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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

Inside each of us lives a bustling community of microbes; tiny organisms that outnumber our human cells. They’re there from the very moment we’re born, shaping our immune system and influencing our long-term health.

The science of the microbiome is evolving rapidly, but one thing is clear: We need to take care of these microbes so that they can take care of us.

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Suzanne Devkota and Tim Spector to explore how our gut bacteria protect us from disease and what we can do to strengthen this vital partnership.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

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

📚Books 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

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

Recap: How your gut microbes could fight disease | Suzanne Devkota & Tim Spector

Dry January often raises big questions: how much alcohol is actually safe, and do you need to stop drinking altogether to protect your health? In this episode, world-leading alcohol expert Professor David Nutt explains why alcohol ranks as one of the most harmful drugs to society, how even “normal” drinking can affect your health, and what the science really says about cutting back without giving it up completely.

David, a neuropsychopharmacologist and former UK government drug adviser, explains why alcohol was ranked the most harmful drug overall in a landmark comparison of 20 drugs, how harm rises sharply as drinking increases, and unpacks common beliefs like red wine being “good for you”. The conversation also covers the social benefits of alcohol and why the goal isn’t necessarily to stop drinking, but to drink with awareness.

If you drink at all - whether it’s a glass most nights or more on weekends - this episode helps you understand where the real risks begin, and how to make alcohol work for you, not against you. And for listeners using dry January as a reset, David shares practical, science-based advice on how to cut down safely and sustainably.

If you’re pausing and reflecting this dry January, what might change when you start drinking again? And which habits are worth leaving behind for good?

Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 

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

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

01:45 Humans have been drinking for 40,000 years - here’s why

07:20 Why your first drink feels good - and the next ones don’t

11:45 You don’t need addiction to be harmed

12:45 Alcohol ranked worst out of 20 drugs

13:10 Why alcohol beats heroin on total harm

14:05 Alcohol is toxic — in the same way disinfectant is

15:00 The ‘pickling’ process happening inside your body

15:30 How alcohol quietly damages your arteries

17:30 The fastest way to lower blood pressure

18:25 Will your cholesterol drop if you stop drinking?

19:35 The red wine myth people still believe

20:45 Is any amount of alcohol actually ‘worth it’?

22:10 When alcohol may still make sense socially

23:05 What a ‘unit’ actually looks like

24:25 Why harm rises much faster than you expect

24:55 A bottle a day can cost you years of life

25:30 Why alcohol helps you fall asleep - then wrecks it

27:45 What a hangover really is (it’s not dehydration)

31:20 Does alcohol actually shrink your brain?

32:25 The long-term brain study people ignore

39:30 When stopping suddenly can be dangerous

41:05 The single rule that stops most people overdrinking

📚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

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

 
Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis, The Lancet (2010). 

 
Obesity trajectories and risk of dementia: 28 years of follow-up in the Whitehall II Study, The Alzheimer's Association (2018)

 
Feasibility of detection and intervention for alcohol-related liver disease in the community: the Alcohol and Liver Disease Detection study (ALDDeS), British Journal of General Practice (2013)

 
Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health by Professor David Nutt (2020)

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

How to drink alcohol without destroying your health | Prof. David Nutt

Change is difficult. Our routines can feel locked in, our habits on autopilot, and the idea of a major lifestyle overhaul can seem impossible. 

However, Rich Roll is living proof that this isn’t the case. Once struggling with addiction and poor health, he transformed his diet, rebuilt his body, and completely rewrote his future.

In today’s conversation, Tim Spector and Rich Roll discuss why midlife is a crucial turning point for health, what happens to your microbiome when you change your diet, and why it’s never too late to make a dramatic shift.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

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

📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists:

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:

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

Recap: How to break bad habits and transform your health | Rich Roll & Tim Spector

What really happens when you stop dieting and start eating healthy? In this episode, we hear from two real people who spent years trying to “do the right thing” with food and still felt stuck. 

Today, we’re joined by Becky and Mark, two ZOE members sharing their personal journeys. Each of them has spent the past two years consistently applying ZOE nutrition principles. Instead of relying on rules or restrictions, they embarked on a science-led journey with ZOE, focused on understanding their bodies. The results? Truly remarkable - ZOE became such an important part of their lives that, alongside 18,000 other members of our community, they became ZOE owners through our crowdfunding. So what changed, and did it last?

Alongside Professors Tim Spector and Sarah Berry, we explore how Becky and Mark stay motivated and on track, the lessons they have learned, and the strategies they have used to feel more in control and more confident in their everyday choices. As well as some unexpected shifts along the way.

It’s a conversation about long-term change, not quick fixes, and you’ll leave it with real-life examples of how to make healthy eating a part of your everyday life.

If healthy eating wasn’t about willpower or perfection, what small change would you start with? And what would help you take that first step this week?

Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 

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

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

05:20 The artificial sweetener trap no one talks about

08:20 The test result that caused panic

10:00 The stat that explains why diets “work”… then fail

12:05 Why calorie advice was “nice and easy”… and wrong

15:55 The “Mars bar” moment

17:10 The simple trick that stops you feeling deprived

18:10 Your biggest barrier might be the service station

19:25 Is bacon really that risky?

21:10 “Accidentally” becoming vegetarian

23:15 From three foods per plate to fifteen

24:15 The moment this turns into “poo in the post”

25:10 What actually happens to your sample in the lab

26:45 From 44 to 88 in one year

27:30 Why the magic starts after results day

29:10 The foods avoided for entire lives

30:00 The part of ZOE people underestimate

33:25 The meal-combining hack that changes everything

35:45 The daily score that keeps it sustainable

38:55 The claim people don’t believe: same weight for two years

44:05 The fatigue link your GP probably won’t ask about

45:47 The “nut box” rule (and what to drink instead)

52:05 How to make this last forever

📚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

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

ZOE’s Holiday Hosting Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

 
Gut micro-organisms associated with health, nutrition and dietary interventions, Nature (2025)

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

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

What happens when you start eating healthy?

We often hear people talk about metabolism - whether it’s fast, slow, strong, or sluggish. It’s one of those health buzzwords that’s often said, but rarely understood.

Yet understanding metabolism is essential. It influences how we process food, how much energy we have, and our risk of developing health conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

In this episode, Shawn Stevenson and Tim Spector cut through the confusion. Together, they’ll explain what metabolism actually is, and empower you to take control of yours.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

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

📚Books 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

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

Recap: We need to talk about metabolism | Shawn Stevenson & Tim Spector

What if small changes to how you eat in 2026 could help you feel more energetic, less hungry, and more in control of your health? In this episode, we ask Professor Tim Spector and Professor Sarah Berry a simple question: which everyday food habits make the biggest difference to how we feel?

Tim and Sarah outline the eight key principles that inform their approach to eating well and share clear, practical science in a way that’s easy to follow.

You’ll hear simple tips you can try at home, like how to build a balanced breakfast, add more plants to your meals, and choose small habits that are easier to stick to over time.

What is one easy change you could try in 2026 to feel a little better?

Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 

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

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

04:20 How changing your diet at 40 adds a decade of health

07:25 Why mindful eating isn’t a wellness fad

12:40 Why ‘30 plants’ beats five a day

14:10 Feeding your gut like a living ecosystem

16:35 Can adding plants cancel out an unhealthy meal?

17:40 Why 30 plants is the sweet spot

19:30 What makes processed food high risk?

21:40 How processing tricks your brain into overeating

23:45 Why ultra-processed foods make you eat 25% more

25:05 Why diet drinks aren’t as harmless as they seem

26:50 How ZOE measures processed food risk

29:35 How to spot risky processed foods without the app

30:20 Simple food swaps that make a big difference

31:40 Why calorie counting fails long term

33:40 How adding calories can reduce hunger

35:00 Can you lose weight without counting calories?

38:40 What is an eating window?

41:10 Why a 12-hour overnight fast works

42:30 Why consistency matters more than perfection

44:15 What ‘eat the rainbow’ actually means

47:00 How food diversity shapes your gut microbes

52:00 Why protein quality matters more than quantity

59:00 Why fermented foods are so powerful

01:06:20 The eight principles that tie everything together

📚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

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

ZOE’s Holiday Hosting Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

 
ZOE’s protein guide

 
Reducing Calorie Intake May Not Help You Lose Body Weight, Perspectives on Psychological Science (2017)

 
The ZOE BIG IF Study, MDPI (2024)

 
Fermented Food Consumption Is Associated With Improvements in Bloating, Hunger, Energy and Mood in the General Population, CDN (2025)

 
Association between ultraprocessed foods consumption, eating disorders, food addiction and body image: a systematic review, BMJ (2024)

 
ZOE ferment study

 
New microbiome breakthrough from ZOE, thanks to community science

 
Butter vs. seed oils: New evidence

 
Are all heavily processed foods bad? What you need to know

 
ZOE’s gut bug clusters

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

8 ways to eat better in 2026 | Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Sarah Berry

Calories. They’ve been at the heart of dieting advice for decades. Eat fewer, burn more, lose weight. simple, right?

Except it’s not that simple. Calories only tell us a fraction of the story. To really understand what's going on, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Helping us take this step is biologist Giles Yeo. He’ll explain why obsessing over the numbers doesn’t work, and how we can change the way we approach weight loss.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

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

📚Books 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

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

Recap: Why you should stop counting calories | Giles Yeo

Welcome to part two of our Best of 2025 series - the moments that changed how our listeners think about their health and what they do on a day-to-day basis.

In this episode, we delve into simple questions with profound impact. Is it safe to experiment with your own health? Does cheese really cause bad dreams? Why do some breakfasts leave you tired and hungry, while others don’t? 

