ZOE Science & Nutrition

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram. 

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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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.

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at podcast@joinzoe.com and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Get science-based nutrition advice delivered straight to your inbox. https://bit.ly/46BPTYz 

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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com, 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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 podcast@joinzoe.com 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.

15:24 - How much protein should we consume?

18:15 - How much protein do we already consume?

23:02 - Can our bodies store protein?

24:02 - What happens to excess protein in our bodies?

24:51 - Protein Scam Alert!

25:28 - Stanford Study: Does the type of protein we consume affect physical performance?

28:15 - Protein requirements for kids and pregnant women.

31:05 - What is Amino Acid Distribution?

33:03 - Are plants missing certain amino acids?

33:47 - How is AAD like the game of Scrabble?

38:30 - What is the healthiest source of protein?

38:41 - Dr. Gardner’s case for changing the way we define “protein quality” in the US

41:33 - Jonathan’s summary

43:59 - Goodbyes 

44:42 - Outro  

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Chris: https://twitter.com/GardnerPhD

Studies mentioned in this episode.

• Maximizing the intersection of human health and the health of the environment with regard to the amount and type of protein produced and consumed in the United States
• Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé
• Perspective: The Public Health Case for Modernizing the Definition of Protein Quality

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to cover? Get in touch, and we’ll do our best to cover it. 

Trans fats have a bad reputation. But we now know a lot more about these fats than we did when the first horror stories about them emerged. 

So, based on the latest science, just how worried should we be?

Listen to today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition to find out. 

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:

• Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Fats and Trans Fats
• Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Association of dietary, circulating, and supplement fatty acids with coronary risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis, published in Annals of Internal Medicine 
• Potential of trans fats policies to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in mortality from coronary heart disease in England: cost effectiveness modelling study, published in British Medical Journal
• WHO calls for action to totally eliminate trans fat, ‘a toxic chemical that kills’
• Trans fatty acids - are the effects only marginal? - published in American Journal of Public Health
• Fats and oils in human nutrition
• A trans European Union difference in the decline in trans fatty acids in popular foods: a market basket investigation, published in British Medical Journal
• Countries with regulations against industrially produced trans fats tripled over the past year

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a topic you'd like us to cover on the show? Email us to let us know!

A miracle weight loss drug that’s approved in the US and the UK and has few side effects?

Ozempic is going viral on social media. Users are posting dramatic before and after pictures of their weight loss. An Ozempic trend is allegedly blossoming in Hollywood, and famous personalities like Elon Musk claim to have taken it. 

Many remain doubtful, dismissing the craze as just another internet scam preying on people’s insecurities. However, earlier this month - semaglutide - the drug’s active ingredient, was approved as a weight loss treatment by the UK’s National Health Service. Even the most sceptical are taking note.

Jonathan speaks to Dr Robert Kushner the lead investigator of the huge phase 3 clinical trial that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of semaglutide. He is a founder of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and hailed the drug as a ‘game-changer’ in regards to the treatment of obesity.

Please be aware: Dr. Kushner is also a consultant on the medical advisory board for Novo Nordisk - the company that manufactures semaglutide.

• Dr Robert Kushner is a Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and a founder of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. 

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

Timecodes:

03:17 – Quickfire questions

04:20 – What is Ozempic, and how does it work?

05:54 – Treating obesity like diabetes

10:24 – The ‘gamechanger’ Semiglutide clinical trial

14:19 – The role our ancestors play in our weight

17:16 – Short-term weight loss vs long-term weight loss

18:40 – Myths about obesity

21:53 – Obesity, a modern problem

23:56 – Other outcomes of the clinical trial

26:59 – The side effects of Semiglutide

31:45 – Risks of using Semiglutide without medical supervision

33:05 – Is Semaglutide linked to cancer?

36:59 – Can you take it If you’re not obese?

39:15 – The long term commitment of Semiglutide

42:49 – Will I put on weight if I stop taking it?

