Gut microbiome testing: What can it reveal about your health?

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Sep 21, 2023

Guest

Tim Spector

Guest

Nicola Segata

Prof. Nicola Segata, an expert in microbiome research, joins Prof. Tim Spector, a leading authority on gut health, to delve into the fascinating world of gut microbiomes. They discuss how gut bacteria influence not just digestion but also mental well-being and chronic diseases. Listeners learn about the transformative power of personalized microbiome testing, with over 90% of individuals improving their health by adjusting diets based on their microbiome profiles. The conversation also highlights the impact of dietary choices on microbial diversity and encourages proactive approaches to gut health.

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INSIGHT

Microbiome's Impact on Immunity

Gut microbes are crucial for our immune system, which is 70% located in the gut lining.
They interact with immune cells, influencing allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancer detection, and aging.

INSIGHT

Gut-Brain Connection

The gut-brain axis connects microbes to the brain through chemicals and neurotransmitters.
Microbes influence neurochemicals linked to happiness, sadness, depression, and anxiety.

INSIGHT

Microbiome Uniqueness

Each person's gut microbiome is unique, with only 30-40% of species shared between individuals.
Even within shared species, strains vary significantly, making each microbiome even more personalized.

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Your gut microbiome, a bustling community of microorganisms, is a vital player in your overall health. It doesn’t just impact your digestive system — it has a profound influence on your brain health and well-being.

However, the gut microbiome is a complex, long misunderstood realm, and figuring out how it affects daily life can leave even the most dedicated health enthusiasts scratching their heads.

Here at ZOE, we’ve transformed our understanding of this bustling microbial world, where both “good” and “bad” gut bacteria reside.

In today’s episode, Jonathan speaks with Prof. Nicola Segata and Prof. Tim Spector to explore how ZOE's microbiome testing and unique microbiome health scores provide personalized insights into your gut health.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Nicola Segata is a professor and principal investigator at the Laboratory of Computational Metagenomics, at the CIBIO department of the University of Trento. His background is in metagenomics, machine learning, microbiome research, and microbial genomics.
Tim Spector is ZOE's scientific co-founder and one of the world's top 100 most cited scientists.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:41 Quick fire questions

03:38 Why should we care about gut microbes?

07:00 How many different microbes do we have in our gut?

11:37 Why would we want to measure our microbiome?

13:15 Can we change our microbiome?

18:00 Is it possible to make a dramatic change in your microbiome over time?

20:21 What does the latest data tell us about improving our diet?

23:24 How does the ZOE micobiome gut test work?

27:07 What goes on in the lab to get these results?

30:54 Is there enough information in the gut microbiome to make a full health assessment?

34:20 What can our microbes tell us about diseases?

35:55 What useful information does the microbiome test show us?

36:51 Are we still making new discoveries in the microbiome?

41:03 Do different microbes prefer specific foods?

43:14 How do different lifestyles around the world change your microbiome?

47:44 5 simple tips to improve gut health

50:45 How rapidly can you damage your microbiome?

53:58 Can taking painkillers regularly negatively impact the microbiome?

56:10 Summary

60:03 Goodbyes/Outro

Mentioned in today’s episode:

The person-to-person transmission landscape of the gut and oral microbiomes from Nature
Sharing of gut microbial strains between selected individual sets of twins cohabitating for decades from PLoS One
A genetic gift for sushi eaters from Nature

Find Nicola on ResearchGate and X.

Episode transcripts are available here.

Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at podcast@joinzoe.com, and we’ll do our best to cover it.