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

ZOE Science & Nutrition

What if your blood pressure — even just a little too high — is quietly damaging your brain? What if it’s increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke, without you ever feeling a thing?

In this episode, Professor Tim Spector reveals why blood pressure is one of the most overlooked – and most dangerous – health issues today. He explains why “normal for your age” might not be safe at all, why medication alone isn’t the full answer, and how small, daily changes could dramatically reduce your risk of serious disease.

Can your gut microbes raise your blood pressure? Can a banana be as powerful as a pill? Is beetroot juice really three times more effective than cutting salt?

You’ll also learn why 80% of the salt we eat isn’t from the shaker, how stress and sleep secretly push your pressure up, and what most doctors still miss when treating hypertension.

If you’ve ever been told your blood pressure’s “fine” — or never measured it at all — this episode might change the way you think about your future health.

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

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

03:29 What actually is high blood pressure?

05:57 Why everyone should own a blood pressure monitor

07:01 What your blood pressure reading really means

09:59 Stress and high blood pressure

11:28 The $20 gadget that can save your life

13:17 When to see a doctor

14:35 What causes high blood pressure

16:57 Salt and blood pressure

18:28 Why reducing salt didn’t work for Tim

20:09 Blood pressure medications

22:04 Why high blood pressure is so dangerous

24:20 How blood pressure quietly damages your brain

27:18 Is it too late to lower your blood pressure?

31:31 How your gut microbes affect blood pressure

34:14 Why potassium matters more than salt

36:29 How sleep, stress & saunas impact your blood pressure

38:58 The real source of excess salt in your diet

41:37 Should you switch to potassium salt?

49:30 Beetroot juice: better than salt restriction?

📚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

Free resources from ZOE

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Studies referenced in today's episode:

Nonpharmacologic Interventions for Reducing Blood Pressure in Adults With Prehigh blood pressure to Established high blood pressure, Journal of the American Heart Association (2020)

Long-Term Effect of Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control on Mild Cognitive Impairment and Probable Dementia in SPRINT, Neurology (2025)

Blood pressure reduction and all-cause dementia in people with uncontrolled high blood pressure: an open-label, blinded-endpoint, cluster-randomized trial, Nature Medicine (2025)

high blood pressure Associated With Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Among Hypertensive Adults at a Tertiary Hospital in South Africa, Frontiers in Neurology (2022)

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

How to lower blood pressure, improve heart health and reduce dementia risk | Prof. Tim Spector

Are you ever intimidated by spices? Unsure what spice to add to which meal? If so, you might be missing out on some incredible health benefits! Spices are packed full of polyphenols which means they offer our body something really unique. Oh, and they taste great too.

So how can we introduce more spices into our meals?

Kanchan Koya is here to share the science of spices and show us how easy it is to make them a staple of our cooking.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:
The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

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

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

Recap: Reduce inflammation with a sprinkle of spices | Kanchan Koya

Artificial sweeteners are everywhere. They hide in cereal, salad dressing – even in health foods. But are they really a guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth? Or is it naive to think that – because they’re zero calorie – they’re free of consequence?
New research shows there is a consequence. And it could be massive. Artificial sweeteners may disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria that live in your gut. You could see ripple effects like chronic disease, weight gain and a weakened ability to process real sugar.
Today’s guest is at the forefront of this research. For the last decade, Dr Eran Elinav led breakthroughs on the science behind popular sweeteners. He leads The Institute for Microbiome Research at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He’s published over 100 publications in leading scientific journals. And his lab is on the cutting-edge of gut microbiome research. 
We’re also joined today by Tim Spector. Tim is one of the world’s top 100 most-cited scientists, a professor of epidemiology, and my scientific Co-Founder at ZOE. 
You’ll finish today’s episode knowing what's in your sweetener, how it’s affecting you, and where to turn to satisfy your sweet tooth. 
🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+
Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:
00:00 The truth about artificial sweeteners
01:49 Quick fire questions
04:03 Tim's self-experiment
07:40 What is an artificial sweetener?
09:47 Examples of popular sweeteners
10:45 Detrimental effects of sugar on your health
13:11 Sugar's impact on gut health
16:30 Which factors affect the gut microbiome?
18:44 Full Fat Coke vs Diet Coke
21:05 Do diet drinks help weight loss?
26:00 Calorie restriction diets
28:01 Sweeteners and diabetes risk
35:50 Why your microbiome is a chemical factory
42:15 Not all sweeteners are created equal
49:00 The WHO's view on sweeteners
52:30 Practical advice on chemicals in food
55:05 How to transition off sweet drinks

📚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

Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Mentioned in today's episode
Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota (2023), published in Nature
Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance (2022), published in Cell
Acute and two-week effects of neotame, stevia rebaudioside M and sucrose-sweetened biscuits on postprandial appetite and endocrine response in adults with overweight/obesity-a randomised crossover trial from the SWEET consortium (2024), published in EBioMedicine
The contentious relationship artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular health (2023), published in The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine

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

Are artificial sweeteners harming your gut? | Dr. Eran Elinav and Prof. Tim Spector

Navigating the twists and turns of menopause can be a challenge. Hormone fluctuations bring about significant changes in your body - including how it responds to exercise.
So, how can you adjust your workout routine to best support your body through this change?
Exercise physiologist Dr. Stacy Sims tells us how we can optimise fitness during this unique stage of life.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:
The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

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

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

Recap: Change how you exercise during menopause | Dr Stacy Sims

Let’s take a look back at our best episodes of 2024. We had an incredible lineup of guests this year who shared a huge range of actionable tips on improving your nutrition and gut health. 
A lot of what we learned might surprise you. Like the beverage you’re probably drinking every day that we thought was bad for us? Turns out it can actually be super beneficial. Or that what counts as a plant is actually so much more than just fruit and veg. Not forgetting the topic we’ve shattered the taboo on - which made our celebrity guest emotional. 
You’ll finish this episode equipped to tackle your post-Christmas slump and feel energised to build new habits with ZOE in 2025. 

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+
Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
01:41 Build healthy food habits
08:15 Eat more plants with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
17:20 Reduce dementia risk
21:20 Is coffee healthy?
24:40 Why you need more olive oil
33:30 Our special guest!

📚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

Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Enjoy the full episodes here 👇

Habits with James Clear | Spotify or Apple

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall | Spotify or Apple

Dementia | Spotify or Apple

Coffee | Spotify or Apple

Olive oil | Spotify or Apple

Davina McCall | Spotify or Apple

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

ZOE's best health tips of 2024 - Part 1

In the second part of our 2024 recap, we take another look back at more of the best nuggets of wisdom from ZOE Science & Nutrition this year.
In this jam-packed episode, we’ll hear how your second brain affects your mood, why fasting doesn’t actually have to be difficult, and how to prevent the disease you probably don’t know much about - but can lead to hospital time. 
As you consider your New Year’s Resolutions and new habits, this episode will ready you with some great ideas. Why not share with a friend whose also trying to make positive change?

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+
Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Should you try fasting?
10:30 Eat more mushrooms
15:40 The power of spices
27:10 Your second brain
35:10 How to prevent osteoporosis

📚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

Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Enjoy the full episodes here 👇

Intermittent fasting | Spotify or Apple

Mushrooms | Spotify or Apple

Spices | Spotify or Apple

Gut health | Spotify or Apple

Osteoporosis | Spotify or Apple

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

ZOE's best health tips of 2024 - Part 2

Forget crash diets this January. In this episode, we discuss simple, effective ways to eat well and truly enjoy food in 2025.
Today, Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Sarah Berry join us to share seven essential strategies to help you improve your health this year. Based on the latest science that’s come out over the last 365 days, they bust common food myths, highlight the importance of quality over quantity, and show how the joy of eating can go hand in hand with good health.
🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+
Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes
00:00 What's your nutrition goal for 2025?
03:08 This choice matters most for your health
05:20 Changes that could add 10 years to your life
12:30 Tip 1: Reduce intake of these foods
21:20 Tip 2: Try eating at these times
30:50 Tip 3: Stop counting calories
41:39 Tip 4: Change drink habits
48:15 Tip 5: Eat more plants
55:48 Tip 6: Are you getting enough protein?
59:07 Tip 7: Start eating these healthy snacks
01:03:50 Add these foods to your plate

