• Recent advances in understanding and managing chronic constipation published in F1000Research
• Human Postprandial Responses to Food and Potential for Precision Nutrition published in Nature Medicine
• Microbiome connections with host metabolism and habitual diet from 1,098 deeply phenotyped individuals published in Nature Medicine
• Postprandial glycaemic dips predict appetite and energy intake in healthy individuals published in Nature Medicine

Episode transcripts are available here.

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here

Heart disease is among the top five causes of death globally, and it’s the first in the United States and United Kingdom. In the U.S., it causes 1 in 5 deaths.

But what is heart disease, exactly? Can we take steps to avoid it? Prof. Eric Rimm, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is here to enlighten us. 

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Eric explore what we can do to reduce our chances of getting heart disease. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Follow ZOE on Instagram. 

Timecodes:

00:15 - Intro

01:07 - Quick fire questions

02:10 - Biggest myth about Heart Disease

03:2 6 - What is Heart Disease?

08:03 - What is a stroke?

10:29 - What are the differences in Heart Disease symptoms between men and women?

12:51 - Did you know that…

14:24 - The multi-decade diet study

21:24 - The 4 ways to lower chances Heart Disease

28:16 - Weight and Heart Disease

32:09 - What can you do to reduce Heart Disease risk?

34:30 - Exercise and Heart Disease risk

37:11 - Body Weight and Heart Disease risk

38:01 - Diet and Heart Disease risk

41:06 - Sleep and Heart Disease risk

46:18 - What is the cutting edge research in Heart Disease?

49:35 - Summary

53:18 - Conclusion

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Optimal dietary patterns for prevention of chronic disease from Nature Medicine
• Frequency, type, and volume of leisure-time physical activity and risk of coronary heart disease in young women from Circulation
• Diet, lifestyle, biomarkers, genetic factors, and risk of cardiovascular disease in the Nurses’ Health Studies from the American Journal of Public Health

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Episode transcripts are available here.

What are lectins, and are they dangerous? These “antinutrients” have come under attack and were recently the subject of a dietary fad fueled by a popular book. As always, there’s more to the story.

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz to dive deep into the world of lectins. They dissect questionable studies, debunk myths, and offer expert advice about how to approach foods containing these misunderstood compounds.

Will is a board-certified gastroenterologist with 14 years of experience. He’s also the New York Times best-selling author of Fiber Fueled and ZOE’s U.S. medical director. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Lectins as bioactive plant proteins: A potential in cancer treatment from Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Plant-derived lectins as potential cancer therapeutics and diagnostic tools from BioMed Research International

A legume-based hypocaloric diet reduces proinflammatory status and improves metabolic features in overweight/obese subjects from the European Journal of Nutrition

Dietary legume consumption reduces risk of colorectal cancer: Evidence from a meta-analysis of cohort studies from Scientific Reports

Intake of legumes and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis from Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

Legume consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes incidence in adults: A prospective assessment from the PREDIMED study from Clinical Nutrition

The effects of legume consumption on markers of glycaemic control in individuals with and without diabetes mellitus: A systematic literature review of randomised controlled trials from Nutrients

Effects of dietary pulse consumption on body weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

The "white kidney bean incident" in Japan from Methods in Molecular Biology

Fructan, rather than gluten, induces symptoms in patients with self-reported non-celiac gluten sensitivity from Gastroenterology

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Can the power of your thoughts help defy aging? Could your mind help improve your eyesight or even heal wounds faster? 

These ideas might seem far-fetched, but our guest, Harvard Professor Ellen Langer, has spent four decades uncovering the real science behind this.

In this episode, discover how to harness your mind-body connection to enhance your well-being.

Ellen Langer is an American professor of psychology at Harvard University. In 1981, she became the first woman ever to be tenured in psychology at Harvard. 

Prof. Langer studies the illusion of control, decision-making, aging, and mindfulness theory.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:48  Quickfire questions

04:34  The mind and body should be understood as one unit

05:42 The counterclockwise study

06:51 Chambermaid exercise study

09:33  What is Mindfulness?

10:59 All of the misery we experience is a function of our mindlessness

14:47  Mindful optimism

23:12  Everything should be different, every day of your life

25:33  How Ellen approaches a simple eyesight test    

28:21 We have more control over our health and lives than we think…

33:35  Placebos could be our strongest medicines…

39:00  Blood sugar study results

44:50  How to approach mindfulness

54:05  Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

Ageing as a mindset: A counterclockwise experiment to rejuvenate older adults sponsored by Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Mind-set matters: Exercise and the placebo effect from Psychological Science

The Mindful Body and Mindfulness, two books by Prof. Langer

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Do you feel like your muscles are shrinking or getting weaker? Many people gradually lose muscle mass as they get older. And this leads to an increased risk of falls, osteoporosis, and fractures. 

When it comes to your muscles, it’s a case of use them or lose them. But what is the most effective way to use our muscles and maintain strength? Ex-bodybuilder and professor of exercise science Brad Schoenfeld tells us how. And it’s easier than you might think!

