ZOE Science & Nutrition

Latest Episodes:

Should we be worried about strep A? Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

This year, cases of an invasive bacterial infection are rising earlier than usual in the US, the UK and other countries across Europe.

The group A Streptococcus bacteria - commonly known as Strep A - usually only causes mild illness. However, things have become severe in some cases, with several children dying in recent weeks.

So, should we be worried? And what symptoms should we look out for to help us identify this illness in ourselves and our families?

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by world-leading expert on the subject: Shiranee Sriskandan is a professor of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London whose scientific research focuses specifically on Strep A bacteria. Regular guest and ZOE co-founder Tim Spector also joins, and as one of the world’s top 100 most cited scientists, Tim has been closely following infectious diseases in the community through the ZOE Health Study.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:10 Topic Introduction

01:40 Quickfire Questions

03:15 What is Strep?

04:04 How common is Strep?

05:02 Seasonality of Strep and symptoms in different climates

05:30 What makes this year different?

06:31 Can Strep make other illnesses worse?

07:07 We've already seen signs of Strep rising over time, is this due to lockdown?

09:36 How worried should we be about Strep infections?

10:10 Group A Strep will often get better on its own

11:07 The risk of rarer invasive infections is greater as the pool of cases increases

11:59 Immune response to Strep A can increase chances of Rheumatic Fever

13:35 What is Rheumatic Fever?

14:59 What are the symptoms of Strep A

16:53 How to treat Strep Throat

18:12 What is the relationship between Strep A and Scarlet Fever

18:53 Who gets Scarlet Fever and what are the symptoms?

19:34 What are the distinguishing features between covid and other sore throats

20:53 Do children get more fevers if they are younger?

22:54 What to do if you think your child has strep throat

24:01 Can you get rapid tests for Strep A?

24:25 Why has Strep throat been seemingly more prominent in the US than the UK

25:41 Different health services around the world and their respective responses to Strep

27:36 Should we be testing and treating?

30:15 What role does differing attitudes to healthcare play in this?

32:02 Should we be cautious about using antibiotics for Strep A?

33:51 What potential problems are there around antibiotics?

36:00 Would a vaccine be the answer to stopping Strep in its tracks?

38:41 Tim's top tips to boost your immunity this winter

41:06 Summary

Episode transcripts are available here

Read about Tim Spector’s ZOE Health Study here

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

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

How to make New Year’s resolutions stick Jan 01, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to 2023! Whether you partied last night or went to bed early, we’re all in the same boat: a new year means thinking about new year’s resolutions.

This tradition dates back 4000 years, so it’s certainly stood the test of time. But are new year’s resolutions a good idea? Or simply a get way to set yourself up to fail?

Perhaps science has something to say about this.

In this episode, Jonathan speaks with Tara Swart and Sarah Berry, who share techniques that will give you the best chance of sticking to your New Year’s resolutions. They also discuss whether these promises are a good idea in the first place.

Tara Swart is a medical doctor, a neuroscientist, and the author of The Source: Open Your Mind, Change Your Life. She also has her own podcast, called Reinvent Yourself.
Sarah Berry is one of the world's leading experts on human nutrition. She has personally run more than 20 randomized clinical trials looking at how humans respond to different fats.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:10 - Topic introduction

01:54 - Quickfire questions

02:32 - Making good choices for the New Year without it being hard work

04:28 - Why do we do New Year resolutions and is it a good idea?

07:07 - How to achieve New Year’s resolution goals?

09:18 - Scientific evidence about how to achieve goals

09:53 - What is neuroplasticity

16:02 - 4-step process to change your brain

18:36 - How to approach weight loss resolutions

23:07 - Avoiding dieting as a New Year’s resolution

25:49 - The science of habits

33:07 - Tips & actionable advice

40:02 - Quitting alcohol

43:26 - Summary

44:00 - Goodbyes

44:11 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Get Tara’s book here.

Follow Tara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtaraswart

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahberry/

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

Have an idea for a podcast? Contact Fascinate Productions to bring it to life.

The health benefits of eating together Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

You might think what you eat and when are the only factors that play into the health of your diet. But recent research has shown that who you eat with can also play a role. And it could even make your food taste better!

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: Can eating with other people really improve your food?

Studies referenced in today’s episode:

Associations of family feeding and mealtime practices with children's overall diet quality, published in Appetite here
‘Diet and Health Benefits Associated with In-Home Eating and Sharing Meals at Home’ from International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health here
‘The Protective Role of Family Meals for Youth Obesity: 10-year Longitudinal Associations’ from the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services here

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

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

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahberry/

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Tim Spector’s journey from health crisis to healthy eating - a chapter from Food for Life Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

What should I have for dinner? A question you no doubt ask yourself daily. But I bet you don't spend too long coming up with an answer. ZOE's scientific co-founder, Tim Spector, has been trying to answer this question for a decade.

If you're a regular listener, you probably know him well. Five years ago, he published the best-selling book, The Diet Myth, and just last month, he released the follow-up, Food for Life, the New Science of Eating Well.

In this episode, you'll hear a chapter from the book titled “So Now What Should I Have for Dinner?”

Tim Spector is a co-founder of ZOE and one of the world's top 100 most-cited scientists.

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

Get Tim’s book here.

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

01:44 - Chapter 11. So now what should I have for dinner?

14:00 - Personalizing my diet

26:15 - Five final tips

27:00 - Outro

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

Episode transcripts are available here.

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Should you worry about gluten? Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

The last decade saw a rise in gluten-free diets. But the number of us with diagnosed gluten intolerance each year hasn’t changed.

Eliminating gluten is the only treatment for those with celiac disease, but the rest of us could be doing more harm than good by embracing ultra-processed, gluten-free foods.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Will ask: Should you be worried about gluten?

