ZOE Science & Nutrition

Overview

Episodes

Recent Episodes

NOV 30, 2023

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.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

55 MIN

NOV 23, 2023

Exercise myths busted: Practical steps to sustain your health

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 it here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

67 MIN

NOV 16, 2023

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

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 [email protected], 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.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to cover it.

63 MIN

NOV 9, 2023

How to prevent heart disease, according to science

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 [email protected] and we’ll do our best to cover it.

Episode transcripts are available here.

55 MIN

NOV 2, 2023

The surprising truth about lectins

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.