ZOE Science & Nutrition

If you're confused about the health effects of fats, you are not alone. You've probably read the headlines - fats are killing us! Then found claims they’re actually healthy in the same publication the following week.

Saturated fats have been touted as the worst of all. 

While there’s ambiguity around other fat sources, saturated fats are universally demonized.

But are they really the super villain we've been led to believe?  

Find out in this week’s episode. 

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Keto has been promoted as a magic bullet for weight loss by its supporters and slammed as dangerous by its opponents. It's no surprise - completely removing almost all carbohydrates is not what most people consider ‘a balanced diet’.

With carbs off the table, Keto diets involve a dramatically increased fat intake. At the same time, drastically reducing carbs means starving our gut microbes of the fiber that feeds them. 

Nonetheless, doctors prescribe keto diets to treat people with severe diabetes and see dramatic improvements, and many healthy people swear by keto for weight loss. On top of this, removing carbohydrates prevents blood sugar spikes and crashes linked to inflammation and disease. 

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to a leading nutritional researcher to understand whether or not keto diets are a crazy fad:

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:10 - Topic introduction

01:38 - Quick-fire questions

05:20 - What is a ketogenic diet? How does it work?

08:34 - Why have people become interested in keto?

10:16 - To promote ketosis, how low-carb should a diet be?

11:46 - Why are randomized trials so important?

14:37 - Christopher’s study

18:46 - What is a Mediterranean diet?

21:31 - Study results

25:33 - How sustainable is a keto diet?

31:22 - How strictly should you follow the keto diet?

32:47 - Diabetes and keto

35:36 - Keto’s impact on the microbiome

37:57 - Is there a long-term impact on the ability to process carbs?

39:51 - Summary

41:40 - Listener’s question

42:12 - Goodbyes

42:32 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Read Chris’ Study here.

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

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

The word ‘processed’ has become synonymous with being unhealthy. The mainstream media encourages us to detox from processed food or offers us ‘10 easy ways’ to stop eating it. 

But nearly everything we consume has undergone some type of processing.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: If most of what we eat is processed, can it really be that unhealthy 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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

A mummified man found in the mountains of Italy on a nutrition science podcast? Have we gone completely off track? 

We haven’t - we promise. 

This unfortunate soul could be the key that unlocks an entirely new understanding of human health. 

This mummy, discovered in an alpine snow drift by two hikers, gives us a remarkable glimpse into the surprising dietary choices of our ancestors.

In today’s episode, Jonathan discovers some secrets held by our ancestors by speaking to two outstanding guests:

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:10 - Topic Introduction

01:45 - What happened thirty years ago high in the mounts on the border between Italy and Austria

03:02 - Who was the Iceman?

03:39 - What happened to him and what did we discover about him?

05:10 - How old was he and what do we know about his lifestyle?

06:01 - What was he eating?

09:02 - What’s surprising about his health?

11:56 - The Iceman & mushrooms

13:08 - Iceman’s microbiome

14:13 - The most surprising information about the Iceman’s microbiome

15:27 - What’s microbiome diversity?

17:30 - Iceman’s origins

17:56 - The start of a new academic discipline

19:41 - Finding out about salt miners

21:02 - What did these salt miners eat?

23:05 - How plant-based was their diet?

23:39 - Did they eat dairy?

25:05 - Their diet diversity

26:40 - What do their microbiomes tell us?

32:31 - What does this mean for us? What is the actionable advice?

36:24 - Summary

38:16 - Goodbyes

38:40 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Frank: https://twitter.com/frankmaixner

Follow Tim: www.instagram.com/tim.spector/

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

We’re excited for you to hear our NEW bitesize podcast: ZOE Shorts.

Some of you requested some short-form episodes, so we delivered!

In between the longer episodes, Jonathan teams up with world-leading nutrition researcher and podcast regular Dr Sarah Berry to tackle one hot topic from nutrition science in just 15 minutes.

From saturated fats to vitamins, time-restricted eating and much more, find out the history, the different sides of the argument and, of course, hear what the latest science says from ZOE Science and Nutrition.

Think of this podcast as a convenient, healthy snack: easy to consume but keeping you full throughout the day with bitesize nutrition advice and entertainment!

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

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get

10% off your personalised nutrition program.

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

From blueberries to salmon, kale to acai, it seems like anything and everything can be classed as a superfood these days.

Supposedly they can prevent cancer, reduce inflammation, and even help you live longer…

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science and Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah look at the history of superfoods and ask: are some foods really more ‘super’ than others? Or is this just another marketing ploy?

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

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

10% off your personalised nutrition program.

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

It’s a biological process that we need to stay alive. Yet too much of it leads to disease and a shorter life. 

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to an outside event it thinks is dangerous. This stimulus could be an injury, like falling off your bike or an infection by a virus or bacteria. But inflammation can also be triggered by our food in the hours after we eat. 

But if this natural process is required to protect us from infections and injuries, why is inflammation usually cast in a negative light? Is there something behind this, or is the idea that inflammation is bad a lie, designed to sell magic potions with dubious evidence? 

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to two show regulars to unravel all the information about inflammation:

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:09 - Topic Introduction

02:30 - Quickfire questions

04:27 - What is inflammation, why does it happen, and why it’s not always bad

10:38 - How is diet related to inflammation?