46:01 – Is this the end of obesity

49:30 – Summary

52:28 – Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Dr. Robert Kushner’s book, Six Factors to Fit: Weight Loss that Works for You!, is available to buy here

Follow Dr. Robert Kushner here 

Studies mentioned: Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity 

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/ 

Want to create your own podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

Nightshade vegetables — even the name is ominous. Some people believe they exacerbate arthritis and can cause inflammation. So, should we avoid them?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Will ask: What are nightshade vegetables, and how can they benefit our bodies?

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

Studies referenced in the episode:

• Potato glycoalkaloids and adverse effects in humans: an ascending dose study 
• Effect of red pepper on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome: preliminary study 
• Treatment of arthritis with topical capsaicin: a double-blind trial 
• In defence of potatoes: How resistant starch from potatoes affects the gut microbiota 
• Health benefits of eating tomatoes emerge 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Want to create your own podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

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.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:12 Topic introduction

01:38 Quick Fire Questions

03:24 Michael's simple changes to improve health

04:26 Are cold showers good for you?

05:54 How long do you need to be immersed in cold water for the benefits to work?

06:40 Can cold showers improve mental wellbeing?

10:25 Potential dangers of cold water swimming

11:58 Do cultural differences present different outcomes across the world?

13:08 Can these small stressors help us?

13:28 What is the theory behind this working?

15:21 Will this work for everyone or is this very personalized?

17:45 What effects does breathing have on your health?

18:57 How breathing exercises affect our brain

21:23 How do you keep up the breathing exercises?

22:36 ZOE app breathing exercise

24:44 Is there a difference between breathing through your nose and your mouth?

26:04 How important are plants and nature for our health?

29:21 Can exposure to nature improve things like mental health and even gut health?

31:01 Can herbs also help improve our health?

31:27 What are the benefits of exercise?

32:42 What are endocannabinoids?

33:41 Are preferences for exercise genetic?

35:12 Is it endorphins that make us feel good after / during exercise?

36:31 How exercise affects us is extremely personalized

38:42 How do we encourage people who don't enjoy exercise to do it?

40:13 Tips to improve your exercise routines

43:08 Are there benefits to walking downhill?

45:42 Summary

48:34 Goodbyes

49:08 Outro

Episode transcripts are available here

Michael Mosley’s book is available to buy here

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

Lactose is usually only discussed in the context of intolerance. This intolerance can make us feel bloated, gassy and uncomfortable. But from cow’s milk to yoghurt and even breast milk, lactose is everywhere! So, can it really be that bad for us?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, we’re joined by Dr Will B. to find out. 

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:

Nature: How humans’ ability to digest milk evolved from famine and disease

PubMed Central (PMC)

Effects of Prebiotic and Probiotic Supplementation on Lactase Deficiency and Lactose Intolerance: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials

PubMed Central (PMC)

Improving lactose digestion and symptoms of lactose intolerance with a novel galacto-oligosaccharide (RP-G28): a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

PubMed Central (PMC)

Impact of short-chain galactooligosaccharides on the gut microbiome of lactose-intolerant individuals

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/lactose-intolerance 

The Importance of Lactose in the Human Diet: Outcomes of a Mexican Consensus Meeting:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893676/ 

Episode transcripts are available here.

Want to create your own podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

Gut health is a topic we talk about a lot at ZOE. The gut doesn’t just fight disease, it boosts our mood, processes energy and so much more. Today’s bonus episode journeys through everything we’ve learnt about gut health so far. And what a myth-busting journey it is!

In this episode, Jonathan delves into the microbiome, highlighting the most useful tips from conversations with ZOE’s U.S. Medical Director and resident gut health expert, Will Bulsiewicz, and Tim Spector, one of top 100 most cited scientists and author Food for Life. 

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

01:27 - Is bacteria bad for us?

04:10 - How is the microbiome affected by what we eat?

10:00 - What happens to the gut when fasting?

11:53 - Why bacteria eats the inside of our bodies

13:59 - What causes heartburn?

17:00 - What’s going on with gas and bloating?