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Brad ask: How can you maintain muscle mass as you age? 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction 

1:25 - Quickfire round

2:38 - How do our muscles work

3:01 - Why are muscles important for our health

5:15 - The loss of muscles and how to prevent it

8:19 - Resistance training - How it builds muscles

11:24 - Nutrition and muscle growth

13:01 - How muscle growth changes with age

17:45 - Resistance training vs Cardio

20:20 - How to do resistance training

28:11 - No time to exercise?

30:28 - What weight to train with

36:10 - How menopause affects muscle maintenance

41:13 - Summary and outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Effects of resistance training on muscle size and strength in very elderly adults from Sports Medicine
• Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance Training from The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

More than 50 systemic health conditions — including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease — are associated with oral disease. 

The link between systemic and oral conditions is always microbial, inflammatory, or both. So, how can we look after our gums to improve our health?

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Prof. Alp Kantarci pose the question: How does the health of your oral cavity shape your general health?

Dr. Alp Kantarci is a professor, scientist, dentist, oral health researcher, periodontist, dental implant surgeon, and senior member of staff at the Forsyth Institute, an independent research institute that focuses on the connections between oral health and overall wellness. Dr. Kantarci is also a faculty member at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. He has published more than 190 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented more than 170 talks and posters at dental and medical congresses.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

01:35 - Quickfire questions

04:11 - What is oral health?

08:35 - How is our oral health connected to the health of the rest of our body?

11:01 - Oral microbiome

18:48 - Why does bad oral health affect the rest of the body?

22:47 - How much does the state of our oral health contribute to dementia?

25:48 - The link between oral health and diabetes

28:31 - The link between oral health and cardiovascular diseases

32:41 - What are the key steps to look after our oral health?

35:36 - Alp’s view on mouthwash

37:51 - Oral health & probiotics

42:22 - Impact of food on our oral health

45:45 - Does sparkling water affect our oral health?

50:04 - Summary

52:34 - Goodbyes

52:41 - Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

Dementia and the risk of periodontitis: A population-based cohort study from the Journal of Dental Research.

Microglial response to experimental periodontitis in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease from Scientific Reports.

Fusobacterium nucleatum dissemination by neutrophils from the Journal of Oral Microbiology.

Safety and preliminary efficacy of a novel host-modulatory therapy for reducing gingival inflammation from Frontiers in Immunology.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Dr. Peter Attia doesn’t want a slow death. He doesn’t want his final years to be defined by poor mental and physical faculties that only worsen as the years roll by. But, by making changes to his lifestyle today, he’s taking control of his health tomorrow

In today’s episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Peter ask: How can you maintain your health as you age? 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction 

1:29 - Quickfire round

3:14 - Healthspan vs lifespan

09:52 - The difference between slow and quick death 

12:23 - What diseases cause slow death

13:34 - Acting before there’s a problem

16:17 - Is it too late to improve my future health

19:20 - How to improve modern medicine

25:07 - The importance of blood sugar

33:03 - The centanarian decathlon

34:00 - Cardio training

38:00 - Strength training

40:43 - Summary and outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• The inequities in the cost of chronic disease from the National Council on Aging                                
• Early lesions of atherosclerosis in youth from the Journal of the American Nutrition Association
• Coronary heart disease causes and risk factors from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Not all of us want to go to the gym 5 times a week, but what if there was a way to do quick, short high intensity 20 second exercises and still reap benefits - or does that sound too good to be true?

Javier and Jonathan break this down as they look at recent studies and results, optimizing exercise routines to achieve the desired health benefits, taking into account factors like intensity, duration, and frequency as well as discussing the effect of working from home vs commuting to the office.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The Effects of High Intensity Interval Training vs Steady State Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity; from The Journal of Sports and Science Medicine

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Your gut microbiome, a bustling community of microorganisms, is a vital player in your overall health. It doesn’t just impact your digestive system — it has a profound influence on your brain health and well-being.

However, the gut microbiome is a complex, long misunderstood realm, and figuring out how it affects daily life can leave even the most dedicated health enthusiasts scratching their heads. 

Here at ZOE, we’ve transformed our understanding of this bustling microbial world, where both “good” and “bad” gut bacteria reside.

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks with Prof. Nicola Segata and Prof. Tim Spector to explore how ZOE's microbiome testing and unique microbiome health scores provide personalized insights into your gut health.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

• Nicola Segata is a professor and principal investigator at the Laboratory of Computational Metagenomics, at the CIBIO department of the University of Trento. His background is in metagenomics, machine learning, microbiome research, and microbial genomics.
• Tim Spector is ZOE's scientific co-founder and one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:41 Quick fire questions

03:38 Why should we care about gut microbes?

07:00 How many different microbes do we have in our gut?

11:37 Why would we want to measure our microbiome?

13:15 Can we change our microbiome?

18:00 Is it possible to make a dramatic change in your microbiome over time?

20:21 What does the latest data tell us about improving our diet?

23:24 How does the ZOE micobiome gut test work?

27:07 What goes on in the lab to get these results?

30:54 Is there enough information in the gut microbiome to make a full health assessment?

34:20 What can our microbes tell us about diseases?

35:55 What useful information does the microbiome test show us?

36:51 Are we still making new discoveries in the microbiome?

41:03 Do different microbes prefer specific foods?

43:14 How do different lifestyles around the world change your microbiome?

47:44 5 simple tips to improve gut health

50:45 How rapidly can you damage your microbiome?

53:58 Can taking painkillers regularly negatively impact the microbiome?

56:10 Summary

60:03 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• The person-to-person transmission landscape of the gut and oral microbiomes from Nature 
• Sharing of gut microbial strains between selected individual sets of twins cohabitating for decades from PLoS One
• A genetic gift for sushi eaters from Nature

Find Nicola on ResearchGate and X.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

There’s been a surge in our consumption of ultra-processed foods, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, where these foods contribute about two-thirds of people’s caloric intake.

Also a cause for concern is emerging evidence of ultra-processed foods’ detrimental effect on our brain health and overall well-being.

When most of our calories come from ultra-processed foods, the risk of chronic physical and mental health conditions escalates. Scientists are now uncovering the intricate mechanisms behind this relationship, particularly concerning the effects of these foods on our brains.

In today’s episode, we welcome back Prof. Felice Jacka, OAM. Felice is an Alfred Deakin professor of nutritional psychiatry and the director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, in Australia. She’s also the founder of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and the world’s leading researcher on food’s impact on our brain and mental health.

Now, she’s back on the show to delve deeper into the effects of ultra-processed foods on mental health and the brain, specifically the hippocampus, an area responsible for learning and memory.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

01:19 Quick fire questions

04:17 What is ultra processed food?

05:37 What is the NOVA classification?

08:18 How does food impact the brain?

10:33 What does the hippocampus do to influence our brain function?

12:58 Is there a link between the size of the hippocampus and quality of diet?

13:45 Is there a link between the quality of diet and depression?

20:37 What are the effects of long term dietary habits?

21:33 Is there a link between poor diet and dementia

23:18 Is there a link between autism and diet?

24:00 How real is the link between diet and dementia?

24:57 What is the oral microbiome?

28:16 New trial between whole foods and vitamin enriched nutritional foods

29:28 How does processing foods impact the makeup of foods on a molecular level?

32:10 How does the biodiversity around us affect our body?

33:08 How does the industrialized food environment impact us?

35:50 How strong is the evidence for this? is it comparable to smoking?

39:12 Practical tips to help with our diet

40:07 How does reducing consumption of UPF affect us?

41:25 How to cut down on UPF

44:04 Is it too late to change your diet?

45:39 Does exercise impact our brain?

47:41 Summary

52:57 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• The SMILES trial published in BMC Medicine 
• Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health published in Nutrients
• Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus also in BMC Medicine 

Learn more about Felice on the Food & Mood Centre’s website.

Follow Felice on Instagram.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Get science-based nutrition advice straight to your inbox: https://bit.ly/3ExWxCG

Most of us like to have breakfast before we exercise in the morning, but what happens if we don’t eat anything first?

The issue goes beyond weight loss and exercise timing to involve blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and other — perhaps unexpected — aspects of your health.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Professor Javier Gonzalez ask: Should we exercise on an empty stomach?

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalised nutrition program.

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Lipid metabolism links nutrient-exercise timing to insulin sensitivity in men classified as overweight or obese from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 

Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise from Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 

The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis from Sport Medicine 

Exercising Tactically for Taming Postmeal Glucose Surges from Hindawi 

Exercise-stimulated glucose uptake — regulation and implications for glycaemic control from Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Follow ZOE on Instagram. 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

As a listener to this show, you’ve probably heard of the gut microbiome. But did you know that your skin has its own microbiome? 

Recent evidence suggests that these microbiomes are vital for our skin health. So, what should we do? Which foods make an impact? 

And if we want our skin to look healthier, how about those collagen supplements that many of you have asked us about? 

In today’s episode, our guest is Dr. Justine Kluk, a consultant dermatologist with a specialist interest in acne. Justine is a member of the British Association of Dermatologists, the Royal Society of Medicine, and the Royal College of Physicians. 

ZOE’s Chief Scientist Dr. Sarah Berry also joins as a cohost to explore these ideas. 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

02:01 Quick Fire questions

03:52 What does skin do?

04:51 Why is the skin so important?

06:34 Is there a correlation between aging skin and health?

07:41 What is the skin microbiome?

11:46 Is exposure to the natural environment beneficial for children?

12:39 Can we change the skin microbiome?

13:32 Would an oral or topical probiotic help improve our skin microbiome

15:11 What can we do to help support the skin barrier?

15:39 Can overwashing/scrubbing disturb your skin?

16:40 Why does acne matter?

18:37 Is acne just found in teenagers?

19:12 What effect does menopause have on your skin?

20:36 What impact does diet have on acne?

22:14 Are diets with high glycemic content bad for acne?

23:01 What is happening to create the effects of acne?

24:23 Is there a connection between our gut health and skin health?

25:15 Practical advice for people with acne

28:16 Diet tips to help support healthy skin

29:51 How has the ZOE diet gone down in Jonathan and Justine's household?

32:54 How can the ZOE diet help with day-to-day cooking habits?

35:46 What causes skin aging?

37:44 What can we do to slow down skin aging?

39:55 Do collagen supplements work to keep your skin youthful?

41:52 How can retinol help your skin?