14:15 - Microbiome and inflammation

19:31 - What does prolonged inflammation do to your health?

23:06 - Can inflammation affect our weight?

25:24 - How does inflammation affect aging and menopause?

29:21 - How do we reduce our dietary inflammation?

33:26 - Should we exclude foods to reduce inflammation?

37:06 - Summary

38:49 - Goodbyes

38:52 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Sarah: https://twitter.com/saraheeberry

Follow Tim: https://twitter.com/timspector

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions

It’s no exaggeration to say that bread shaped modern humanity - it was the cultivation of wheat for flour that transformed our ancestors from hunter-gatherers to city dwellers. 

Today, millions of us start the day with a slice of toast, and most lunches in the US and UK are wrapped in a slice of bread or a burger bun as a cheap, flexible, and delicious energy source.

But modern industrial processes designed to reduce the time and cost of baking mean today’s bread would be unrecognizable to our ancestors.  

Today’s bread tastes good but has lost most of its nutritional content. With most of its fiber gone, and no time for bacteria to work its fermenting magic, bread has become a simple starch, rapidly turned into sugar in our blood and offering little to support our gut bacteria. For this reason, bread is increasingly demonized as an evil carb.

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to two authorities on the subject to ask: Can bread can ever be healthy?

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:09 - Topic introduction

02:14 - Quickfire questions

04:08 - Why bread matters

05:23 - Is bread empty calories?

08:46 - What is bread?

11:30 - What is bran?

12:16 - The difference between the types of grains

14:19 - What is the impact of bread on our microbes?

17:03 - What should you look for in bread?

18:50 - What sort of bread should you look for?

20:10 - Supermarket bread is not fresh!

20:42 - On gluten intolerance

23:11 - How should we think about sourdough?

32:29 - How to know whether sourdough is real or fake?

35:47 - Practical advice on how to choose bread

38:54 - Summary

40:43 - Goodbyes

40:55 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Vanessa: https://www.instagram.com/vanessakimbell/

Follow Tim: https://twitter.com/timspector

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Coffee’s earliest consumption dates back millennia when the tribesmen of Ethiopia used its ground-up berries to help aid concentration during prayer. 

Arriving in Europe in the 17th century, Coffee quickly began to replace beer and wine as a favourite breakfast drink. 

In the 20th century, coffee was blamed for high blood pressure and heart attacks, and more recently linked to a rising epidemic of poor sleep. 

None of this has prevented coffee’s relentless rise. Over 2 billion cups of the stuff are drunk each day. 

So, is coffee a guilty treat as many of us suspect? Or is it a health drink feeding your good gut bacteria? 

In this episode, Jonathan speaks with James Hoffmann and Tim Spector to find out. They discuss how coffee affects your gut bacteria, your hormones and your heart, whether decaffeinated coffee is healthy, and discover some of coffee’s most surprising side effects – which could come in handy if you find yourself in the jungle.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:11 - Topic introduction 

01:54 - Quickfire questions

03:30 - What is coffee and why are we willing to spend money on it?

04:51 - Views on coffee

08:07 - Health properties of coffee

10:24 - How is coffee made?

14:32 - Quantities of caffeine in beverages 

16:12 - How important is fermentation for coffee flavor?

17:20 - What does the fermentation stage look like?

19:51 - Fiber & coffee

24:00 - Effects of coffee

24:54 - How much is too much coffee?

26:39 - What time is the best to drink coffee?

30:32 - What is decaf and is it safe?

34:03 - Does James drink decaf?

34:44 - Is decaf as healthy as caffeinated coffee?

36:01 - Does coffee quality matter?

37:00 - James' coffee preference

38:15 - Health side effects of coffee

40:25 - Is it healthy to mix coffee with milk?

42:48 - James' opinion on coffee with milk

44:31 - Summary

46:39 - Instagram question: Does coffee dehydrate you? 

47:00 - Goodbyes

47:17 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow James: https://www.instagram.com/jimseven/

Follow Tim: https://twitter.com/timspector

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions

You may have heard there are bugs in your gut. But do they matter? 

Today, the evidence shows the answer is a resounding yes. This ecosystem of tiny microbes living in our bodies is one of the most exciting areas in medical research, linked to everything from metabolic to mental health.

So while many of us have heard that gut health is essential, few of us understand why and what we should do to support our gut bacteria.

In this episode, Jonathan speaks with Will Bulsiewicz to find out when our microbiome begins to form, the most effective ways to support our gut health, and the role these gut bacteria play in controlling our weight.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:11 - Topic introduction

01:29 - Quickfire questions 

02:55 - What is the microbiome?

08:51 - The role of the microbiome?

11:52 - The microbiome as an organ?

17:01 - Why does the microbiome matter?

21:01 - How does the microbiome affect our metabolism and weight?

24:12 - Do we have a microbiome before we are born? How does it develop?

32:44 - What can you do to improve your gut health?

35:55 - Analyzing the microbiome to know more about your relationships 

39:24 - 3 health tips to improve our microbiomes 

41:42 - Summary

44:40 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Follow Will: https://www.instagram.com/theguthealthmd/

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.