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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

The world’s top scientists explain the latest health, nutrition, and gut health research and translate it into practical advice to improve your health & weight. Join ZOE Science & Nutrition, on a journey of scientific discovery. Hosted by Jonathan Wolf.

ZOE Science & Nutrition

Can food improve brain health, memory and mood? 

In this episode, Prof Felice Jacka and Prof Tim Spector explore how diet, the gut microbiome and fermented foods may affect your mood, brain function and dementia risk. Drawing on clinical trials and research involving more than 10 million people, they explain why what you eat could have a much bigger impact on your brain than most people realise, and what the latest science suggests you can do about it.

Felice, who helped create the field of nutritional psychiatry, explains how food influences the brain through the gut microbiome and inflammation. She and Tim explore why some foods change brain function, which support brain health, what the evidence says about ultra-processed foods, and why diet is becoming an increasingly important part of research on brain and mental health.

Learn which foods to eat more often, which foods to reduce, and simple, affordable ways to build meals that support your gut, mood and long-term brain health. From whole grains and legumes to fermented foods and everyday supermarket and grocery store choices, by the end of the episode, you’ll have realistic advice that’s easy to put into practice today.

If the food you eat today helps shape your brain tomorrow, what small change could make the biggest difference over the next year?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

03:10 Why beans may boost mood more than cake

07:35 Can diet reduce your risk of depression?

10:10 Can changing your diet put depression into remission?

12:45 How does the gut microbiome affect the brain?

16:04 Can gut microbes transfer depression symptoms?

17:55 What gut bacteria are missing in mental illness?

20:16 Is food the most powerful tool for brain health?

22:11 The yogurt study that surprised neuroscientists

25:35 Can fermented foods help grow the hippocampus?

28:18 Why fermented foods may improve mood and energy

30:16 The gut-brain connection explained simply

31:13 How diet during pregnancy affects brain development

37:52 Are depression, anxiety and dementia connected?

39:27 What are ultra-processed foods really doing to your brain?

39:55 The major study linking ultra-processed foods to disease

42:31 Are some ultra-processed foods healthier than others?

43:44 Real food vs meal replacements: what happens to your microbiome?

48:29 The ingredient Felice Jacka tries to avoid

50:16 Do supplements improve brain health?

52:23 The best foods for brain health and mental health

53:37 How to eat for brain health on a budget

55:40 The simplest brain health advice you’ll hear today

58:40 The complete brain health and gut health checklist

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra 

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

The 'SMILES' trial, BMC Medicine (2017)

Mood Disorders: The Gut Bacteriome and Beyond, Biological Psychiatry (2024)

ZOE study: Fermented food improves mood, energy, and hunger

Effects of a probiotic fermented dairy product on the brain, Gut microbiota (2025)

Associations between diet quality and depressed mood in adolescents, ANZJP (2010)

Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes, BMJ (2024)

Global Burden of Disease, The Lancet (2026)

Folic acid, ageing, depression, and dementia, BMJ (2002)

Transplantation of gut microbiota derived from patients with schizophrenia induces schizophrenia-like behaviors, Nature (2024)

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

How to build a better brain: The 5 foods you need to protect your memory, mood and to cut dementia risk | Prof Felice Jacka & Prof Tim Spector

Today we’re talking about blood pressure.

Most of us know that high blood pressure is bad — but surprisingly few of us understand what it actually means, how widely it affects the body, or how to keep it under control.

The good news is that monitoring blood pressure is easier than ever, putting you in a strong position to spot problems early and take meaningful action.

Professor Tim Spector joins me to explain what blood pressure is, why it matters so much, and share some top salt-based tips that can have a powerful impact on long-term health.

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

Most replayed moment: Blood pressure: the silent risk you shouldn’t ignore | Prof Tim Spector

How quickly can you improve your gut health? Can diet help lower your risk of dementia? And what should you know about food labels and healthy weight loss? In this special live Q&A, Prof Tim Spector, Prof Sarah Berry and Dr Federica Amati answer your biggest nutrition questions and share practical, evidence-based advice you can use today.

Drawing on decades of research and data from hundreds of thousands of people, they explain how diet can influence the gut microbiome, brain health, hunger, energy levels and long-term health. They discuss dementia risk, healthy snacking, intermittent fasting, ultra-processed foods, plant diversity, breakfast, food labels and the latest science on weight loss.

You’ll learn how quickly the gut microbiome may respond to dietary change, why some foods keep you fuller for longer, how to build a healthier breakfast, and simple ways to make better food choices. The team also explain why small dietary changes can have lasting benefits.

If your daily food choices influence your gut health, brain health and future wellbeing, which change is worth making first?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

01:56 The first ever live ZOE podcast

09:14 How long does it really take to improve your gut microbiome?

12:56 Can you feel healthier before your gut microbiome changes?

14:15 Which foods should you always buy organic?