Studies referenced in the episode:

‘Health Benefits and Adverse Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet in Non–Celiac Disease Patients’ from Gastroenterol & Hepatology here
‘The Gluten-Free Diet: Recognizing Fact, Fiction, and Fad’ from The Journal of Pediatrics here
’Is There Evidence to Support the Claim that a Gluten-Free Diet Should Be Used for Weight Loss?’ from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics here

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.

The secrets of good sleep Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

We all know how good it feels to drift into deep sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

The positive effects of a good night’s sleep affect every aspect of our lives. We feel energetic, focused, and ready to take on the day’s challenges.

But the long-term effects of bad sleep are less known. It turns out, they have a huge impact on our health and even how long we live.

In this episode, Jonathan speaks with Prof. Matthew Walker to learn what the latest science says about improving our sleep — to give us more energy and better health. They also discuss whether how we sleep changes how our bodies respond to food.

Matthew Walker is a sleep expert, a professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley, and founder of the Center for Human Sleep Science. He’s also the author of Why We Sleep.

Matt and his team are currently working with ZOE scientists to research the links between sleep, nutrition, and health.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:33 - Episode start

01:22 - Quickfire questions

02:48 - What’s the biggest myth about sleep»

04:09 - What is sleep?

07:46 - Why do we sleep?

10:29 - REM

14:22 - How does Matt study sleep?

16:18 - What happens when you don’t get enough sleep?

22:48 - Collaboration with ZOE

28:16 - Sleep and menopause

32:38 - Tips on how to sleep better

33:23 - Sleep regularity

35:12 - How do you find out about your chronotype?

37:20 - Bedroom temperature

38:04 - Lighting

39:04 - Caffeine and Alcohol effects on sleep

44:22 - Making your room like a cave

44:57 - The influence of screens on your sleep

47:03 - Summary

48:14 - Goodbyes

48:35 - Outro

Get Matt’s book here.

Listen to Matt’s podcast here.

'How people wake up is associated with previous night’s sleep together with physical activity and food intake' - Read the paper: here.

Find out your chronotype here.

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Heartburn: why it happens and what you can do Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

The acid in your stomach is so powerful it can dissolve metal. Luckily, your stomach is fine-tuned to deal with its acidic fluid, but the rest of your body isn’t quite as hardy.

So, if acid escapes from your stomach and reaches your esophagus, it can cause a painful sensation in the chest — this is heartburn. It isn’t rare, with more than 1 billion people suffering from it globally.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Will ask: Why do we get heartburn, and what’s the best way to deal with it?

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

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

Studies referenced in the episode:

‘Prevalence and clinical spectrum of gastroesophageal reflux: a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota’ from Gastroenterology here
‘Proton-pump inhibitors and risk of fractures: an update meta-analysis’ from Osteoporos Int. here
‘Proton pump inhibitors alter the composition of the gut microbiota’ from BMJ here

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

The truth about vitamin supplements Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Good information about vitamins is hard to find. With over 70% of Americans and 40% of Brits using them, it's a hugely lucrative market, which means numerous voices in the media and online pusing a pro-vitamin agenda. All without the scientific evidence to support their claims.

So do we need vitamins to lead a healthy life? Or could these supplements actually cause serious health complications?

In this episode, Jonathan speaks with Prof. JoAnn Manson and Dr. Sarah Berry to better understand how vitamin supplements affect our health.

JoAnn Manson is a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the world's most cited researchers. She’s run multiple enormous studies with over 20,000 participants to uncover the real effects of vitamin supplementation on our health.
Dr. Sarah Berry is one of the world's leading experts on human nutrition, who has personally run over 20 randomized clinical trials looking at how humans respond to different fats.

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

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

02:29 - Quickfire questions

04:27 - Why are people confused about supplements?

05:17 - Which supplement does the majority of the population benefit from taking and why?

05:51 - What are dietary supplements and vitamins?

09:33 - Why is there so much advertising suggesting supplements?

10:54 - JoAnn’s research

14:07 - About vitamin C

15:15 - Megadosing

19:51 - VITAL and COSMOS trials

25:13 - Should we take vitamin D

27:37 - Omega-3

32:48 - Variation & personalization

36:51 - Actionable advice on supplements

38:45 - Should children take supplements?

42:13 - Should we all take a standard dose multivitamin?

44:54 - Summary

46:25 - Goodbyes

46:57 - Outro

Episode transcripts are available here.

Check the trials mentioned in today’s episode: AREDS 2, COSMOS, Physicians' Health Study II, VITAL

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

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

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Menopause: Does diet play a part? Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

It's a condition that affects half the population, but there are countless unanswered questions about menopause. The symptoms vary significantly from person to person, including sleep problems, hot flashes, weight gain, and an increased risk of heart disease.

In one of the largest studies to date, ZOE researchers have uncovered a link between menopause and our diets — and this could hold the key to reducing the severity of menopause symptoms.

In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: what role does diet play during menopause?

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

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahberry/

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

Studies referenced in the episode:

‘Why we are all being let down by the lack of research into menopause’ from Mosaic here
‘Menopause’ from the Nature Reviews Disease Primers here
‘What is Menopause?’ from the National Institute of Aging here

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

How your gut affects your mental health Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

In a lab in Ireland, a group of scientists stand around a stainless steel table. One of them is holding a device, not unlike a small turkey baster. His free hand plunges into a box on the table and retrieves a mouse.

Using his device, he administers the brown solution within…rectally.

This unfortunate soul has just received a fecal microbiota transplant. The donor was not another mouse but a human being. And the person in question had symptoms of severe depression.

Jonathan speaks to John Cryan, author of the study that showed a relationship between gut and brain. In this episode, we learn more about his fascinating research, how microbes may affect our brain, and to eat to appease your gut bugs.