42:30 3 things that could help keep your skin young

43:31 Top nutrition skin myths

45:50 How important is it to apply sun protection?

46:36 How does stress impact our skin?

48:38 Questions for Jonathan

54:57 Summary & Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Mortality is written on the face from The Journals of Gerontology: Series A
• Too clean, or not too clean: the hygiene hypothesis and home hygiene from Clinical & Experimental Allergy
• Impact of outdoor nature-related activities on gut microbiota, fecal serotonin, and perceived stress in preschool children from Scientific Reports

Justine shares more in-depth skincare and acne information at drjustinekluk.com and as @drjustinekluk on Instagram 

Follow ZOE on Instagram. 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Millions of us are counting calories every day. But do we know if those numbers truly reflect the energy we get from eating?

It’s about time that we debunked the “one-size-fits-all” approach to calorie counting and unmasked the outdated methodologies that contribute to inaccuracies in food labeling.

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Dr. Sarah Berry ask: How exactly do we measure calories, and is calorie counting actually effective?

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The Wilbur Olin Atwater Papers from the United States Department of Agriculture

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Antibiotics are one of the greatest discoveries of the 21st century. Since their inception, they’ve saved countless lives, but these miracle drugs come at a cost. In some cases, they can seriously affect your health or can even be life-threatening.

In today’s episode, Jonathan puts himself under the microscope. After an injury forced him to take antibiotics, he shows you the effect they had on his own gut bacteria.

Jonathan’s joined by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz and Prof. Tim Spector, who explore the impact of different types of antibiotics, how they affect your bacteria in the short and long term, and how we can reverse the unwanted effect of these drugs. 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

00:15 Jonathan’s Intro

00:50 Quickfire round

01:40 Jonathan’s accident 

04:00 Unpacking clindamycin

11:40 Antibiotic-associated diarrhea 

14:45 Side effects prevention advice

22:20 Jonathan’s gut at 7 days 

27:50 Fermented foods

27:00 Tips for building your gut back up

41:30 Benefits vs. risks

48:00 Summary 

51:20 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Post-antibiotic gut mucosal microbiome reconstitution is impaired by probiotics and improved by autologous FMT from Cell

Saccharomyces boulardii: What makes it tick as successful probiotic? From the Journal of Fungi

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Whether you’re frying, baking, or topping your toast, most of you will eat either butter or margarine at some point today. The fact that these spreads are such a staple means that we need to know their effects on our health. And It might surprise you to learn that this impact has changed quite dramatically over the past 20 years.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Sarah ask: Which is healthier, butter or margarine? 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Follow ZOE on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Margarine from Science Direct      

Margarines: Historical approach, technological aspects, nutritional profile, and global trends from Food Research International

Reduction of LDL-cholesterol as a result of the change from butter to soft margarine from Polish Archives of Internal Medicine

Americans' per capita consumption of margarine & butter from the USDA

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Unfortunately, many of us spend our later years in poor health. But is this avoidable? And can we actually increase our healthy years?

While aging is inevitable, there are steps we can take to minimize its effects on our health. And surprisingly, some of these steps have nothing to do with exercise or diet. Simply spending time with others can provide countless benefits to us as we age.

But how can we maintain these connections? Does retirement affect our social interactions? And can attitude alone keep you healthier in your later years?

In today’s episode, one of the world’s top experts on aging, Prof. Rose Anne Kenny, joins us to explore these ideas. 

Rose Anne is a world-leading geriatrician at Trinity College Dublin, where she leads a huge, long-term study on aging. She’s also the author of the number one international bestseller Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:13 - Quickfire round

01:14 - What’s the biggest myth about aging?

04:18 - What is aging?

07:43 - Aging process predictors

13:50 - Our growing elderly population

15:14 - Retirement

19:21 - Study on aging and social interaction

24:57 - Importance of social participation

27:38 - Studying the effects of loneliness

29:56 - Combating loneliness

31:13 - How attitude affects aging

33:20 - Social interaction online

36:08 - Creating social relationships

48:42 - Summary and Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

The Dunedin Study, a long-term study designed to investigate broader questions of child health and development from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) from Trinity College Dublin

You can buy Rose Anne’s book here.

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

We’ve all had unpleasant toilet experiences in our time. It can be distressing to deal with and not something we like talking about. 

But when does normal diarrhea become chronic? And when do we need to seek medical care? 

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Dr Will ask what is chronic diarrhea and how can we rule out something more serious? Will also shares tricks of the trade to ease your symptoms and tells us how our amazing guts work to keep our whole body healthy.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get

10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Chronic Diarrhea by Garrett J. Descoteaux-Friday; Isha Shrimanker from the National Library of Medicine

Chronic Diarrhea by Cleveland Clinic  

Diarrhea From John Hopkins Medicine

Diarrhea From Stamford Medicine Healthcare  

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) From Loma Linda University Health 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

What does "organic" food mean? And how do you know if something's organic?

Of course, foods tell you if they're organic in massive letters on the packaging. And they cost way more. But what makes a food organic? Is eating organic better for your health? And are the benefits worth the expense?

Luckily, Professor Tim Spector is here today with answers. Tim is one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists, a scientific co-founder of ZOE, and the author of the bestselling book Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well.

