The worldβs 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.
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How to eat to lower inflammation - the top 5 foods to boost energy, stop pain, and to live longer | Prof Luke OβNeill
Thursday, October 1, 2026 β’ Duration 01:00:19
Most of us think of inflammation when an ankle swells or a cut turns red. Itβs our bodyβs immune system, and without it, we couldn't fight infections or repair injuries.Β
But when it stays switched on, this chronic inflammation can drain your energy, can affect your health over the years, and even lead to heart disease. Eventually, 1 in 3 of us will develop an inflammatory disease.
In today's episode, Professor Luke O'Neill - one of the world's top 1% immunologists - explains why that matters and what you can do about it. He explores how everyday foods can push inflammation up, or help calm it. He also explains why balance matters more than banning foods like sugar, red meat, gluten, and dairy. As for your gut, youβll learn how anti-inflammatory foods like plants, fibre, and a healthy microbiome can help keep inflammation down.Β
By the end of the episode, you'll know how to eat, rest, and enjoy life in ways that can keep inflammation in check.Β
Could the way you eat help your body's healer do its job without going into overdrive?Β
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just Β£2.30 for your first week. π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
Timecodes
00:00 Intro
04:14 Why 1 in 3 people will get an inflammatory disease
06:49 When inflammation turns from healing to harmful
10:23 Why does your immune system now damage your heart and brain?
13:46 Why does chronic inflammation make you so tired?
15:35 The link between depression and inflammation explained
18:10 Does inflammation speed up ageing?
19:56 Testing for chronic inflammation - what CRP tells you
23:01 Does belly fat cause inflammation? What Ozempic reveals
25:46 Does your gut microbiome affect inflammation?
28:04 Are ultra-processed foods inflammatory? Sugar and fat explained
30:18 Does sugar make inflammation worse?Β
33:15 Insulin resistance and inflammation
35:07 Fructose: fruit vs processed food
39:35 Is red meat inflammatory? How much is too much
41:52 Does gluten cause inflammation?Β
44:29 Does dairy cause inflammation?Β
46:13 Seed oils and inflammationΒ
46:40 The anti-inflammatory diet
49:38 Anti-inflammatory plants: how willow bark led to aspirin
51:32 Do polyphenols fight inflammation?Β
53:44 Do anti-inflammatory supplements work? Are they worth it?
54:34 How to reduce inflammation today: why morning sunshine matters
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Mentioned in today's episode
Daily 30: Does it work?
The Mediterranean diet and CRP levels, Nutrients (2018)
Metabolic Reprogramming in Stromal and Immune Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, European Journal of Immunology, (2025)Episode transcripts are available here.
Most replayed moment: The hidden dangers of hearing loss | Prof. Marcelo Rivolta
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 β’ Duration 09:06
The world around us is louder than ever. From booming speakers to roaring traffic, our ears can take quite a beating. But have you ever stopped to consider the long-term impact of all this noise?
Because hearing loss isnβt just about your ears. Emerging research suggests it could also affect your brain health in surprising ways.
Iβm joined by Professor Marcelo Rivolta to explore how noise exposure can cause lasting damage. He shares the early warning signs to look out for, what to do if your hearing begins to decline, and simple steps you can take to protect these vital organs on the side of your head.
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.
Episode transcripts are available here.
Inside Tim Spectorβs weekly food shop - 6 grocery rules to lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease risk | Prof Tim Spector & Prof Sarah Berry
Thursday, September 24, 2026 β’ Duration 01:02:36
Supermarket shelves are full of foods promising to be healthy: high-protein, low-fat, gluten-free, sugar-free. How do you know what's true?Β
Today, Professors Tim Spector and Sarah Berry, world-leading experts in nutrition and diet, share the six rules they use for their own weekly grocery shopping. They cover which food labels are worth trusting and which are just marketing scams, how to make snacking a part of a healthy diet, and why your daily staples, like bread, matter more than the occasional treat.
By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly what to reach for on your next shop, and what to leave on the shelf.
How many "healthy" scams are sitting in your basket?
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just Β£2.30 for your first week. π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
Timecodes
00:00 Intro
03:20 Why supermarkets stock 30,000 products (and why that's bad for you)
08:10 Is low-fat food actually healthy? A nutrition scientist explains
11:39 Why 'sugar-free' labels should make you suspicious
14:48 Why this professor avoids gluten-free food (unless you need it)
16:40 The protein label that tricks 70% of shoppers into buying junk food
19:27 How a cheap dairy waste product got rebranded as a health food
21:59 How many ingredients are really in a bag of Pringles?