📚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

Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Mentioned in today's episode
Ultra-processed foods cause weight gain and increased energy intake associated with reduced chewing frequency: A randomized, open-label, crossover study, (2024) published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
Counting hours or calories? Metabolic regulatory role of time-restricted eating in adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis, (2024) published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 
Changes in food preferences and ingestive behaviors after glucagon-like peptide-1 analog treatment: techniques and opportunities (2024), published in International Journal of Obesity 
The potential effects of chlorogenic acid, the main phenolic components in coffee, on health: a comprehensive review of the literature (2017), published in European Journal of Nutrition 
Differential peripheral immune signatures elicited by vegan versus ketogenic diets in humans (2024), published in Nature Medicine

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

How to eat in 2025: 7 science-backed tips | Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Sarah Berry

Many believe that dementia is inevitable, something solely determined by our DNA. But this isn’t the case. In reality, lifestyle choices play the most significant role in determining if we develop this disease.
So, what changes can you make today to reduce your chance of getting dementia tomorrow?
Dr. Claire Steves joins us to share simple steps that will protect your brain for years to come.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:
The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

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

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

Recap: Simple steps to prevent dementia | Dr Claire Steves

Belly fat is more than just stubborn weight – it plays a complex role in our health, interacting with the immune system and gut bacteria. But could gut microbes hold the key to understanding and managing belly fat?
In this episode, Dr. Suzanne Devkota, Director of the Microbiome Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai, shares groundbreaking findings on how gut bacteria interact with belly fat. Tim Spector, professor of epidemiology and scientific co-founder at ZOE, also joins the conversation to explain how the diversity of your gut bacteria affects weight and overall health.
Together, our guests share surprising ways the microbiome influences fat storage and offer practical tips for supporting gut health.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+
Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes
00:00 The risks of internal fat
01:45 Quickfire questions
03:12 What is belly fat?
04:30 How dangerous is internal fat?
05:44 How our body uses belly fat
16:20 Groundbreaking study on gut bacteria
21:05 These gut bacteria live in your fat tissue
24:50 Gut health and your immune system
31:58 Why microbes are essential to survive
38:30 Why gut health starts at birth
46:40 The importance of sampling your gut microbes
50:50 Two changes you can make right now
53:02 Easy fermented eating tips
55:10 Why not all pickles are fermented

📚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

Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Mentioned in today's episode
Translocation of Viable Gut Microbiota to Mesenteric Adipose Drives Formation of Creeping Fat in Humans (2020), published in Cell
Our extended microbiome: The human-relevant metabolites and biology of fermented foods (2024), published in Cell Metabolism
Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomized controlled trial (2024), published in Nature
Heritable components of the human fecal microbiome are associated with visceral fat (2016) published in Genome Biology
Dissecting the role of the gut microbiota and diet on visceral fat mass accumulation (2019), published in Scientific Reports

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

Is your gut microbiome preventing weight loss? | Dr. Suzanne Devkota and Prof. Tim Spector

A lot of things change as we age. Our dress sense, our taste in music and importantly our body. The truth is your body is not the same as it was 20 or even 10 years ago. 
So why should your diet be?
Dr Federica Amati is here to explain why our nutrition needs change as we enter later life and how we can adjust our diet to support this.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:
The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

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

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

Recap: How to adapt your diet for later life | Dr Federica Amati

How strong is your skeleton? It’s a tough question - and often, we only find out the answer when a bone breaks. The reality is, many of us have weak bones. Osteoporosis affects one in four people over fifty, significantly increasing their risk of painful and debilitating fractures.
So, what can you do to keep your bones strong as you age?
Professor Tim Spector & Professor Cyrus Cooper explain how you can tailor your lifestyle to maintain a strong skeleton.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST
🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:
The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

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

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

Recap: Strengthen your bones and avoid osteoporosis | Professor Tim Spector & Professor Cyrus Cooper

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