ZOE Science & Nutrition Podcast

What if your blood pressure — even just a little too high — is quietly damaging your brain? What if it’s increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke, without you ever feeling a thing?

In this episode, Professor Tim Spector reveals why blood pressure is one of the most overlooked – and most dangerous – health issues today. He explains why “normal for your age” might not be safe at all, why medication alone isn’t the full answer, and how small, daily changes could dramatically reduce your risk of serious disease.

Can your gut microbes raise your blood pressure? Can a banana be as powerful as a pill? Is beetroot juice really three times more effective than cutting salt?

You’ll also learn why 80% of the salt we eat isn’t from the shaker, how stress and sleep secretly push your pressure up, and what most doctors still miss when treating hypertension.

If you’ve ever been told your blood pressure’s “fine” — or never measured it at all — this episode might change the way you think about your future health.



🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+



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Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

03:29 What actually is high blood pressure?

05:57 Why everyone should own a blood pressure monitor

07:01 What your blood pressure reading really means

09:59 Stress and high blood pressure

11:28 The $20 gadget that can save your life

13:17 When to see a doctor

14:35 What causes high blood pressure

16:57 Salt and blood pressure

18:28 Why reducing salt didn’t work for Tim

20:09 Blood pressure medications

22:04 Why high blood pressure is so dangerous

24:20 How blood pressure quietly damages your brain

27:18 Is it too late to lower your blood pressure?

31:31 How your gut microbes affect blood pressure

34:14 Why potassium matters more than salt

36:29 How sleep, stress & saunas impact your blood pressure

38:58 The real source of excess salt in your diet

41:37 Should you switch to potassium salt?

49:30 Beetroot juice: better than salt restriction?



📚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



Free resources from ZOE

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 



Studies referenced in today's episode:

Nonpharmacologic Interventions for Reducing Blood Pressure in Adults With Prehigh blood pressure to Established high blood pressure, Journal of the American Heart Association (2020)

Long-Term Effect of Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control on Mild Cognitive Impairment and Probable Dementia in SPRINT, Neurology (2025)

Blood pressure reduction and all-cause dementia in people with uncontrolled high blood pressure: an open-label, blinded-endpoint, cluster-randomized trial, Nature Medicine (2025)

high blood pressure Associated With Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Among Hypertensive Adults at a Tertiary Hospital in South Africa, Frontiers in Neurology (2022)

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 resistance training.

When we think of exercising in our 70s and 80s, we often focus on gentle activities like walking or swimming some lengths in a pool. However, are we overlooking a crucial part of the fitness puzzle? Something that could truly transform our later years: Strength training.

Because as we age, muscle loss isn’t just about losing tone - it’s about losing independence.

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld joins me to share how resistance training can preserve strength, improve mobility, and support a long and active life. Whether you’ve got five minutes or fifty, he’ll show you how to get started - no gym membership required.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 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:

The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector

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

What if the fatigue, stiffness, and brain fog we blame on aging are actually symptoms of something we can change?

In this episode, immune aging expert Professor Janet Lord unpacks “inflammaging” - a slow, chronic form of inflammation that quietly builds in the body as we get older. It’s now believed to drive many of the diseases we associate with aging, from dementia to heart disease.

Janet reveals how this invisible inflammation takes hold, how it silently damages the brain, gut, and immune system - and what science says we can do to fight back. Her research has shown that even in your 70s, it's not too late to reverse immune aging. One small change tomorrow could make a measurable difference.

Professor Janet Lord is a world leading expert in the biology of aging. She’s published over 200 scientific papers and advised UK health policy. Her groundbreaking work shows how daily habits - especially movement - can reshape the immune system and slow the effects of time.

If you want to stay stronger, sharper, and healthier for longer, this conversation could change the way you think about aging.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+



Follow ZOE on Instagram.



Timecodes:

00:00 What is inflammaging?

02:23 The biggest misconception about inflammaging

03:20 Inflammation can grumble away for decades

04:01 What cytokines in your blood really mean

05:00 Why inflammation is helpful — until it isn’t

06:19 A small rise in inflammation can last for decades

07:45 Inflammation acts like immune system hormones

08:50 Why more immune activity isn't always better

10:00 Did modern life create chronic inflammation?

12:00 Why flu is deadly for older people

13:15 Inflammation breaks down muscle and bone

15:15 Why fat tissue is fueling your immune system

16:51 Why body fat isn’t just a passive energy store

18:10 How inflammation helps cause dementia and heart disease

20:50 In your 40s? You might already be aging faster

22:03 Why menopause triggers a rise in inflammation

24:40 The gut bacteria that leak into your blood

27:15 Your muscles produce anti-inflammatory signals

28:55 Sitting too long cancels out your workout

30:44 Why walking stairs beats living in a bungalow

33:35 Janet’s one-day-a-week fast for 30+ years

34:55 10,000 steps = no inflammation?

35:57 Overweight people see the biggest benefit from exercise

📚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 SpectorFree 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.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re talking about sleep.

Are you a good sleeper? It’s something we all aim for, yet many of us fall short. And the consequences of a poor night’s sleep go far beyond just feeling groggy the next day. In fact, sleep plays a pivotal role in our long term health - influencing everything from our mood to our immune system, and even how long we live.

So how do you get better sleep in a world that never seems to rest?

I’m joined by sleep scientist Prof. Matt Walker to unpack the latest sleep science and share his top tips to getting a good nights rests.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member a zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 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:The Food For Life Cookbook by Prof. Tim Spector

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

From collagen powders to $100 creams, the skincare industry thrives on promises. However, many of the products we rely on for younger, healthier skin are built on shaky evidence. In this episode, world-renowned dermatologist Professor John McGrath breaks down what’s real and what’s not.

We explore how skin truly ages, what happens beneath the surface, and why some popular treatments don’t do what they claim. John dismantles three of the biggest myths in skincare, including the truth about SPF, collagen, and “bio-active” ingredients that never make it past the top layer of your skin.

Professor McGrath is a Professor of Molecular Dermatology at King’s College London and editor of the British Journal of Dermatology. His research has transformed how we understand genetic skin disorders and vitamin D’s role in skin health.

This conversation is packed with surprising insights - and one daily step that really does support healthier skin as you age.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 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





📚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



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

Genome-wide association study identifies 143 loci associated with 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration, Nature Communications (2020)

Topical tretinoin for treating photoaging: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials, Int J. Womens Dermatology (2022)

Sunlight Has Cardiovascular Benefits Independently of Vitamin D, Blood Purification (2016)



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

Episode transcripts are available here.