ZOE Science & Nutrition

Half of the world’s population will go through menopause. Yet research shows that a large proportion of women do not feel informed and equipped for menopause. In this episode, we reveal the results of a brand new study that highlight the impact of diet on menopause symptoms. Davina McCall is a British household name and much-loved TV presenter on a mission to change this. Her 2022 book Menopausing provided a roadmap for women to be fearless in tackling this stage of life. She has her own very personal menopause story and today, she shares it with us. Together with ZOE’s Chief Scientist, Prof. Sarah Berry, we’re having an honest and open conversation about perimenopause and menopause. 🤲 MenoScale Calculator - Track your menopause symptoms with our free tool 👉 zoe.com/menoscale 🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 https://zoe.com/podcast for 10% off Follow ZOE on Instagram here.

Timecodes 00:00 Every woman goes through this 02:20 Quickfire questions 04:25 Davina’s menopause experience  14:16 What happens during menopause 15:20 The impact of estrogen decline 17:40 How long does perimenopause last? 18:30 Is there a blood test for menopause? 24:20 What menopause symptoms are most common? 32:35 Does everyone get symptoms? 35:54 Does menopause increase disease risk? 39:15 Should you consider HRT? 45:30 Davina’s life changing experience 47:40 ZOE’s new study on diet and menopause 52:33 Can ZOE membership improve menopause symptoms? 54:26 Can supplements improve menopause symptoms?  56:21 Gut microbiome health in perimenopause 58:26 Davina’s tips for exercise in menopause

Free resources from ZOE:

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 

Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms

Mentioned in this episode:

Menopause is associated with postprandial metabolism, metabolic health and lifestyle: The ZOE PREDICT study (2022), published in eBioMedicine



Sex and Menopausal Status Modulate the Impact of Meal Timing on Postprandial Glucose: Data From the ZOE PREDICT 1 Study (2024), published in Current Developments in Nutrition



Management of menopause: a view towards prevention (2022), published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 



Menopause: a cardiometabolic transition (2022), published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 



Treating menopause — MHT and beyond (2022), published in Nature



The Menopause Transition: Signs, Symptoms, and Management Options (2020), published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism



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

Bread has been a staple of our diet for literally thousands of years. Around the world, millions of us start the day with a slice of toast, enjoy a sandwich for lunch, or tuck into a burger bun for dinner.  But all bread is not baked equal. Professor Tim Spector and Vanessa Kimbell are here to help you choose the right type for your health.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off 🌱 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 from our ZOE Scientists:

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 

Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here Listen to the full episode here

Thirty plants this week, think you could do it? It might sound a lot, but it’s easier than you think. Fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, even coffee all count as plants. Legendary chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall joins us to share tips on eating more plants. Hugh’s new book ‘How to Eat 30 Plants a Week’ explores the wild world of legumes, grains, herbs and beyond. He explains that getting your thirty plants each week can be simple, fun and delicious. Joining Hugh is Tim Spector - professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and ZOE’s scientific co-founder. Tim explains why our gut microbiome loves plants, highlighting the importance of polyphenols, healthy fats and fiber. You’ll finish this episode inspired, empowered and likely... hungry. 🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off 🌱 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 Thirty plants every week? 01:57 Quickfire questions 05:04 What happens when we digest plants? 08:43 Why are plants so different? 11:28 Why eating the rainbow is important  18:42 Why 30 plants? 22:13 How much fiber should you eat a day? 25:53 The science that proves the power of plants 32:00 How to get more plants in your diet 34:45 How to get more plants on-the-go 38:36 Plant-based cooking made simple 46:45 Are dried and frozen plants just as nutritious? 47:51 How does cooking affect plants 48:56 What to do with your leftovers 49:44 Do mushrooms count as plants? 51:06 How important is organic food?  55:40 Hugh’s showstopper dish 57:16 Surprise taste-test from Hugh’s garden   Books

Hugh’s book How To Eat 30 Plants a Week

Tim’s book Food For Life

Free resources from ZOE:

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 

Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Mentioned in today's episode

American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research (2018), published in mSystems from American Society of Microbiology



Could you eat 30 plant-based foods a week? (2021), published by World Cancer Research Fund



Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States (2019), published by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Why 5 A Day? (2022), published by NHS

Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (2023), published by WHO



Fruit and vegetable consumption and incident breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2021) published by British Journal of Cancer



Consumption of Plant Seeds and Cardiovascular Health: Epidemiological and Clinical Trial Evidence (2013), published by Circulation



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

You’ve probably heard conflicting advice on how often to eat. I know I have. And have you ever wondered about the evidence behind eating 3 meals a day? Could 2, or 5 meals actually be healthier? Professors Tim Spector and Sarah Berry join me to share some unexpected insights and practical advice to help you base your snacking habits in the latest science.

Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off 🌱 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 from our ZOE Scientists:

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Free resources from ZOE:

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 

Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here Listen to the full episode here

Why do some people feel fine eating lots of carbs when others feel energy slumps? Is blood sugar to blame? In this episode, we learn why blood sugar varies so much between people, and the tools to manage these levels.  Tim Spector and Jessie Inchauspé (aka the Glucose Goddess) will discuss the latest science around glucose control, what the cool new device on the block – the CGM – can tell us and why blood sugar levels are only one part of the picture of our health. Jessie is a bestselling author and science communicator with a community of over 5 million followers. Tim is a professor of epidemiology at King’s College London and ZOE’s scientific co-founder. 🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 zoe.com/podcast for 10% off 🌱 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 Introduction 01:14 Quickfire questions 02:39 What is glucose? 07:50 What are blood sugar spikes? 09:15 Are lots of spikes dangerous? 10:45 What happens when your blood sugar spikes? 14:03 Should I worry about blood sugar levels? 15:11 HbA1c and fasting glucose explained 19:30 What are CGMs? 23:24 How breakfast impacts the rest of your day 29:07 Eat these foods first 33:12 Can physical activity reduce spikes? 35:46 How gut microbiome and blood fat play a role 41:39 The risks of ultra-processed foods

Find more from Jessie at glucosegoddess.com 

Books by our ZOE Scientists:

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Free resources from ZOE:

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 

Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

Studies relevant to this episode:

CGMap: Characterizing continuous glucose monitor data in thousands of non-diabetic individuals. (2023) published in Cell Metabolism.

Dose–response relationship between genetically proxied average blood glucose levels and incident coronary heart disease in individuals without diabetes mellitus. (2021) published in Diabetologia.

Optimised Glucose “Time in Range” Using Continuous Glucose Monitors in 4,805 Non-Diabetic Individuals Is Associated With Favourable Diet and Health: The ZOE PREDICT Studies. (2022). published in Current Developments in Nutrition. 

Normal Fasting Plasma Glucose Levels and Type 2 Diabetes in Young Men (2005). published in NEJM 

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