If you’re looking for practical, science-led ideas you can take into the year ahead, this episode brings together the insights listeners found most useful, surprising, and worth returning to.

Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 

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

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

01:00 How much should we experiment with our own health?

03:48 Can a 47-year-old really be healthier than a teenager?

07:35 Why poor sleep makes everything feel like a threat

10:07 Why sleep is not optional for better health

10:33 The simple morning habit that improves sleep at night

11:19 The surprising exercise that may help you sleep better

12:45 Why your phone shouldn’t be in your bedroom

13:40 Why sleep rules shouldn’t become another source of stress

14:26 Does cheese before bed really cause nightmares?

15:40 Are oats actually good for you?

16:25 The large study linking oats to lower disease risk

18:40 What happened when Jonathan tested his blood sugar after oats

19:55 Why instant oats caused a huge blood sugar spike

22:20 How adding fat and protein changes your blood sugar response

24:37 Why not all oats are created equal

27:14 What arthritis pain actually feels like day to day

28:00 The trial that showed lifestyle changes can improve arthritis

31:55 Some patients improved enough to stop medication

32:45 The simple plate method for joint-friendly eating

36:05 Why muscle is critical for blood sugar and inflammation

39:05 The shocking truth about weight loss and muscle loss

41:53 What a realistic muscle-protecting workout looks like

44:50 The key ideas to take into a healthier 2026

📚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

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

ZOE’s Holiday Hosting Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

 
Oatmeal particle size alters glycemic index but not as a function of gastric emptying rate, 2017, Nutrient Sensing, Nutrition, and Metabolism

 
Urinary pesticide concentrations in French adults with low and high organic food consumption: results from the general population-based NutriNet-Santé, 2019, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 

 
Oat Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 2021, Nutrients

 
The effect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials, 2016, British Journal of Nutrition

 
A multidisciplinary lifestyle program for rheumatoid arthritis: the 'Plants for Joints' randomized controlled trial, 2023, published in Rheumatology

 
A multidisciplinary lifestyle program for metabolic syndrome-associated osteoarthritis: the "Plants for Joints" randomized controlled trial, 2023, published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

 
Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status, 2021, published in Cell

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 2025 - Part 2

Medical advances over the past century mean our bodies are living longer than ever. But our brains aren’t always keeping pace. Rates of Alzheimer’s are rising, and the big question is, why?

Emerging science suggests that our brain health in later life is shaped decades earlier, through everyday choices around food, lifestyle, and stress.

Today, I’m joined by neurologists Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, who will share their NEURO plan; a practical guide that you can use today to keep your brain strong tomorrow.

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+

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

📚Books 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

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

Recap: Tips to help prevent Alzheimer’s | Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai

This special episode brings together the moments from 2025 that listeners told us had the biggest impact on how they eat, think, and feel. It’s been a year full of surprising insights, practical shifts, and ideas that made healthy eating feel a little more doable.

From gut health breakthroughs to simple food habits that spark real change, this episode highlights the advice that resonated most - that people returned to, shared, and said genuinely helped them feel better.

Whether you’re pausing to take stock of the year or simply looking for small ideas to weave into everyday life, this episode offers some science-backed inspiration you can carry forward in your own way.

Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 

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

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

02:20 A wake-up call for change

04:20 The mindset shift that saved a life

08:30 Why your body is silently inflamed

12:20 The chemical that cools inflammation

14:40 The simple trick that unlocks broccoli’s benefits

17:00 The fermented food discovery that shocked researchers

19:20 The truth about autophagy everyone gets wrong

21:30 How to get fasting benefits without starving yourself

23:40 Can fasting really reverse biological age?

25:50 Dementia starts decades before symptoms

28:10 One diet’s astonishing impact on Alzheimer’s risk

30:20 The nutrient your brain literally can’t function without

32:40 The biggest drink trend of 2025 - and why it matters

34:50 The 900-year secret behind matcha’s power

36:40 Why matcha feels different from coffee in your brain

38:30 The nutritional showdown: matcha vs coffee

40:10 The bedtime twist nobody expects about matcha

41:10 The perfect first-time matcha recipe

41:55 How to get matcha’s full benefits (and avoid a common mistake)

42:20 Final takeaway for 2026

📚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

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

ZOE’s Holiday Hosting Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

 
MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging, A&D (2015)

 
Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomized controlled trial, Nature Medicine (2024)

 
Fasting-mimicking diet causes hepatic and blood markers changes indicating reduced biological age and disease risk, Nature Communications (2024)

 
Fasting in diabetes treatment (FIT) trial: study protocol for a randomised, controlled, assessor-blinded intervention trial on the effects of intermittent use of a fasting-mimicking diet in patients with type 2 diabetes, BMC Endocrine Disorders (2024)

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 2025 - Part 1

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.

Signs of an unhealthy gut

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