Stick around until the end, and you'll also find out the answer to a question we get often: Does Tim eat organic?

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

01:21 - Quickfire round

02:36 - What is organic food?

03:06 - Pesticides vs insecticides

08:06 - Diseases

09:15 - Herbicide risks

16:03 - Nutrient comparison 

18:21 - Natural chemical defences

20:32 - Does Tim Eat organic food?

22:15 - Foods high in chemicals

25:32 - Organic and cost

26:56 - Washing food

31:11 - Summary and outro

Mentioned in today’s episode: 

Organic food consumption and the incidence of cancer in a large prospective study of women in the United Kingdom from the British Journal of Cancer

Association of frequency of organic food consumption with cancer risk from JAMA Internal Medicine

Impacts of dietary exposure to pesticides on faecal microbiome metabolism in adult twins from Environmental Health

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

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Are you trying to eat less sugar? If you are, you might have tried a natural sugar alternative.

Stevia, robinia honey, coconut sugar, agave… the list of these table sugar replacements seems to be growing day by day. But what even are these alternatives? Are they really natural? And do they offer us a healthier way of getting that sweet taste?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Sarah ask: What are natural sugar alternatives, and are they healthier than table sugar? 

Follow ZOE on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk from Nature Medicine          Effects of D-allulose on glucose tolerance and insulin response from BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care

Effects of stevia on glycemic and lipid profile of type 2 diabetic patients from the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine

Agave syrup: Chemical analysis and nutritional profile from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Are natural sugar alternatives healthier? from Harvard Health Publishing

Alternative sugars - agave nectar from British Dental Journal



Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Decades ago, there were reams of adverts instructing us to drink our milk so we don’t break our bones. But in the decades since, public opinion toward dairy is very different, and the scientific community has largely debunked these ideas. 

Many of the health-conscious among us choose to avoid it altogether. Our reasons range from a belief that dairy leads to inflammation, to acne, or even to an increased risk of heart attack due to high levels of saturated fat. 

But have we fallen into the same trap we often do, bouncing from one extreme to another? Could cutting out dairy mean we miss out on vital nutrients? Or could it hold the secret to a healthy gut microbiome?

Today, Jonathan is joined by ZOE regulars and renowned experts, Dr. Sarah Berry and Prof. Tim Spector.

In this episode, you’ll not only find out whether you should eat dairy or cut it out, but you’ll also hear two leading nutritional scientists try to reach an agreement on how to translate the latest research into actionable advice. And hopefully, they’ll still remain friends afterward. 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:13 - Jonathan’s Intro

01:38 - Quickfire round

02:45 - Biggest myth about dairy

04:15 - Does dairy cause inflammation? 

10:38 - Bone fragilaty

16:03 - Cheese and Yogurt

16:59 - Full fat vs semi skinned

17:27 - Milk and cholesterol

21:03 - Fermented dairy

23:00 - dairy and microbes

26:03 - Saturated fats

26:51 - Cheese quality 

31:15 - Summary

33:03 - Goodbyes

33:14 - Outro

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

More than half of women who go through menopause find its symptoms distressing. In fact, 10% leave their jobs because of the burden.

It’s no wonder that a huge selection of supplements claim to relieve menopause’s unpleasant effects. But do they actually work? Which products are backed by clinical evidence, and which are just “menowashing”?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Sarah Berry ask: What’s the evidence behind menopause supplements?

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Introduction to menopause from John Hopkins Medicine
• What is menopause? from The National Institute on Aging
• What you should know about hormone therapy and menopause from the Columbia University Irving Medical Centre
• Menopause symptoms in depth from the National Center For Complementary and Integrative Health
• Menopause supplements: Effectiveness, side effects, and safety from Medical News Today
• The role of diet in managing menopause symptoms from Nutrition Bulletin
• Revealing the evidence-based diet solutions to managing your menopause symptoms from Nutrition Bulletin

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Evidence shows that all over the world, people are snacking more — with the United Kingdom and the United States leading the way in unhealthy snacking habits. 

But what exactly counts as a snack? And is all snacking unhealthy?

Snacking can be a confusing and controversial topic. There are various opinions and myths about what's good for you. Many people struggle to make healthy choices, while others may be unaware of the impact of snacking habits on their gut health and overall well-being.

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by ZOE regulars and renowned experts Sarah Berry and Tim Spector for an enlightening discussion that will help you snack smarter. 

Armed with the latest scientific research, they unravel the complexities of snacking and share evidence-based insights on what's truly beneficial for your body. Along the way, they cover healthy options, snack timing, and what we should all be avoiding.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:23 Quick Fire Questions

04:03 What is a snack?

04:55 How much energy comes from snacks?

05:40 Cultural differences with snacks

08:33 What happens when we snack?

10:29 Are some healthy looking bars actually bad for us?

12:16 Do ulta-processed snacks make us hungrier?

13:57 What effect do additives and emulsifiers have?

15:04 Results of study on healthy vs unhealthy snacks

15:22 What impact does snacking have on our gut?

18:00 Why could snacking be unhealthy?

18:56 What are the concerns around snacking frequency?

19:50 Does the quality of your snack make a difference?

21:31 Could skipping breakfast be healthy for us?

