ZOE Science & Nutrition

Latest Episodes:

The surprising link between dementia and oral health Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

More than 50 systemic health conditions — including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease — are associated with oral disease.

The link between systemic and oral conditions is always microbial, inflammatory, or both. So, how can we look after our gums to improve our health?

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Prof. Alp Kantarci pose the question: How does the health of your oral cavity shape your general health?

Dr. Alp Kantarci is a professor, scientist, dentist, oral health researcher, periodontist, dental implant surgeon, and senior member of staff at the Forsyth Institute, an independent research institute that focuses on the connections between oral health and overall wellness. Dr. Kantarci is also a faculty member at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. He has published more than 190 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented more than 170 talks and posters at dental and medical congresses.

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:

01:35 - Quickfire questions

04:11 - What is oral health?

08:35 - How is our oral health connected to the health of the rest of our body?

11:01 - Oral microbiome

18:48 - Why does bad oral health affect the rest of the body?

22:47 - How much does the state of our oral health contribute to dementia?

25:48 - The link between oral health and diabetes

28:31 - The link between oral health and cardiovascular diseases

32:41 - What are the key steps to look after our oral health?

35:36 - Alp’s view on mouthwash

37:51 - Oral health & probiotics

42:22 - Impact of food on our oral health

45:45 - Does sparkling water affect our oral health?

50:04 - Summary

52:34 - Goodbyes

52:41 - Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Dementia and the risk of periodontitis: A population-based cohort study from the Journal of Dental Research.

Microglial response to experimental periodontitis in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease from Scientific Reports.

Fusobacterium nucleatum dissemination by neutrophils from the Journal of Oral Microbiology.

Safety and preliminary efficacy of a novel host-modulatory therapy for reducing gingival inflammation from Frontiers in Immunology.

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.

Cardio exercise: How much do you really need? Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Not all of us want to go to the gym 5 times a week, but what if there was a way to do quick, short high intensity 20 second exercises and still reap benefits - or does that sound too good to be true?

Javier and Jonathan break this down as they look at recent studies and results, optimizing exercise routines to achieve the desired health benefits, taking into account factors like intensity, duration, and frequency as well as discussing the effect of working from home vs commuting to the office.

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

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The Effects of High Intensity Interval Training vs Steady State Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity; from The Journal of Sports and Science Medicine

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.

Gut microbiome testing: What can it reveal about your health? Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Your gut microbiome, a bustling community of microorganisms, is a vital player in your overall health. It doesn’t just impact your digestive system — it has a profound influence on your brain health and well-being.

However, the gut microbiome is a complex, long misunderstood realm, and figuring out how it affects daily life can leave even the most dedicated health enthusiasts scratching their heads.

Here at ZOE, we’ve transformed our understanding of this bustling microbial world, where both “good” and “bad” gut bacteria reside.

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks with Prof. Nicola Segata and Prof. Tim Spector to explore how ZOE's microbiome testing and unique microbiome health scores provide personalized insights into your gut health.

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.

Nicola Segata is a professor and principal investigator at the Laboratory of Computational Metagenomics, at the CIBIO department of the University of Trento. His background is in metagenomics, machine learning, microbiome research, and microbial genomics.
Tim Spector is ZOE's scientific co-founder and one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:41 Quick fire questions

03:38 Why should we care about gut microbes?

07:00 How many different microbes do we have in our gut?

11:37 Why would we want to measure our microbiome?

13:15 Can we change our microbiome?

18:00 Is it possible to make a dramatic change in your microbiome over time?

20:21 What does the latest data tell us about improving our diet?

23:24 How does the ZOE micobiome gut test work?

27:07 What goes on in the lab to get these results?

30:54 Is there enough information in the gut microbiome to make a full health assessment?

34:20 What can our microbes tell us about diseases?

35:55 What useful information does the microbiome test show us?

36:51 Are we still making new discoveries in the microbiome?

41:03 Do different microbes prefer specific foods?

43:14 How do different lifestyles around the world change your microbiome?

47:44 5 simple tips to improve gut health

50:45 How rapidly can you damage your microbiome?

53:58 Can taking painkillers regularly negatively impact the microbiome?

56:10 Summary

60:03 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The person-to-person transmission landscape of the gut and oral microbiomes from Nature
Sharing of gut microbial strains between selected individual sets of twins cohabitating for decades from PLoS One
A genetic gift for sushi eaters from Nature

Find Nicola on ResearchGate and X.

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.

The shocking damage ultra-processed foods cause to your brain Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

There’s been a surge in our consumption of ultra-processed foods, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, where these foods contribute about two-thirds of people’s caloric intake.

Also a cause for concern is emerging evidence of ultra-processed foods’ detrimental effect on our brain health and overall well-being.

When most of our calories come from ultra-processed foods, the risk of chronic physical and mental health conditions escalates. Scientists are now uncovering the intricate mechanisms behind this relationship, particularly concerning the effects of these foods on our brains.

In today’s episode, we welcome back Prof. Felice Jacka, OAM. Felice is an Alfred Deakin professor of nutritional psychiatry and the director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, in Australia. She’s also the founder of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and the world’s leading researcher on food’s impact on our brain and mental health.

Now, she’s back on the show to delve deeper into the effects of ultra-processed foods on mental health and the brain, specifically the hippocampus, an area responsible for learning and memory.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

01:19 Quick fire questions

04:17 What is ultra processed food?

05:37 What is the NOVA classification?

08:18 How does food impact the brain?

10:33 What does the hippocampus do to influence our brain function?

12:58 Is there a link between the size of the hippocampus and quality of diet?

13:45 Is there a link between the quality of diet and depression?

20:37 What are the effects of long term dietary habits?

21:33 Is there a link between poor diet and dementia

23:18 Is there a link between autism and diet?

24:00 How real is the link between diet and dementia?

24:57 What is the oral microbiome?

28:16 New trial between whole foods and vitamin enriched nutritional foods

29:28 How does processing foods impact the makeup of foods on a molecular level?

32:10 How does the biodiversity around us affect our body?

33:08 How does the industrialized food environment impact us?

35:50 How strong is the evidence for this? is it comparable to smoking?

39:12 Practical tips to help with our diet

40:07 How does reducing consumption of UPF affect us?

41:25 How to cut down on UPF

44:04 Is it too late to change your diet?

45:39 Does exercise impact our brain?

47:41 Summary

52:57 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The SMILES trial published in BMC Medicine
Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health published in Nutrients
Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus also in BMC Medicine

Learn more about Felice on the Food & Mood Centre’s website.

Follow Felice on Instagram.

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.

Food before exercise: What does science say? Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Get science-based nutrition advice straight to your inbox: https://bit.ly/3ExWxCG

Most of us like to have breakfast before we exercise in the morning, but what happens if we don’t eat anything first?

The issue goes beyond weight loss and exercise timing to involve blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and other — perhaps unexpected — aspects of your health.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Professor Javier Gonzalez ask: Should we exercise on an empty stomach?

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

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Lipid metabolism links nutrient-exercise timing to insulin sensitivity in men classified as overweight or obese from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise from Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis from Sport Medicine

Exercising Tactically for Taming Postmeal Glucose Surges from Hindawi

Exercise-stimulated glucose uptake — regulation and implications for glycaemic control from Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

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.

Skin aging and acne: What you should do Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

As a listener to this show, you’ve probably heard of the gut microbiome. But did you know that your skin has its own microbiome?

Recent evidence suggests that these microbiomes are vital for our skin health. So, what should we do? Which foods make an impact?

And if we want our skin to look healthier, how about those collagen supplements that many of you have asked us about?

In today’s episode, our guest is Dr. Justine Kluk, a consultant dermatologist with a specialist interest in acne. Justine is a member of the British Association of Dermatologists, the Royal Society of Medicine, and the Royal College of Physicians.

ZOE’s Chief Scientist Dr. Sarah Berry also joins as a cohost to explore these ideas.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

02:01 Quick Fire questions

03:52 What does skin do?

04:51 Why is the skin so important?

06:34 Is there a correlation between aging skin and health?

07:41 What is the skin microbiome?

11:46 Is exposure to the natural environment beneficial for children?

12:39 Can we change the skin microbiome?

13:32 Would an oral or topical probiotic help improve our skin microbiome

15:11 What can we do to help support the skin barrier?

15:39 Can overwashing/scrubbing disturb your skin?

16:40 Why does acne matter?

18:37 Is acne just found in teenagers?

19:12 What effect does menopause have on your skin?

20:36 What impact does diet have on acne?

22:14 Are diets with high glycemic content bad for acne?

23:01 What is happening to create the effects of acne?

24:23 Is there a connection between our gut health and skin health?

