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by ZOE
The world’s top scientists explain the latest health, nutrition, and gut health research and translate it into practical advice to improve your health & weight. Hosted by Jonathan Wolf.
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Why is it so hard to stop eating certain foods? Most of us assume it comes down to willpower. But according to today’s guests, the answer may actually lie in the difference between taste and flavour. Because while those two words sound interchangeable, they describe very different experiences. Taste is often engineered - carefully designed by big food companies to keep us craving more. Flavour, on the other hand, is something deeper. It’s the rich, complex experience that comes from high-quality produce. Today, Spencer Hyman and Professor Tim Spector explain how ultra-processed foods manipulate our brains and why rediscovering flavour could help us eat less without feeling deprived. They’ll reveal practical ways that you can retrain your palate and reconnect with real food. 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.
Can using food as medicine protect your heart health, prevent chronic disease, and help you live longer? In this episode, leading cardiologist and Director of the Food is Medicine Institute, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, explains how modern diets increase your risk of heart attacks and why standard medical advice often falls short. Dariush looks at how past dietary guidelines shaped today’s food system and why shifting focus to whole, protective foods improves your health. He also explains why counting calories fails, shows how ultra-processed foods took over our food supply, and asks whether saturated fat deserves its reputation as a cause of heart disease. Through the idea that food is medicine, you’ll learn how to adopt healthy eating habits by identifying protective foods - forming practical diet shifts that can control your blood sugar, lower cholesterol, support your gut health, and cut your risk of heart attacks and strokes. What if the most effective prescription for a longer, healthier life is already on your plate? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 04:22 Is a poor diet deadlier than smoking? 09:13 Why the foods you're missing may harm you more than junk food 10:33 Could diet prevent half of all heart attacks and strokes? 11:29: Can diet reverse gut problems in months? 14:25 Why diet-related disease exploded in just 35 years 15:40 Nutrition science is younger than you think 17:51 Why poor nutrition became a national security threat in 1941 19:27 Why do we refine grains, then put the vitamins back in? 21:03 How bomb factories changed the food on your plate 24:46 Why did we go low-fat? The 1980 dietary guidelines mistake 26:45 Did tobacco companies really own food brands? 31:09 The 3 things driving the rise of chronic disease 33:52 Is fat really the problem? 36:38 Exercising more but still gaining weight? Here's why 37:33 Has our resting energy expenditure gone down? 39:28 Is modern food starving your gut microbes? 41:02 Are dietary guidelines any good? A cardiologist’s verdict 43:02 What do dietary guidelines say to avoid? 45:37 Do we really need more protein? 47:21 Healthy eating made simple: 3 food groups to know 48:17 How many calories does your gut microbiome digest? 52:29 Is red meat bad for you? 54:11 Is saturated fat bad for your heart? 56:21 How to lower cholesterol with food: a cardiologist's 2 tips 57:13 Should your doctor prescribe food? 1:00:37 Can we fix the food system in 10 years? 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episodeFood Additives: Emerging Detrimental Roles on Gut Health, FASEB journal (2025) Diet Is the Single Most Important Predictor of Health, Alternative and Complementary Therapies (2019) Total daily energy expenditure has declined over the past three decades, Nat Metab (2023)
Fermented foods have evolved from a niche health trend into a supermarket staple. Kefir, kimchi, kombucha. Our shelves are now filled with products rich in beneficial bacteria. But with so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Today, Professor Tim Spector shares simple, practical ways to incorporate fermented foods into your daily meals. He’ll also show why fermenting at home is much easier than most people think, taking us inside his fridge to demonstrate how to make four of his favourite homemade ferments. 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.