23:17 Does timing of snacking have any influence on our health?

28:42 How could time-restricted eating benefit us?

32:20 What is the impact of snacking on weight gain?

34:15 What impact does snacking have on blood sugar?

36:25 How people on different routines react to snacking

38:27 What does the recent ZOE research show us on the topics of snacking?

40:16 How bad is late night snacking for our health?

42:19 How should we be snacking?

46:30 How has snacking changed over time?

47:26 Actionable advice on snacking

52:52 How much do your meals impact snacking?

56:50 Summary

59:40 Goodbyes

59:44 Outro

In today’s episode:

Meal patterns across ten European countries – results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) calibration study https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/meal-patterns-across-ten-european-countries-results-from-the-european-prospective-investigation-into-cancer-and-nutrition-epic-calibration-study/A662BDB7A9AD3631BD6AD98946FE765F# 

What is a snack, why do we snack, and how can we choose better snacks? A review of the definitions of snacking, motivations to snack, contributions to dietary intake, and recommendations for improvement https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4863261/

Snacking on whole almonds for 6 weeks improves endothelial function and lowers LDL cholesterol but does not affect liver fat and other cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults: The ATTIS study, a randomized controlled trial https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7266688/ 

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Get in touch and we’ll do our best to cover it.

We’ve all wrestled with diarrhea at some point.

It comes in many forms. And being able to read these differences can help us understand what’s going on inside us and how we should treat it. 

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Will ask: What are the health risks associated with diarrhea, and how can we treat it? 

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get

10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Diarrhea, a global overview from the World Health Organization (WHO) 
• Key takeaways from a University of Oxford analysis of the global impact of antimicrobial resistance

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

How much do you know about menstrual cycles? About half of us are more informed than the other half.

The menstrual cycle has great significance, affecting various aspects of health. And more than 90% of people who get their periods experience premenstrual symptoms.

However, misconceptions and limited understandings abound, leaving many people in the dark.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Hazel Wallace. She’s a medical doctor, nutritionist, and author of The Female Factor. She’s here to give us an education about the menstrual cycle. 

• Dr. Hazel Wallace describes how the cycle affects almost every aspect of the body, from heart health and sleep to metabolism. She also explains whether there’s scientific evidence behind “cycle syncing.”

Whether or not you’ve had a menstrual cycle, you’ll learn a lot from this episode. 

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinZOE.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:36 Quick fire questions

03:49 What is the menstrual cycle?

05:42 What is the luteal phase?

06:54 When does the menstrual cycle begin?

07:43 How regular are menstrual cycles - Do they change over time?

08:29 What is actually happening during the menstrual cycle?

09:41 What role does oestrogen have in hormonal changes?

10:48 How does the menstrual cycle affect performance in athletes

12:05 How does the menstrual cycle affect women?

16:30 Are cravings real? Why do they happen?

18:21 What is PMS and what do people experience?

20:11 Is there much research behind PMS?

21:40 What is PMDD?

23:16 How do you identify PMDD?

26:17 What is cycle syncing?

27:43 What role does nutrition have in reducing symptoms during the cycle

30:22 Can regular exercise improve symptoms?

33:52 How is sleep impacted by the menstrual cycle?

37:41 How does this impact our immune system?

38:56 Why is there such little research into this area?

41:13 How has the exclusion of women in research impacted us?

44:14 Menstrual cycle tracking - what is it and how can you do it?

46:31 How can tracking help?

47:26 What diet can help symptoms?

49:31 How does the menstrual cycle affect the microbiome?

52:07 How can intermittent fasting affect the menstrual cycle?

54:59 Summary

58:00 Goodbyes

58:11 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32661839/

Hazel’s book is available to buy here

Follow Hazel: https://twitter.com/Thefoodmedic

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Get in touch and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a lot more common than you might think. In fact, it affects 1 in 10 people globally. Yet there are still a lot of questions about why it occurs and how best to treat it. 

Could new research connecting gut health to mental health help us unravel its mysteries?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Will ask: What exactly is IBS, and how does it connect to our brains? 

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Referenced in today’s episode:

• FODMAP Diet: What you need to know from Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Large-scale genetic study reveals new clues for the shared origins of irritable bowel syndrome and mental health disorder from the University of Cambridge
• Irritable bowel syndrome: A chronic sequelae of acute gastroenteritis from Gastroenterology
• William Olser: Biographical overview from the National Library Of Medicine  
• IBS: What you need to know from the National Center For Complementary and Integrative Health
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) overview from Johns Hopkins Medicine

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

As we age, our bodies undergo numerous changes, including a decline in muscle mass and cognitive function. For many of us, exercise and diet play crucial roles in maintaining our health and well-being. 

But how can the protein we eat affect our abilities to exercise and stay healthy as we age?

It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the effects of protein. How much do we need? Is it better to eat protein before or after exercise? And what roles do protein and exercise play in brain function?

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Prof. Ben Wall, an expert in nutritional physiology at the University of Exeter. Together, they unpack the latest scientific research on the connection between protein consumption and exercise.

• Prof. Ben Wall shares his insights into the optimal amount and timing of protein intake for building and maintaining muscle mass, as well as the potential impact of exercise on cognitive function and brain health into later life. 