24:37 The 30-second trick to spot ultra-processed food at the shop
27:33 How to tell a healthy granola from a fake one
29:24 Is cheese actually bad for your heart? Doctors got this wrong
33:37 The snack swap that cut heart disease risk by 30% in a real study
38:36 The 6 everyday foods that matter most for your long-term health
41:08 The simple fiber-to-carb ratio for picking a healthy bread
43:43 The 'unhealthy' breakfast a nutrition scientist admits to craving
46:47 Switching to whole grain could lower your risk of dying early
49:42 The label trick that makes fake kefir look healthy
50:07 What to check on a kombucha label before you buy it
52:51 Why 30 plants a week beats the old '5 a day' rule
53:42 The 'diversity jar' hack for hitting 30 plants a week fast
55:45 The pantry staple that quietly boosts your plant count
57:10 The most underrated vegetable for lowering blood pressure
59:56 The 6 rules two nutrition scientists use to shop for food
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Mentioned in today's episode
The effect of snacking on nuts on heart health, The American journal of clinical nutrition (2020)
Low fat diets for long-term weight loss, The Lancet (2015)
Wholegrain consumption and all cause mortality, BMJ (2016)Β
ZOE Snacking Study
Episode transcripts are available here.
Most replayed moment: What your wearable is really telling you | Dr Malcolm Finlay
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 β’ Duration 14:33
From smartwatches to fitness trackers, more of us than ever are monitoring our health in real time. With just a glance at our wrist, we can check our step count, sleep quality, heart rate and, more recently, something called HRV.
But what do these numbers actually mean? And more importantly, how can we use them to improve our lives?
Iβm joined by Dr Malcolm Finlay to break down the data behind the devices. He explains how to turn confusing metrics into meaningful action. helping you adjust your training, manage stress, and make smarter decisions for your health.
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.
Episode transcripts are available here.
Is your gut the secret to anti-aging? 6 science-backed ways to boost your bone strength, muscle, and balance | Prof Elaine Dennison
Thursday, September 17, 2026 β’ Duration 55:09
Picture the sound of a bone snapping - the kind of sound that makes you wince - and ask yourself how often youβve thought about your bone health.
Most of us only think about bone density when something breaks. Until then, your bones stay almost invisible, carrying you through every day.
In todayβs episode, Professor Elaine Dennison, a world-leading expert in bone health, explains why that needs to change, why stronger bones are key to living more healthy years, and why declining bone health isnβt inevitable. Elaine explains why itβs not just about avoiding broken bones, but about learning to understand one of the most important living tissues in your body.
By the end of the episode, youβll know exactly how to protect your bones so they can look after you now and for many years to come.
Could your bones be the missing anti-aging link youβve been missing?
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just Β£2.30 for your first week. π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
Timecodes
00:00 Intro
03:05 Are your bones dead tissue? The truth about bone biology
08:08 Peak bone mass: the age your bones stop getting stronger
11:06 What is osteoporosis? The condition you won't feel coming
14:01 Spinal fractures and death risk: what the research shows
15:53 What does osteoporosis do to your bones? The honeycomb explanation
17:46 Fragility fractures: why older adults break bones from a simple fall
20:02 Bone marrow function: what your bones do for your immune system
22:48 The gut-bone axis: how gut health affects bone health
27:01 Does stress affect bone health? The cortisol connection
29:45 Is alcohol good or bad for bone health? The surprising answer
30:16 Does extra weight protect your bones? What the science says
32:13 GLP-1 drugs and bone health: the risk no one's talking about
33:21 Muscle loss and bone density: why they're linked
35:37 DEXA scan: the only way to know your bone density
39:06 Osteoporosis medication: how doctors treat bone loss
40:51 Best exercise for bone density: why walking isn't enough
42:54 How much calcium do you need a day for strong bones?
44:04 Vitamin D and bone health: why you need it to absorb calcium
45:41 Why vitamin D deficiency is common in sunny Australia
47:22 Does HRT protect your bones? The benefits and risks explained
48:31 Do weighted vests improve bone density? What the evidence shows
49:44 How to improve bone health: the first steps to take
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Mentioned in today's episode
The effect of Daily30 on Gut Health, Energy Levels, and Hunger in Healthy Adults, Cambridge University Press (2026)
Mortality Rate in Patients with Vertebral Compression Fractures, Geriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation (2023)
The Influence of the Mediterranean Diet on Bone Health, Nutrients (2023)Β
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.