Can what you eat protect your memory, ease brain fog, and lift your mood? For a long time, we thought the brain was separate from the rest of the body. It's easy to assume that mood, energy, and memory have little to do with what's on your plate. But in today's episode, one of the world’s leading experts in nutrition, Professor Tim Spector, explains how your gut health shapes your brain health. From low energy and anxiety today to dementia in later years, he shares what to eat to protect your brain throughout your life. Tim shares nine foods to add to your diet - from mushrooms and eggs to tofu and fermented foods - with easy ways to eat more of them, all drawn from his new book, Good Mood Food. By the end of the episode, you will have learned quick, budget-friendly recipes that support the gut-brain connection and will clearly understand the four principles you need to start boosting brain function today. What if your tiredness, brain fog, and low mood are linked to the food on your plate? What might change if you ate differently for two weeks? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just £2.30 for your first week. 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 04:24 Why better gut health shows up in your brain first 06:05 Gut-brain connection explained: the vagus nerve is 80% gut to brain 10:30 Is the “chemical imbalance” theory of mental illness wrong? 12:28 What a week of fried chicken does to your brain 15:20 How a gut-friendly diet sends calming signals to your brain 17:17 How inflammation and blood sugar spikes damage brain cells 19:33 Does type 2 diabetes really triple dementia risk? 23:03 SMILES trial: can a gut-friendly diet ease depression? 26:06 How many plants should you eat per week? 30 or 40? 28:22 Why ultra-processed food is bad for your brain:t’s not just additives 29:56 Can intermittent fasting lift your mood? 32:44 Always tired? Why it might be a brain signal 36:19 Healthy comfort food: mac and cheese, fish and chips 39:16 Are mushrooms linked to 25% lower dementia risk? 42:18 Are eggs good for brain health? How many a week is OK? 44:03 Best omega-3 foods for brain health: the SMASH fish rule 46:27 Is tofu good for your brain? How to cook it in 30 seconds 49:52 Do herbs and spices help your brain? What we know so far 52:10 Is your brain really made of fat? Why nuts and seeds matter 54:29 Do you need to soak beans and lentils for hours? 56:41 Don’t pour away chickpea water: egg white swap 58:52 Does heating fermented foods kill the benefits? Postbiotics explained 1:00:17 Where to start for better mood and brain health: try this for 2 weeks 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector The ZOE METHOD study, ZOE (2024) Daily30: Does it work?, ZOE (2026) ZOE’s Fermented Food study, ZOE (2025) The ‘SMILES’ trial, BMC Med (2017) Type 2 Diabetes and Dementia, J Int Neuropsychol Soc (2004) The Big IF Study, ZOE (2023) Mushroom Consumption and Dementia, J Am Geriatr Soc (2017) Egg Consumption and Brain Function, Nutrients (2024) Tofu Consumption and Reduced Cancer Risk, Nutrients (2024) Unlocking Saffron’s Potential in Brain Health, Cureus (2025) Episode transcripts are available here.
Sleep. It’s a bizarre process when you think about it. We lie down, close our eyes, and before we know it, we’re waking up the next morning with a head full of hazy dreams. Because of its mysterious nature, sleep has long been surrounded by all kinds of strange ideas and theories about what might help or harm it. From cheese causing nightmares to turkey making you sleepy. So today I’m joined by sleep expert Dr Sophie Bostock to separate fact from fiction. She’ll debunk common sleep myths and share simple, practical tips you can use tonight to improve your sleep. 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.
How do you build muscle and stay strong as you age? For most of us, muscle loss starts in our 30s. It’s easy to think that you can combat this and stay strong into old age by strength training and eating plenty of protein. Exercise and macros matter, but scientists are uncovering another important piece of the puzzle - a direct connection between your gut health and healthy ageing. It could change how we think about staying strong as we get older. In today's episode, Professor Claire Steves - a world-leading expert in ageing and health - and Professor Tim Spector explore the gut-muscle axis - how your gut microbiome influences your muscle health. They explain why maximum protein doesn't mean maximum muscle, how gut bacteria ‘talk’ to muscle tissue, and why an unhealthy gut can make muscles resistant to growth. For listeners looking for simple ways to support their muscles today, this episode includes practical advice you can easily fit into your routine. Claire and Tim share quick daily habits and explain how to get your protein from diverse plant sources. Could changing what you feed your gut microbes today be the key to keeping your body strong for decades to come? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just £2.30 for your first week. 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 04:08 Why muscle matters for healthy aging, not just the gym 06:37 The hidden organ: how your muscles talk to your body 10:35 Why it gets harder to keep muscle as you age 11:37 Can you have a 20-year-old's muscles at 70? 