19:09 - Tell-tale signs of constipation

22:42 - How to treat constipation

25:52 - Other signs of an unhealthy gut

27:20 - Why do doctors ask about your trips to the bathroom?

29:37 - Tips for tackling an unhealthy gut

31:40 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Will’s book is available to buy here.

Tim’s book is available to buy here.

Full length episodes mentioned:

• Signs of an unhealthy gut
• Gut bacteria and fasting: meet the night crew - The Big IF Dailies
• Gas and bloating: the causes and how to stop it
• Your gut is full of bugs: why this is great news
• The ultimate guide to constipation
• Heartburn: Why it happens and what you can do

Referenced in today’s episode: 

• A redefinition of constipation from King’s College London
• The State Of The Nation’s Gut, a report from the U.K.-based Love Your Gut initiative
• 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
• The Bristol Stool Scale
• ZOE’s Blue Poop Challenge
• Blue poo: Impact of gut transit time on the gut microbiome using a novel marker published in Gut 

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Want to create your own podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life. 

If you were to ask Siri, Alexa, or ChatGPT for medical advice right now, that would be a terrible idea. 

But with recent developments in technology, this looks set to change. AI has become more intelligent, wearable devices - more accurate, and personalized medicine - increasingly mainstream.

But is any of this safe? Should we really trust machines with our health? And will any of this actually happen?

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to Eric Topol to explore how artificial intelligence may transform your next trip to the doctor.

• Eric Topol is one of the top 10 most-cited researchers in medicine, the author of 3 bestselling books on the future of medicine, and a practising cardiologist.

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

If Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:11 - Topic introduction

01:53 - Quickfire questions

04:17 - Doctor-patient relationship

05:49 - Jonathan’s story with Eric 

08:02 - How has medicine changed?

13:54 - Is there an optimistic future for medicine, utilising AI?

17:46 - How close are we to utilizing AI-based solutions in medicine?

23:09 - Self-diagnosis and preventative care

27:05 - Is prevention possible through AI?

32:33 - Personalized healthcare

41:51 - Summary

43:45 - Goodbyes

44:01 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Eric on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricTopol

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

Eggs are nutrient-dense and have a long shelf life. Compared with many other protein sources, they’re on the cheaper side. But they’re not as popular as they used to be. And a lot of this comes down to a debate about cholesterol.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: What’s the truth about eggs?

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

Want to create your own podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life. 

Why do some people remain fit and healthy in their later years while others become increasingly frail?  

Researchers from Kings College London have been following thousands of twins for 30 years in an effort to understand how each of us ages differently. And some of their findings will surprise you!

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to Claire Steves to better understand what all this means, shedding light on how aging works and what we can do about it:

• Dr. Claire Steves is a senior lecturer at King's College London, a medical doctor, and the clinical director at TwinsUK

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:10 - Topic introduction

01:39 - Quickfire questions

03:16 - Claire’s work during the pandemic

05:17 - What happens in our bodies when we age?

08:26 - Genes and aging

09:33 - What factors affect aging?

11:39 - Effects of physical activity

12:23 - Microbiome effects on aging

13:33 - Claire’s research

19:11 - What evidence is there that we can slow the effects of aging?

21:44 - What are some modifiable factors that can help reduce aging effects?

23:06 - Alzheimer's and dementia

28:21 - Stimulating your brain

29:45 - The importance of social interaction for the brain

31:02 - Diet. health and aging

35:27 - Menopause

37:30 - Actionable advice about maximizing health while aging

39:14 - The biggest myth about aging

42:20 - Summary

43:41 - Goodbyes

43:50 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here

Find Claire’s publications here

The UK’s largest adult twin registry - Twins UK

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

The formal definition for constipation is ‘Having fewer than three bowel movements per week’. But, did you know that you can have a bowel movement every day and still be constipated? Recent data has shown that a quarter of people worldwide have at one point reported symptoms, suggesting that there is so much more to constipation than simply infrequent bowel movements.

