Why Fiber Matters for Microbiome

I am delighted to connect with Dr. Sarah Berry today. She is a professor at King's College London and the Chief Scientist at the science and nutrition company, Zoe. As an academic leader in nutrition science, Sarah has conducted over 35 human nutritional studies, and she currently leads the world's largest in-depth nutrition research project, the ZOE Predict Study. Her research is at the forefront of personalized nutrition, deepening our understanding of fats and the structure of food. Her recent studies explore menopause, snacking, cardiometabolic health, and more. 

In our conversation today, we explore the general tendency of social and other media to misrepresent nutrition and discuss the importance of the food landscape, the food matrix, and fiber in addition to bioindividuality and personalized nutrition. Dr. Berry explains why bowel cancer rates in young adults are increasing and the potential drivers of that, and we dive into the impact of the exposome, the influence of menopause on our microbiome, and cardiometabolic risk factors. We examine the importance of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds, the demonization of fats and cholesterol, and we tackle the misinformation surrounding seed oils, clarifying why we should remain open-minded. We also share some simple swaps that women in perimenopause and menopause can apply. 

This conversation with Dr. Sarah Berry is rich and thought-provoking, so you will likely want to listen to it more than once.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

• How food labelling is so often misleading

• Why you should be cautious about taking nutritional advice from medical influencers

• The importance of considering the underlying factors that determine how healthy a particular food is  

• Why fiber is essential for a healthy microbiome

• How to avoid discomfort by spreading your fiber intake throughout the day

• The importance of personalized nutrition

• Potential drivers of early-onset colorectal cancer

• How the microbiome composition changes after menopause

• The value of polyphenols and dietary fat 

• Dr. Berry debunks common misconceptions about seed oils versus butter

• Some simple swaps to help women in perimenopause and menopause get enough fiber into their diets

Bio: 

Professor Sarah Berry

Sarah is a Professor at King’s College London and Chief Scientist at ZOE, the science and nutrition company. As an academic leader in Nutrition Science, Sarah has conducted over 35 human nutrition studies and currently leads the world's largest in-depth nutrition research program, the ZOE PREDICT study. Her research is at the forefront of personalised nutrition, our understanding of fats, and the food structure. Sarah’s recent studies explore topics such as menopause, snacking, and cardiometabolic health.

She’s often featured as an expert on ZOE's own podcast, ZOE Science and Nutrition, and regularly appears on television and radio to translate complex science into useful advice.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

• Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn

• Check out Cynthia’s website

• Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

Connect with Dr. Sarah Berry

• On Instagram

• The Zoe Science and Nutrition Podcast