25:15 Practical advice for people with acne

28:16 Diet tips to help support healthy skin

29:51 How has the ZOE diet gone down in Jonathan and Justine's household?

32:54 How can the ZOE diet help with day-to-day cooking habits?

35:46 What causes skin aging?

37:44 What can we do to slow down skin aging?

39:55 Do collagen supplements work to keep your skin youthful?

41:52 How can retinol help your skin?

42:30 3 things that could help keep your skin young

43:31 Top nutrition skin myths

45:50 How important is it to apply sun protection?

46:36 How does stress impact our skin?

48:38 Questions for Jonathan

54:57 Summary & Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Mortality is written on the face from The Journals of Gerontology: Series A
Too clean, or not too clean: the hygiene hypothesis and home hygiene from Clinical & Experimental Allergy
Impact of outdoor nature-related activities on gut microbiota, fecal serotonin, and perceived stress in preschool children from Scientific Reports

Justine shares more in-depth skincare and acne information at drjustinekluk.com and as @drjustinekluk on Instagram

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

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.

The great calorie deception: Are food labels misleading? Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

Millions of us are counting calories every day. But do we know if those numbers truly reflect the energy we get from eating?

It’s about time that we debunked the “one-size-fits-all” approach to calorie counting and unmasked the outdated methodologies that contribute to inaccuracies in food labeling.

In today’s episode, Jonathan and Dr. Sarah Berry ask: How exactly do we measure calories, and is calorie counting actually effective?

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

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

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The Wilbur Olin Atwater Papers from the United States Department of Agriculture

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.

Antibiotics: The surprising truth about probiotics and what to do instead Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Antibiotics are one of thegreatest discoveries of the 21st century. Since their inception, they’ve saved countless lives, but these miracle drugs come at a cost. In some cases, they can seriously affect your health or can even be life-threatening.

In today’s episode, Jonathan puts himself under the microscope. After an injury forced him to take antibiotics, he shows you the effect they had on his own gut bacteria.

Jonathan’s joined by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz and Prof. Tim Spector, who explore the impact of different types of antibiotics, how they affect your bacteria in the short and long term, and how we can reverse the unwanted effect of these drugs.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

00:15 Jonathan’s Intro

00:50 Quickfire round

01:40 Jonathan’s accident

04:00 Unpacking clindamycin

11:40 Antibiotic-associated diarrhea

14:45 Side effects prevention advice

22:20 Jonathan’s gut at 7 days

27:50 Fermented foods

27:00 Tips for building your gut back up

41:30 Benefits vs. risks

48:00 Summary

51:20 Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Post-antibiotic gut mucosal microbiome reconstitution is impaired by probiotics and improved by autologous FMT from Cell

Saccharomyces boulardii: What makes it tick as successful probiotic? From the Journal of Fungi

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

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.

Butter vs. margarine: What does science say? Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Whether you’re frying, baking, or topping your toast, most of you will eat either butter or margarine at some point today. The fact that these spreads are such a staple means that we need to know their effects on our health. And It might surprise you to learn that this impact has changed quite dramatically over the past 20 years.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Dr. Sarah ask: Which is healthier, butter or margarine?

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

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

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Margarine from Science Direct

Margarines: Historical approach, technological aspects, nutritional profile, and global trends from Food Research International

Reduction of LDL-cholesterol as a result of the change from butter to soft margarine from Polish Archives of Internal Medicine

Americans' per capita consumption of margarine & butter from the USDA

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.

Healthy aging: The surprising power of your social life Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Unfortunately, many of us spend our later years in poor health. But is this avoidable? And can we actually increase our healthy years?

While aging is inevitable, there are steps we can take to minimize its effects on our health. And surprisingly, some of these steps have nothing to do with exercise or diet. Simply spending time with others can provide countless benefits to us as we age.

But how can we maintain these connections? Does retirement affect our social interactions? And can attitude alone keep you healthier in your later years?

In today’s episode, one of the world’s top experts on aging, Prof. Rose Anne Kenny, joins us to explore these ideas.

Rose Anne is a world-leading geriatrician at Trinity College Dublin, where she leads a huge, long-term study on aging. She’s also the author of the number one international bestseller Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:13 - Quickfire round

01:14 - What’s the biggest myth about aging?

04:18 - What is aging?

07:43 - Aging process predictors

13:50 - Our growing elderly population

15:14 - Retirement

19:21 - Study on aging and social interaction

24:57 - Importance of social participation

27:38 - Studying the effects of loneliness