ZOE Science & Nutrition

How can you enjoy sugar without gaining weight, fuelling cravings or crashing later in the day? The answer, surprisingly, is not to cut it out.

In today’s episode, Professor Tim Spector and Professor Sarah Berry discuss which forms of sugar affect your blood sugar levels most, and what small changes you can make today to reduce the impact. They also explore how sharp blood sugar spikes and dips may affect hunger, energy, inflammation and long-term health.

By the end of the episode, you’ll know how to spot hidden sugars, how to avoid the afternoon slump and energy crashes, and, most importantly, how to enjoy cake with less impact on your blood sugar.

Sugar is not the enemy. But could a few small changes help you enjoy sweet foods without the cycle of cravings, hunger and energy crashes?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar

Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just £2.30 for your first week. 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

03:28 If fruit is full of sugar, why is it good for us?

08:30 What really happens after you drink a sugary drink?

12:46 Why sugar leaves you hungry a few hours later

16:15 The blood sugar dip that makes you eat 320 extra calories

19:19 The surprising link between sugar and inflammation

22:00 Can blood sugar affect your brain health?

25:25 What the science really says about sugar and cancer

29:25 We've been blaming sugar for the wrong things

31:45 The 2 types of sugar most people confuse

32:35 The hidden sugars lurking in everyday foods

35:32 Why energy drinks may be worse than you think

38:51 Why orange juice may not be as healthy as you think

40:10 Why fruit and fruit juice are not the same thing

43:53 Why some smoothies behave like sugary drinks

45:03 Should you quit sugar completely?

46:46 Are sweeteners helping or keeping you hooked?

49:55 Is honey actually healthier than sugar?

51:40 3 everyday foods with surprisingly high sugar

52:27 How to enjoy cake without the blood sugar crash

55:01 The 10-minute habit that lowers your glucose response

57:15 Why energy drinks may be making your slump worse

58:32 The biggest sugar traps to watch out for

📚Books 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 Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

Dietary Sugar Intake Associated with a Higher Risk of Dementia, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (2024)

Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Mortality, AHA (2019)

A Twin Study of Acne in Women, Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2002)

Bananas and weight loss: What does the science say?

Food Order and Impact on Glucose and Insulin Levels, Diabetes Care (2015)

Here are 4 ways to help manage your blood sugar

Whole Fruits Versus 100% Fruit Juice, BNF (2025)

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re talking about muscle mass.

For many people, losing weight is the ultimate health goal. However, focusing solely on lowering the number on the scale often means overlooking something crucial: muscle mass.

We know that increasing muscle makes us stronger, but it also plays a surprising role in metabolism and helps keep unwanted fat at bay.

Dr. Vonda Wright joins me to explain why improving your body composition may be the smarter goal for lifelong health.

🌱 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 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

📚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

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

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 here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

What really helps you live a long, healthy life? Can healthy ageing be as simple as a few everyday habits?

In this episode, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, world-leading oncologist, bioethicist and World Health Organization adviser, shares six rules from his book Eat Your Ice Cream that may help lower your risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and early death.

Ezekiel explores the science of healthy ageing, longevity and disease prevention, and explains why many wellness trends distract us from what matters most.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have six practical habits that have the biggest impact on living well for longer. From building stronger relationships and staying mentally active to improving your diet, exercise and sleep, Ezekiel offers a simple framework designed to support health over decades, not weeks.

If you want to live a longer, healthier life, are you focusing on the habits that matter most?