13:29 Can muscle loss increase your risk of cancer? 15:51 Why skinny doesn't mean healthy 17:40 What is sarcopenia? 20:52 How 4 days of bed rest can shrink your muscles 23:31 Gut-muscle axis: how gut bacteria talk to your muscles 23:53 Why protein stops working as you age 26:11 Can improving your gut health build stronger muscles? 28:57 Can strength training change your gut microbiome? 30:57 Can the Mediterranean diet make your legs stronger? 34:01 The diet trial that improved muscle and bones, no gym 34:55 Is there a magic gut bug for building muscle? 39:38 Intermittent fasting: should you exercise before breakfast? 44:43 Can too much protein weaken your muscles? 46:32 How much protein do you really need per day? 49:20 The best protein foods to feed your gut and muscles 52:26 Carnivore diet: what meat and shakes do to your gut 53:46 Strength training, cardio or balance: what do you need? 56:04 The easy 2-minute toothbrush habit for better muscle health 57:21 Key takeaways: muscles, microbes, and the protein myth26:11 Can improving your gut health build stronger muscles? 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Master Cyclist Study, King’s College London (2018) Physical Activity and Reduced Cancer Risk, Nat Rev Cancer (2008) Bed Rest and Muscle Loss, Diabetes (2016) Microbiome Interventions and Inflammation, Cureus (2025) The Gut Microbiome and Muscle Strength, BMC Geriatr (2021) Resistance Training Reshapes the Gut Microbiome, Sports Med Open (2026) The Mediterranean Diet and Muscle Strength, Physiotherapy Theory and Practice (2025) Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Muscle Mass, J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle (2024) Mitochondrial Properties in Skeletal Muscle Fiber, Cells (2023) Episode transcripts are available here.
Every one of us runs on a biological rhythm - a finely tuned system that controls when we feel alert, when we feel tired, and even how we process food. But here’s the problem: modern life doesn’t always respect this rhythm. Late nights, early alarms, and irregular meals put many of us out of sync with our own biology. I’m joined by Professor Debra Skene to explain why this mismatch matters, and how you can transform your health by aligning your lifestyle with your internal ticker. 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.
Most of us think of inflammation when an ankle swells or a cut turns red. It’s our body’s immune system, and without it, we couldn't fight infections or repair injuries. But when it stays switched on, this chronic inflammation can drain your energy, can affect your health over the years, and even lead to heart disease. Eventually, 1 in 3 of us will develop an inflammatory disease. In today's episode, Professor Luke O'Neill - one of the world's top 1% immunologists - explains why that matters and what you can do about it. He explores how everyday foods can push inflammation up, or help calm it. He also explains why balance matters more than banning foods like sugar, red meat, gluten, and dairy. As for your gut, you’ll learn how anti-inflammatory foods like plants, fibre, and a healthy microbiome can help keep inflammation down. By the end of the episode, you'll know how to eat, rest, and enjoy life in ways that can keep inflammation in check. Could the way you eat help your body's healer do its job without going into overdrive? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just £2.30 for your first week. 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 04:14 Why 1 in 3 people will get an inflammatory disease 06:49 When inflammation turns from healing to harmful 10:23 Why does your immune system now damage your heart and brain? 13:46 Why does chronic inflammation make you so tired? 15:35 The link between depression and inflammation explained 18:10 Does inflammation speed up ageing? 19:56 Testing for chronic inflammation - what CRP tells you 23:01 Does belly fat cause inflammation? What Ozempic reveals 25:46 Does your gut microbiome affect inflammation? 28:04 Are ultra-processed foods inflammatory? Sugar and fat explained 30:18 Does sugar make inflammation worse? 33:15 Insulin resistance and inflammation 35:07 Fructose: fruit vs processed food 39:35 Is red meat inflammatory? How much is too much 41:52 Does gluten cause inflammation? 44:29 Does dairy cause inflammation? 46:13 Seed oils and inflammation 46:40 The anti-inflammatory diet 49:38 Anti-inflammatory plants: how willow bark led to aspirin 51:32 Do polyphenols fight inflammation? 53:44 Do anti-inflammatory supplements work? Are they worth it? 54:34 How to reduce inflammation today: why morning sunshine matters 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Daily 30: Does it work? The Mediterranean diet and CRP levels, Nutrients (2018) Metabolic Reprogramming in Stromal and Immune Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, European Journal of Immunology, (2025)Episode transcripts are available here.
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The world’s top scientists explain the latest health, nutrition, and gut health research and translate it into practical advice to improve your health & weight. Hosted by Jonathan Wolf.
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