ZOE Science & Nutrition

Latest Episodes:

10 tips to help you live healthier: Part 1 Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

In this special two-part episode, we’re taking a journey back through all of our episodes to bring you 10 actionable tips that will have a big impact on your nutritional health.

Here, in part one, we’ll explore whether you actually need to spend more on organic food, why snacking can help your diet, and plenty more.

These are evidence-backed tips to help you live and eat healthier.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalised nutrition program.

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

Follow ZOE on Instagram

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:57 Snacking

8:44 Ultra-processed foods

14:58 Organic food

21:00 Fermented foods

28:47 Protein

Resources from ZOE:

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Episode transcripts are available here.

Why unhealthy carbs are making you sick, and what to do about it Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

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 diseasefrom JAMA Internal Medicine

The Mediterranean diet: Science and practicefrom 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.

Could this diet solve your gut issues? Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

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

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Episode transcripts are available here.

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

How body fat impacts health and aging Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

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

Exercise myths busted: Practical steps to sustain your health Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

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 ithere.

Episode transcripts are available here.

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

We risked it all! Does ZOE work? Here's what our latest trial results show Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

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

How to prevent heart disease, according to science Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

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.

The surprising truth about lectins Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

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.

Aging and longevity reimagined: Is mindfulness the secret? Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

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.

Resistance training: How to stay strong as you age Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

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