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

🌿Let your gut microbes snack on the ZOE Gut Health Bar

Build healthy habits. Download the ZOE app today and start your trial for just £2.30 for your first week. 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Why more exercise may not help you live longer03:49 The book that made a leading doctor furious08:11 Why wellness culture thrives when life feels out of control10:52 What the wellness industry gets wrong about longevity13:05 Are peptides and supplements dangerous?16:28 How much alcohol is safe to drink?18:52 How ultra-processed food affects your brain and body23:49 Is vaping safer than smoking?25:35 Which vitamins and supplements are actually worth taking?28:09 Rule one: The risks that are never worth taking30:12 Is climbing Everest more dangerous than you think?31:27 The number one rule for a longer, healthier life33:35 How loneliness increases your risk of early death35:51 What loneliness does to your immune system and heart37:03 How many close friends do you need for better health?39:20 Is working from home harming your mental health?40:08 How to rebuild your social life when you feel isolated40:52 Four vaccines linked to a lower risk of dementia44:21 Is retirement bad for your brain?45:32 Four simple food rules for better gut health47:56 The three types of exercise you need as you age50:17 How many hours of sleep do you really need?52:24 Is sleep less important than social connection?54:02 Why sleeping pills may not improve your sleep56:13 The one habit that combines all six longevity rules

📚Books 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 Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel

Multivitamins and cognitive health, Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2026)

The (un-)Social Brain, Physiological Research (2025)

Association between social activity frequency and overall survival, BMJ (2023)

The Health and Retirement Study

Harvard Study of Adult Development

Mistakenly seeking solitude, Journal of Experimental Psychology (2014)

Home alone: Remote work, isolation, and mental health, Science (2026)

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today, we’re talking about Omega-3.

Omega-3 fats have been celebrated, scrutinised, and debated for decades. While some research points to remarkable heart health benefits, other studies suggest they can actually raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.

So where does the science stand today? Should we supplement, rely on food, or rethink our approach to omega-3 completely?

Dr. Bill Harris and Professor Sarah Berry join me to cut through the confusion, explain omega-3’s role in the body, and share an evidence based approach to this fascinating fatty acid.

🌱 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 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

📚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

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

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 here.

Episode transcripts are available here.

We all want to eat healthier. The Paleo diet promises exactly that: eat like our ancestors, avoid modern foods, and improve your health. But does it really support your gut, heart and long-term health, or is the story more complicated?

In this episode, Dr James Cole, a world-leading expert on prehistoric diets, joins Dr Federica Amati to explore what Paleo gets right and why some of the claims may be dangerously wrong.

James explains what ancient evidence tells us about human diets, why the modern-day Paleo diet may go too far in its restrictions, and what that might mean for your heart disease risk and gut health.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have ideas on what principles to keep from the Paleo diet, and what rules to avoid.

Could trying to eat as our ancestors did force you to cut foods your body actually needs? Before you give up grains, beans or dairy, it may be worth asking what ancient humans really ate.

🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30

🌿Let 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 👉 Join ZOE

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes

00:00 Intro

04:39 What does Paleolithic actually mean?

09:14 How scientists know what ancient humans ate

10:01 What ancient teeth reveal about diet

11:25 Why there was no single Paleo diet

13:16 The myth that ancient humans just ate meat

15:38 Why humans evolved to eat many foods

17:14 Why the human gut got smaller

22:13 How fire changed the human diet

24:02 Were ancient humans cooking plants?

25:51 What modern eating has lost

27:45 Did Paleolithic humans practise cannibalism?

30:37 Should we copy everything our ancestors ate?

32:56 What is the modern Paleo diet?

34:32 What the Paleo diet gets right

37:00 Did our ancestors eat meat every day?

38:18 Why Paleo cuts grains, dairy and beans

39:30 Are lectins in beans really dangerous?

41:27 Why modern Paleo may be based on shaky science

42:20 Is the Paleo diet healthy long term?

44:45 What a healthier Paleo diet would look like

46:17 The processed meat and cancer risk trap

48:37 Is grass-fed beef really better?

50:10 Should you fast like your ancestors?

52:10 How to cut ultra-processed foods without Paleo

56:20 What to eat instead of strict Paleo

📚Books 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 Body’s Internal Orchestra

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

The Paleolithic diet and chronic disease risk, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2026)

Long-term Paleolithic diet is associated with increased serum TMAO concentrations, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Evidence for mitigation of dental caries by Neanderthals, PLOS One (2026)

Evidence for the diets of Neanderthals and early modern humans, PNAS (2009)

Long-term effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2014)

The Big IF Study: What did we find?

The Expensive-Tissue Hypothesis, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2018)

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.