In today’s short-ish episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Will attempt to dispel some misconceptions about constipation and empower you to have better bowel movements.  

Studies referenced in today’s episode: 

• A redefinition of constipation by King’s College London, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology (2019) here
• The State Of The Nation’s Gut, Love Your Gut here
• Epidemiology of constipation in Europe and Oceania: a systematic review from Prichard & Bharucha via BMC Gastroenterol here
• Recent advances in understanding and managing chronic constipation from Peppas, Alexiou, Mourtzoukou & Falagas via F1000Research here

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theguthealthmd/ 

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

The cost of living has soared. Energy prices have doubled, and food costs have gone up enormously. As a result, the weekly shopping bill can be shocking. 

For some, this is merely an inconvenience. But many others face the awful choice between heating their home and maintaining their usual diet. The consequence is that many of us are throwing cheaper ingredients into our shopping baskets to save money. 

So does this mean that eating healthy is an indulgence that be dropped in favour of cheap ultra-processed food? Or is it still possible to eat healthily on a budget?

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to Dr. Rupy Aujla and Tim Spector to better understand how to eat healthier while spending less:

• Dr. Rupy Aujla is a medical doctor who, since 2015, has been teaching people to cook their way to health. He’s the founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen and has recently turned his efforts to healthy cooking on a tight budget.
• Tim Spector is a co-founder of ZOE and one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists.

Buy Rupy’s book here. 

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:10 - Topic introduction

02:12 - Quickfire questions with Rupy

03:33 - Quickfire questions with Tim

04:22 - What’s one swap you can make today if you’re trying to eat well, for less?

05:07 - What has Dr. Rupy been up to?

06:58 - Do you need to give up eating healthy foods when economizing?

08:23 - Options when you’re on a budget

09:31 - Batch cooking

16:00 - Is it expensive to have healthy and good quality foods?

17:54 - Recipe adherence

20:24 - Advice for people cooking on their own

23:53 - How long does food last?

25:24 - How nutritious are canned & frozen foods?

28:23 - About protein

38:31 - What’s the one food you should spend more money on?

41:34 - Summary

42:29 - Can you have a healthier diet as a consequence of being on a budget?

43:23 - Goodbyes

43:26 - Outro

Get Tim’s book here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Find delicious recipes to cook here.

Follow Rupy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctors_kitchen 

Follow Tim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.spector

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Want to create your own podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life. 

Our gut helps fight disease. It processes energy for us and boosts our mood. So, having a healthy gut is extremely important – but there’s still a lot we don’t know.

Gut biome tests are a new, exciting technology, but are they the be-all and end-all for dietary decision-making? And are there simpler ways — and tastier ways, perhaps — to tell what’s happening inside our bodies?

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Will ask: What are the signs of an unhealthy gut? And how can we improve our gut health?

Referenced in today’s episode: 

• The Bristol Stool Scale. https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bowel/bowel-resources/bristol-stool-form-scale/ 
• ZOE’s Blue Poop Challenge: https://www.joinzoe.com/bluepoop
• Blue poo: Impact of gut transit time on the gut microbiome using a novel marker published in Gut https://gut.bmj.com/content/70/9/1665

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Blood sugar is one of the rare nutrition topics where everyone agrees: We should avoid big peaks and dips and aim for a steady curve. 

Spikes cause inflammation, accelerate aging, and lead to type 2 diabetes. Crashes make us feel moody and tired, and crave foods we don’t need. 

We can control our blood sugar through what and how we eat. But something else affects our blood sugar — physical activity.

Exercise has a profound effect on your blood sugar response. Together with your food choices, being physically active helps you keep your blood sugar level even.

In this episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan speaks with Javier Gonzalez and Sarah Berry to find out how exercise affects our blood sugar response — even when we’re fasting — and how much exercise we need to do to benefit.

• Javier Gonzalez is an associate professor of human physiology at the University of Bath whose research focuses on the interaction between diet and exercise.
• Sarah Berry is one of the world's leading experts on human nutrition. She has personally run over 20 randomized clinical trials looking at how humans respond to different fats.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:12 - Topic introduction

01:39 - Quickfire questions

02:55 - Is a 30-minute walk as good as 30-minute cardio?

03:39 - What is blood sugar and why should we care about it?

05:10 - Blood sugar control throughout the day

07:43 - Why is it important to know about blood sugar?

09:01 - Blood sugar control

12:25 - How exercise affects blood sugar

14:17 - The power of fidgeting

16:12 - Effects of higher intensity exercise

17:00 - Lower intensity exercise vs higher intensity exercise

18:41 - Intermittent fasting and blood sugar

24:43 - Personalization

26:35 - What types of exercises can you do to control blood sugar?

29:12 - Cardio vs resistance training

34:21 - Blood fats & exercise

42:15 - 3 tips on leveraging exercise to control blood sugar and blood fats

43:14 - Summary

44:25 - Goodbyes

44:37 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Javier on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gonzalez_jt

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahberry/ 

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

More than half of us have high cholesterol — and new research suggests that having even slightly raised levels in our 30s could significantly increase our chances of developing heart disease.

Medication is a common fix, but it comes with side effects. So, today we’re looking at how much changing our diets can help. 

In this short (ish) episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: Can we lower our cholesterol by changing our diets? 

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:

• ‘Association between Carbohydrate Intake and Serum Lipids’ from the Journal of the American Nutrition Association here
• ‘The Mediterranean Diet And Cardioprotection: Historical Overview And Current Research from the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare here
• ‘Direct comparison of dietary portfolio vs statin on C-reactive protein’ from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition here

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

This year, cases of an invasive bacterial infection are rising earlier than usual in the US, the UK and other countries across Europe. 

The group A Streptococcus bacteria - commonly known as Strep A - usually only causes mild illness. However, things have become severe in some cases, with several children dying in recent weeks.

So, should we be worried? And what symptoms should we look out for to help us identify this illness in ourselves and our families?

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by world-leading expert on the subject: Shiranee Sriskandan is a professor of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London whose scientific research focuses specifically on Strep A bacteria. Regular guest and ZOE co-founder Tim Spector also joins, and as one of the world’s top 100 most cited scientists, Tim has been closely following infectious diseases in the community through the ZOE Health Study. 

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

Timecodes:

00:00   Introduction

00:10   Topic Introduction

01:40 Quickfire Questions

03:15 What is Strep?

04:04 How common is Strep?

05:02 Seasonality of Strep and symptoms in different climates

05:30 What makes this year different?

06:31 Can Strep make other illnesses worse?

07:07 We've already seen signs of Strep rising over time, is this due to lockdown?

09:36 How worried should we be about Strep infections?

10:10 Group A Strep will often get better on its own

11:07 The risk of rarer invasive infections is greater as the pool of cases increases

11:59 Immune response to Strep A can increase chances of Rheumatic Fever

13:35 What is Rheumatic Fever?

14:59 What are the symptoms of Strep A

16:53 How to treat Strep Throat

18:12 What is the relationship between Strep A and Scarlet Fever

18:53 Who gets Scarlet Fever and what are the symptoms?

19:34 What are the distinguishing features between covid and other sore throats

20:53 Do children get more fevers if they are younger?

22:54 What to do if you think your child has strep throat

24:01 Can you get rapid tests for Strep A?

24:25 Why has Strep throat been seemingly more prominent in the US than the UK

25:41 Different health services around the world and their respective responses to Strep

27:36 Should we be testing and treating?

30:15 What role does differing attitudes to healthcare play in this?

32:02 Should we be cautious about using antibiotics for Strep A?

33:51 What potential problems are there around antibiotics?

36:00 Would a vaccine be the answer to stopping Strep in its tracks?

38:41 Tim's top tips to boost your immunity this winter

41:06 Summary

Episode transcripts are available here

Read about Tim Spector’s ZOE Health Study here

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