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:12 Introduction

28:21 Quick Fire Questions

02:54 Do we need to eat proteins right after exercise?

03:34 What is protein?

04:45 Why should we care about exercise?

05:36 How does exercise help with healthspan?

07:41 What are the benefits of exercise?

07:57 Does exercise improve brain function?

11:23 Where do our muscles come into this conversation?

12:09 What constitutes an unhealthy muscle?

13:00 What's the difference between a healthy and unhealthy muscle?

14:18 How does protein fit into the idea of healthy muscles?

16:03 What about the concept of breaking muscle. Is it good for us?

18:13 Do we need more protein to help build muscle?

20:07 What is the anabolic window and Is it a myth?

21:54 Is it fine to listen to our hunger pangs post exercise?

23:01 How does protein impact menopause and bone health?

25:04 Is there a maximum amount of protein our bodies can absorb?

28:14 What is the right amount of protein to eat?

30:02 What is an 'adaptive response' to exercise?

31:17 How much higher RDA do we need if we are exercising?

33:31 Are we already eating enough protein?

35:51 Why does muscle mass change as we age?

36:18 Do we put on weight when we age?

36:59 How do our bodies respond to protein as we age?

41:38 How to balance protein and exercise

42:33 Where should we get our protein from?

46:43 Plant vs animal based protein products

51:26 Summary

55:12 Goodbyes

55:27 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19056590/

Anabolic signaling deficits underlie amino acid resistance of wasting, aging muscle: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15596483/

Food for our future: The nutritional science behind the sustainable fungal protein — mycoprotein: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10131050/

Follow Ben on Twitter : https://twitter.com/benjamintwall

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

Episode transcripts are available here.

We’ve probably all been reprimanded for eating too fast at the dinner table or suffered the dreaded “itis” from eating way too much food at a family gathering. Our society and the systems we’ve developed to feed it have ballooned to such a point that they easily override our natural bodily systems that tell us when we’ve had enough to eat. 

When nearly 50% of the United States population is projected to have obesity by 2030, can something as simple as changing the speed with which we eat really be an effective tool for weight loss and sustaining a healthy body?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: What is eating rate and does it have any impact on our health?

Studies referenced in the episode:

• Does Eating Fast Make You Gain More Weight?
• Eating slowly increases the postprandial response of the anorexigenic gut hormones, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 
• Association between eating rate and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis 
• Eating too fast may lead to weight gain, heart disease 
• Is eating too quickly bad for your health? 
• How Important Is Eating Rate in the Physiological Response to Food Intake, Control of Body Weight, and Glycemia? 
• A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effect of eating rate on energy intake and hunger 
• Effects of eating rate and eating topography on meal size and satiety 
• The effect of eating rate on satiety in healthy and overweight people – A pilot study 
• Association between Self-Reported Eating Rate, Energy Intake, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population 
• Association between Self-Reported Eating Rate, Energy Intake, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population
• Control of overweight and obesity in childhood through education in meal time habits. The ‘good manners for a healthy future’ programme*
• Eating slowly led to decreases in energy intake within meals in healthy women

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Menopause is a time of significant hormonal changes which can lead to a range of symptoms that can severely impact quality of life for many women. So, a drug that promises to reduce these symptoms is incredibly welcome, but it has been steeped in controversy.

HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) has been widely debated, with conflicting information about its effectiveness, with some suggesting HRT is outright dangerous. In fact, a massive study twenty years ago linked it to an increased risk of breast cancer. As a result, the numbers of women taking HRT plummeted. So should HRT be avoided at all costs? 

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by the author of that very study and esteemed Professor JoAnn Manson, alongside Dr. Sarah Berry to explore the science behind HRT.

• Professor JoAnn Manson is a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the world's most experts on HRT and menopause having run multiple enormous studies to uncover the effects of hormone replacement therapy on women’s health.

With the help of ZOE regular Dr. Sarah Berry, they delve into the science behind HRT, empowering listeners to make informed decisions about treatment for symptoms of the menopause.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:12 Jonathan's introduction

01:33 Quick Fire Questions

03:27 What is the menopause?

04:10 What is the perimenopause?

05:46 What is the state of the current conversation on the menopause?

07:13 Should women seek help about the menopause?

07:58 Why do some women have symptoms and others not?

09:15 Yougov and ZOE study results on the menopause

11:35 Why is the menopause getting more attention now?

13:39 Should we be taking these symptoms seriously?

17:10 What else can be done asides from HRT?

18:49 Studies on the relationship between diet and menopause symptoms

19:35 What can help alleviate symptoms?

21:23 Are there any specific foods that can help improve symptoms?

23:37 Are menopause specific supplements effective?

24:50 How does HRT work?

26:26 Is HRT just oestrogen?

30:59 Does testosterone have a use for menopause?

31:58 What is the controversy behind HRT?

35:56 What's the latest advice and health risks?

38:11 When should you stop hormone therapy?

40:43 Do symptoms persist when you come off of hormone therapy?

42:00 How long does HRT take to start working?

43:07 How does HRT affect weight management?