Episode transcripts are available here.
Most replayed moment: How to build a better breakfast | Prof. Ben Gardner & Tim Spector
Most replayed moment: The hormone that controls your weight | Dr Andrew Jenkinson
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 β’ Duration 12:26
Floating through all of our bodies is a complex network of hormones. You can think of it as an internal postal service, delivering vital messages and instructions to different organs and systems.
But what happens if these messages get intercepted, mixed up, or worse, not delivered at all?
In this episode, Dr Andrew Jenkinson tells us about a hormone that plays a crucial role in weight regulation and the undesirable consequences when it isnβt functioning properly.
He also shares three simple tips you can do tomorrow to make sure your hormones support your health.
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here
Listen to the full episode here
The secret to coping with stress - how to protect your brain and body, and feel calmer now | Prof Carmine Pariante
Thursday, September 3, 2026 β’ Duration 59:55
Growing up, many of us were taught to just stay calm and carry on - as if stress was all in the mind, with no real effect on the body. But chronic stress can change your brain, raise your risk of heart disease, and even shorten your life.Β
In this episode, we ask: what happens when a stress response built to last minutes never switches off?
Today, Professor Carmine Pariante, one of the world's leading researchers on stress, helps us understand whatβs happening in your body during a stressful moment and why chronic stress disrupts sleep, appetite, and energy levels. Carmine also explains how worried you should be about cortisol, and whether "cortisol face" and "cortisol belly" are backed by evidence.
By the end, youβll understand why stress can be so powerful, when it becomes harmful, and have some evidence-based ways to manage it.
Next time you reach for wine, your phone, or something sweet after a hard day, ask yourself: is this helping you cope, or helping you avoid how you feel?
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
πΏLet your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar
Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just Β£2.30 for your first week. π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.
Timecodes
00:00 Intro
01:10 Should you be aiming for zero stress?
06:13 Inside your fight-or-flight response
11:19 Can stress actually cause a heart attack?
13:15 Why your stress response won't switch off
15:33 Why stress eating isn't a willpower problem
17:15 Why emotional stress feels physical
21:00 The earliest sign of chronic stress
22:05 There's no such thing as "it's all in your head"
25:15 Stress causes the same inflammation as a cold
29:54 The blunt truth about chronic stress
31:07 How stress clogs your arteries
32:55 Why chronic stress can steal your joy
35:10 What a brain scan reveals about chronic stress
37:07 Is "cortisol face" actually real?
38:49 Does the viral cortisol cocktail actually work?
41:20 Why control is the key to coping with stress
42:46 How singing for one hour lowered cortisol
45:15 Why exercise is such powerful stress relief
47:57 Foods with the strongest evidence against stress
49:45 Why alcohol doesn't actually relieve stress
50:58 Is your phone making your stress worse?
54:04 The first thing to do when stress overwhelms you
56:06 Why modern life never switches your stress off
πBooks by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal OrchestraΒ Β
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Mentioned in today's episode
Effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on depressive symptom severity, The American Journal of Psychiatry (2025)
Implementing a group singing intervention for depression, Frontiers in Medicine (2024)
The Relationship between Diet and the Occurrence of Depressive Symptoms, Nutrients (2023)
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.
Episode transcripts are available here.
Most replayed moment: The hidden battle inside your gut | Tim Spector & Nicola Segata
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 β’ Duration 15:16
Today weβre talking about gut microbes.
Professor Tim Spector often refers to the microbes in our gut as βmini pharmaciesβ. This is because they provide us with powerful chemicals that help support our health.
But not all gut microbes are on our side. In fact, thereβs an ongoing battle in our digestive system between the beneficial bugs and those that wish to do us harm.
Iβm joined by Tim Spector and microbiome researcher Nicola Segata join me to explore this microscopic war, and explain how simple changes to your diet could help tip the balance toward the good guys.
π± Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30
Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits π Join ZOE
Follow ZOE on Instagram.πBooks 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
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Bodyβs Internal Orchestra
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOEβs 8 nutrition principles for long-term health
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in WeeksΒ
Better Breakfast Guide
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.Episode transcripts are available here.
ZOE Science & Nutrition, a podcast by ZOE - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data