16:33 Are oats actually healthy?

18:36 The overnight oats trick that may improve blood sugar

19:28 Resistant starch: the hidden nutrient most people miss

21:32 Always hungry at 3pm? Sarah’s evidence-backed fix

27:17 The food industry trick that makes you eat more

29:44 Why ultra-processed foods leave you hungry

30:50 Does chewing more food really help you lose weight?

33:23 What does gut health have to do with depression and anxiety?

37:45 Is your gut controlling your brain?

39:34 Are fermented foods the most underrated brain-health food?

41:46 Starting Ozempic or Wegovy? Do this first

42:40 What do GLP-1 drugs do to your gut microbiome?

45:20 Tim Spector’s plan to fix Britain’s health crisis

47:55 Why governments still aren’t acting on ultra-processed foods

50:50 Have US food guidelines changed—and is the UK falling behind?

53:08 Is intermittent fasting safe for women?

56:15 What’s the healthiest breakfast to break a fast?

58:20 The science breakthroughs that could change nutrition forever

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

Daily Sampling Reveals Personalized Diet-Microbiome Associations in Humans, Cell Host & Microbe (2019)

ZOE’s PREDICT studies: What we’ve learned

ZOE snacking study: What should you do?

The Big IF Study: What did we find?

Diet and Dementia, Neurology (2024)

Daily30: Does it work?

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

LIVE Q&A: Your gut health, dementia and weight loss questions answered by Prof Tim Spector, Prof Sarah Berry & Dr Federica Amati

Today, we’re talking about supplements.

We’ve all seen them; the multivitamins, the fortified foods, the neatly packaged powders promising improved energy, immunity and longevity. 

Supplements boast bold claims, however, it’s hard to know if they’re genuinely helpful or just well-marketed.

Professor Tim Spector and Professor Sarah Berry join me to unpack why supplements exist, what the science really says about their benefits and risks, and how to decide if supplements deserve a place in your daily routine.

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

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

Most replayed moment: What The Science Says About Supplements | Prof Tim Spector & Prof Sarah Berry

Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro can help people lose weight. But what should you eat on GLP-1 drugs to avoid side effects, protect muscle, and maintain results long term?

In this episode, Dr Federica Amati, ZOE’s Head Nutritionist and author of The Appetite Reset, explains how these drugs work, why many people struggle with side effects, and why losing weight does not automatically mean better health.

You’ll learn why the weight lost may not be fat, why nutrient deficiencies, dehydration and muscle loss can become a risk, and what to eat before, during and after treatment. Federica shares four practical principles to help reduce side effects, protect lean mass, improve diet quality and support long-term health whether you stay on these medications or eventually stop taking them.

Millions of people are now using GLP-1 drugs. But if these medications reduce appetite so effectively, how do you make sure your body still gets the nutrients it needs?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

03:23 What Ozempic actually does inside your body

06:00 Are Ozempic and Mounjaro really miracle drugs?

10:53 Ozempic vs Wegovy vs Mounjaro: what’s the difference?

11:40 The step almost everyone skips before starting GLP-1s

13:16 Why do some people get worse Ozempic side effects?

15:20 The surprising brain effect changing people’s lives

18:20 The appetite system most people never learn about

21:25 How fibre helps your body make more GLP-1 naturally

24:24 Why ultra-processed foods never keep you full

27:20 Why staying a healthy weight is harder than ever

30:11 The hidden risk nobody mentions when losing weight

32:11 The 4 rules to protect muscle, bones and brain health

34:24 The side effect that can make life feel less enjoyable

35:26 What happens if you stay on Ozempic but never change your diet?

38:16 Can Ozempic cause malnutrition? Warning signs to know

39:35 Why some people suddenly stop craving junk food

41:15 What should you eat before starting Ozempic?

42:50 What should you eat while taking Ozempic?

44:01 Why meal timing matters more than you think

46:25 The eating mistake that triggers nausea and vomiting

47:18 The best protein foods for GLP-1 users

49:15 Can Ozempic cause muscle loss? The protein myth explained

51:40 What should you eat when coming off Ozempic?

53:15 Why some people keep the weight off for years

57:45 Why do most people quit Ozempic within a year?

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati

GLP-1 Discontinuation Among Patients, Diabetes and Endocrinology (2024)

How much protein do you need? ZOE’s new guide

Managing Gastrointestinal Adverse Events in Patients Treated with GLP-1s, Journal of Clinical Medicine (2022)

Neurological complications following GLP-1 use, BMC Neurology (2025)

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

The 4 rules to protect your muscle, bones and brain health when using Ozempic and other weight loss injections | Dr Federica Amati

Today we’re talking about what causes ageing.

Here’s an important term you may not have heard before: inflammaging. It describes the link between chronic inflammation in the body and accelerated ageing.

While it’s relatively unknown, this process is one of the most important concepts to understand if we want to live longer, healthier lives.

I’m joined by Professor Janet Lord to break down what inflammaging is, why it’s one of the biggest threats to healthy longevity, and the surprisingly simple, science-backed habits we can all use to slow it down.

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

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

Listen to the full episode here

Most replayed moment: Easy Steps to Reduce Inflammation and Slow Ageing | Professor Janet Lord

Could inflammation be causing low mood, anxiety, depression, or even affecting your risk of dementia? 

Emerging science suggests that inflammation in the body may change how the brain works. In this episode, Ed Bullmore, a Professor of Psychiatry at King's College London and a leading voice in brain research, explores why feeling low, emotionally flat, foggy or exhausted may not always be “all in your head”.

Ed explores emerging science suggesting that inflammation in the body may alter how the brain works. He explains how inflammation can influence the brain and discusses why obesity, gut health, gum disease, menopause, ageing and stress may all play a role. He also examines why medicine has traditionally separated physical and mental health, and what this may mean for understanding the root causes of low mood.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have some practical ways to support both brain and body health. Ed shares the evidence behind which exercise and diet matter most, and why discussing mental and physical health together may help you get closer to the causes of your symptoms.

If your mood, energy and brain health are shaped by more than what’s happening in your mind, what might your body be trying to tell you?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

What inflammation is really doing to your mind, body and 5 ways to protect your brain | Prof Ed Bullmore

Today we’re talking about skin and sunlight.

Skin and sunlight have a complicated relationship. Sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which is essential for overall health. However, too much exposure can accelerate skin ageing and increase the risk of skin cancer.

So how much sun is enough? Are most of us getting too little, or too much? And where does sunscreen fit into a healthy daily routine?

I’m joined by Professor John McGrath to explore how sunlight affects our skin, and how to strike the perfect balance

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

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

Listen to the full episode here

Most replayed moment: How to Balance Sunlight and Suncream | Professor John McGrath

Could mushrooms hold the secret to better gut health, lower cholesterol, and can they protect your brain?

Today, Professor Robin May, a leading microbiologist and the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Officer, explores why our interest in mushrooms has exploded. He explains why they are not just another vegetable but could hold the key to better gut health, brain health, immune health, and lower cholesterol.

By the end of the episode, you’ll know which health claims about mushrooms are real, which are exaggerated and where the science is just too early to trust. You’ll have a solid understanding of what mushrooms are really doing inside our bodies and how to unlock the secret health powers they hold.

Should mushrooms become a regular part of your weekly shop rather than an occasional side dish? And if fungi have evolved alongside humans for millions of years, what else might they reveal about the future of nutrition and health?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

03:32 Are mushrooms closer to humans than plants?

06:20 What is a mushroom, really?

10:46 Why we’re eating more mushrooms now

12:14 The hidden nutrients inside mushrooms

13:56 Can mushrooms boost vitamin D?

15:35 The sunlight trick for healthier mushrooms

17:27 How many mushrooms give you enough vitamin D?

18:01 The mushroom with 500x more vitamin D

20:25 The mystery compound found in mushrooms

22:00 Should you take mushroom supplements?

24:30 Do all mushrooms contain this rare compound?

26:22 Can mushrooms help you live longer?

28:35 Can lion’s mane protect your brain?

30:24 Do mushrooms really boost IQ?

34:21 Can mushrooms affect your immune system?

36:40 How mushrooms feed your gut microbes

38:20 Should fungi live in your gut?

39:45 The fungus that lives on your head

41:50 Can mushrooms lower cholesterol?

43:21 Are you cooking mushrooms wrong?

45:25 Should you eat raw mushrooms?

47:21 How to make mushrooms taste better

49:25 The easiest way to eat more mushrooms

52:17 Robin’s top mushroom tip

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D, Nutrients (2018)

Ergothioneine: an underrecognised dietary micronutrient required for healthy ageing, British Journal of Nutrition (2023)

Ergothioneine: A Stress Vitamin with Antiaging, Vascular, and Neuroprotective Roles?, Antioxidants and Redox Signaling (2022)

Mushrooms & longevity, Nature (2025)

Lion’s mane & nerve growth factor, Journal of Biological Engineering (2023)

The Relationship between Mushroom Intake and Cognitive Performance, Nutrients (2024)

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

How to unlock the secret power of mushrooms to heal your gut, cut cholesterol and protect your brain | Prof Robin May

Today we’re exploring the impact of ultra-processed foods on young people.

One of the big reasons ultra-processed foods have become so widespread is convenience. They offer quick, easy meals for people short on time - and few groups are more time-pressed than parents trying to feed young children.

But does this convenience come at a cost?

I’m joined by Harvard professor Dr Andy Chan, whose research is helping us understand how early exposure to ultra-processed food can shape future health.

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+

Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

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

Listen to the full episode here

Most replayed moment: Blood pressure: the silent risk you shouldn’t ignore | Prof Tim Spector

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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