ZOE Science & Nutrition cover art

ZOE Science & Nutrition

ZOE Science & Nutrition

By: ZOE
Listen for free

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

 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.Copyright 2024 ZOE Hygiene & Healthy Living Science
Episodes
  • ZOE’s best health tips of 2025 - Part 1

    ZOE’s best health tips of 2025 - Part 1
    Dec 11 2025
    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, these clips highlight 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.
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Recap: Is it time for you to try fasting? | Dr Valter Longo & Tim Spector

    Recap: Is it time for you to try fasting? | Dr Valter Longo & Tim Spector
    Dec 9 2025
    Most of us have heard about the health benefits of fasting; from lowering disease risk to even slowing down ageing. The catch? Going without food is tough. Really tough. However, according to Dr. Valter Longo, it doesn’t have to be so hard. His pioneering research, including the development of the ‘fast-mimicking diet’, is making fasting more practical and accessible for everyone. Today, Valter joins Tim Spector and I to explain how a pause from food transforms the way our cells behave, and how you can make fasting part of your life. 🌱 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
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • Healthier holiday eating with smart food swaps | Dr Federica Amati

    Healthier holiday eating with smart food swaps | Dr Federica Amati
    Dec 4 2025
    Christmas is a time of celebration, when friends and family gather to enjoy meals together. However, many of us overindulge, which leaves us feeling tired, bloated, and guilty. What actually happens to our bodies when we overeat, drink more, and swap fibre for sugar? And is there a way to enjoy the season’s pleasures without starting January full of regret? In this episode, ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Dr Federica Amati, joins Jonathan to explore how festive food traditions shape our health and how to navigate them without guilt or restriction. Dr Federica shares practical suggestions for gut-friendly food swaps, festive traditions worth reviving, and the one ingredient she always includes on her own Christmas table. This episode is full of helpful advice on how to care for your body in a season that often asks us to do the opposite. 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. Recipes mentioned: Roasted Aubergine Traybake Juno’s Lasagne Super-simple kefir dressing Timecodes 00:00 Intro 01:13 Do we really need a detox? 02:19 Quick-fire myths: What’s truly bad at Christmas? 10:27 Can one indulgent day really damage your gut? 11:46 The foods that harm your gut most 13:20 What actually happens to your gut when you overeat for weeks? 15:13 Can you still eat mince pies guilt-free? 16:57 Does sugar really make kids hyperactive? 18:54 Why sugary drinks cause a post-Christmas health crash 21:14 Is eggnog the worst festive drink? 23:05 The truth about detox products 25:02 The evidence-based reset after Christmas 27:55 Why Zoe focuses on gut health first 29:52 Should you restrict food after Christmas? 31:39 The easiest way to eat better without trying 33:24 Healthy swaps that still feel festive 36:48 The global festive foods that support your gut 39:10 The surprising link between houses and gut health 41:55 Christmas stress, family arguments & the gut 44:55 Should you feel guilty about Christmas indulgence? 46:12 How bad is Christmas for your health? 46:25 Are we being manipulated by Christmas food marketing? 46:38 Coca-Cola changed Christmas?! 📚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 The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. A meta-analysis, JAMA (1995) Effects of sugar ingestion expectancies on mother-child interactions, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (1994) The ZOE BIG IF Study, MDPI (2024) Snack quality and snack timing are associated with cardiometabolic blood markers: the ZOE PREDICT study, European Journal of Nutrition (2024) Exploring the relationship between social jetlag with gut microbial composition, diet and cardiometabolic health, in the ZOE PREDICT 1 cohort, European Journal of Nutrition (2023) Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomized controlled trial, Nature Medicine (2024) Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
All stars
Most relevant
really good insight into menopause .Found it really useful. Definitely need a name change to women's hormone disfunction.

fab insight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Information given in an easy to understand way. Great advice for food hacks to manage blood glucose.

Informative podcast Zoe Nutrition

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Once again, it is like Jonathan is reading my mind and asking all the questions I have! (except for the one on tomatoes...). Thank you for explaining the science and debunking the latest myth, which although one can see it's just aimed at selling a miracle cure in the form of one supplement, it's good to have the tiny doubts it raises squashed.

Great episode!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I've listened to this several times because I've found it so interesting. I was totally ignorant of this subject before hearing this podcast, and I'm not able to get the CGM test done, but the advice given is something anyone can take up, whether or not they know their blood glucose level. Thank you for this, and all the Zoe free podcasts.

Very helpful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Just listened to the programme about vitamins, and was amazed that the fact that BAME people deaths from covid were over represented and a link was made to lack of vitamin D. The advice given about vitamin D was clearly targeted at white people/those living in sunny climates. Those of us with melanin living in UK don't absorb enough vitamin D from sunshine. And if also a vegan then surely supplements should be taken? Also, there is an issue with absorption of vitamin D supplements. Even though I take supplements, my levels are still low. Why no research into why people of colour seem to not absorb vitamin D as a supplement?

Good information, annoying posh voices!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews