ZOE Science & Nutrition

Coffee’s earliest consumption dates back millennia when the tribesmen of Ethiopia used its ground-up berries to help aid concentration during prayer.Arriving in Europe in the 17th century, Coffee quickly began to replace beer and wine as a favourite breakfast drink.In the 20th century, coffee was blamed for high blood pressure and heart attacks, and more recently linked to a rising epidemic of poor sleep.None of this has prevented coffee’s relentless rise. Over 2 billion cups of the stuff are drunk

You may have heard there are bugs in your gut. But do they matter?Today, the evidence shows the answer is a resounding yes. This ecosystem of tiny microbes living in our bodies is one of the most exciting areas in medical research, linked to everything from metabolic to mental health.So while many of us have heard that gut health is essential, few of us understand why and what we should do to support our gut bacteria.In this episode, Jonathan speaks with Will Bulsiewicz to find out when our

Today we’re talking about fat, a delicious component of our food with a terrible reputation.Fats have been broadly associated with weight gain and heart disease until recently.A mountain of new scientific evidence suggests this is wrong and that it's not as simple as ‘all fat is bad’. Indeed, eating more healthy fat might actually reduce heart disease for many people.In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks to Dr Sarah Berry to learn about what science tells us today, whether it is possible to lose

Our transformation into coach potatoes happened in the blink of an eye. Only 100 years ago, most people relied on manual work to make their living.Today, things are different. Many of us live our lives in front of a screen. Online shopping and remote work mean some of us don’t need to leave the house at all. So how bad is this for us?The answer is now clear: Low levels of physical activity lead to an increased risk of disease and a lower quality of life in older age. However, when we come to the

There's a condition that leads to an increased risk of heart disease, dementia, and early death that's been affecting people for as long as they've existed. The many symptoms can severely impact quality of life - ranging from headaches and memory problems to anxiety and weight gain.This condition affects more than half of the world's population, but unbelievably its rarely discussed and the scientific research that exists on it is limited.It's called menopause, and it affects 1.2 billion women

For many of us, it's a ritual to help us wind down after a long day, an excuse to catch up with friends, or a lubricant to an awkward social situation. Alcohol can be delicious, but our relationship with it is often complicated.Good times with friends aren’t without sacrifice, and many of us feel the morning after impact of a few too many drinks. For an unfortunate minority, alcohol can lead to addiction and even death.What we want to know is, can alcohol ever be healthy? Is any amount of alcohol a

This plant has been used by human beings for thousands of years with samples found in 5000-year-old pottery discovered in the upper Amazon. The Mayans considered it a gift from the gods and used it in their sacred ceremonies, where it was believed to have mystical healing powers. For the Aztecs, it was worth more than gold and given to their victorious warriors.We are talking, of course, about chocolate. Even though our relationship with chocolate spans thousands of years we still can’t agree about

1 in 5 people suffer from food intolerances, a figure that’s growing each year. As a result, people are eating increasingly restricted diets, removing dairy, gluten and many other foods from their plates. Unfortunately, they end up eating highly processed foods that damage their gut microbiome and lead to long-term health problems. Even with food restrictions, many people see limited improvements in their symptoms.The whole topic of intolerance is full of pseudoscience, dubious blood tests, and