45:15 Summary

48:04 Goodbyes

48:25 Outro

Check the trials mentioned in today’s episode: 

MsFlash: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4731298/

ZOE Menopause Study: https://joinzoe.com/learn/menopause-metabolism-study

PEPI Trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7807658/

Follow Sarah: https://twitter.com/saraheeberry

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Get in touch and we’ll do our best to cover it.

“Omega 3s,” - we’ve all seen the name Omega 3s advertised on labels from nuts to seeds and even eggs! But are these fats healthy for us, or is this just another food myth?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: Is fish oil and omega 3 intake essential or is this just another food myth?

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Studies referenced in the episode:

• High-fat meals rich in EPA plus DHA compared with DHA only have differential effects on postprandial lipemia and plasma 8-isoprostane F2α concentrations relative to a control high–oleic acid meal: a randomized controlled trial
• Intake of fish and marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of cardiovascular disease mortality: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
• Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease
• The 3 most Important Types of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• REDUCE-IT EPA trial shows association between higher EPA levels, reduced CV events 
• Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: Results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Management of Hypertriglyceridemia: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Ultra-processed foods have become ubiquitous in modern diets. Many of us eat them regularly without understanding their potential impacts on our health. 

From hidden additives to addictive properties, these highly processed foods can pose risks. 

Navigating the complex world of ultra-processing can be challenging, and many people struggle to understand what to avoid, how to break unhealthy habits, and make positive changes to their health.

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by a special guest, Dr. Chris van Tulleken, to explore the science behind ultra-processed food.

• Dr. Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at University College Hospital, in London, and one of the BBC’s leading science presenters. 

Chris shares the groundbreaking research from his own lived experiments, including the now famous study with his twin brother Xand. His book Ultra-Processed People is out now.

Jonathan and Chris are joined by ZOE regular Tim Spector. Drawing from their combined expertise, our guests provide practical tips and advice, empowering listeners to make informed choices and take control of their diets.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:31 Introduction

02:14 Quick Fire Questions

05:25 Start of Chris's journey in nutrition

06:47 Discordant twins - How can twin studies help us?

08:51 What part do genetics play in our differences in health?

12:52 What were the potential consequences of weight gain?

15:20 What is ultra processed food (UPF)?

16:54 What's the difference between processed and ultra processed food?

18:52 Is ultra processing purely about profit?

21:13 Examples of ultra processed foods (UPF)

23:13 ZOE UPF survey - How much does the ZOE community eat?

25:28 Are the products that say they're healthy lying to us?

26:12 Are certain ingredients hidden by UPF?

27:44 Is low fat yoghurt that good for us?

30:39 Is UPF just junk food?

32:56 Kevin Hall’s UPF study

34:19 What makes UPF addictive?

36:34 Chris' ultra processed food experiment

39:12 Could food manufacturers make healthier UPF?

41:23 How do we solve the issue of UPF as a society?

45:26 Practical advice for cutting down on UPF

51:37 Summary

55:15 Goodbyes

55:27 Outro

Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorChrisVT

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Get in touch and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: If nuts are so full of fat, can they really be good for us?

There is no shortage of variety when it comes to the mighty (yet humble) nut and the ways we consume them. Dried, chopped, made into butter or roasted (over an open fire, anyone?) these little guys provide the nutrients our brains and bodies need in surprisingly high quantities. From industrially farmed to indigenously hand-harvested, the story of these nuts is, well…nuts!

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: If nuts are so full of fat, can they really be good for us?

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Studies referenced in the episode:

• Red-rumped agouti
• 8 Health Benefits of Nuts
• Are nuts good for you?
• Avoiding nuts and seeds for better gut health? You shouldn’t
• Nuts and their Effect on Gut Microbiota, Gut Function and Symptoms in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
• Are fatty nuts a weighty concern? A systematic review and meta-analysis and dose–response meta-regression of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials 
• Why are scientists so intrigued by the food matrix?
• Pecans acutely increase plasma postprandial antioxidant capacity and catechins and decrease LDL oxidation in humans 
• The surprising nutritional benefits of nuts
• Walnut consumption and health outcomes with public health relevance—a systematic review of cohort studies and randomized controlled trials published from 2017 to present 
• If Almonds Bring You Joy, Enjoy More For Fewer Calories 
• Are nuts bad for you? Why the calorie counts for almonds don’t add up

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Get in touch, and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Proteins, carbs, and fats … most people understand what the last two are. Carbs are sugars, and fat is, well, fat. It's protein that’s so important to our diets, but so often misunderstood — by the general public, that is.

Since the 1950s and 1960s, scientists have been measuring how protein affects our performance, how it supports and maintains the body’s structure, and how best to incorporate it into our diets. 

From big steaks to protein shakes, tofu to seitan, protein is more available now than ever before. With so many options, surely we’re getting enough protein? 

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks with a leading nutritional researcher to find out.

• Christopher Gardner is a professor at Stanford University and a member of ZOE’s scientific advisory board. He’s pioneering the movement to redefine how we understand the quality of our protein intake.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

03:02 - Quickfire questions

04:19 - What is protein?

08:07 - Can our bodies make the proteins we need?

08:37 - The mechanism for our bodies creating amino acids.

09:33 - What is an essential amino acid?

10:45 - Crazy study Stanford scientists did to find the Estimated Average Requirement of protein.