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The Microbiome Doctor: Doctors Were Wrong! The 3 Foods You Should Eat For Perfect Gut Health!

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Jan 26, 2026

Guest

Tim Spector

Professor Tim Spector, medical doctor and genetic epidemiology professor at King’s College London, co-founder of ZOE and bestselling author. He discusses how the gut talks to the brain, links between oral health and dementia risk, why ultra-processed foods hijack mood, the power of eating 30 plants weekly, fermented foods and prebiotics, and practical daily rules to reduce inflammation and improve cognitive resilience.

01:38:27

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Episode notes

00:00 / 00:00

Personal Motivation From Family Experience

Tim Spector describes his 93-year-old mother developing dementia after a stroke and no longer recognising him.
Her condition motivated Tim to research brain health and dementia prevention.

00:00 / 00:00

Diet Changes Affect Mood First

Tim Spector found diet changes repeatedly improved mood and energy before measurable blood or gut changes.
He concludes the brain is an organ that largely responds to signals from the body and gut.

00:00 / 00:00

Immune System Drives Brain Disorders

Tim links chronic inflammation and immune signals to depression and other brain disorders.
He argues immune activation can mimic constant threat and drive prolonged depressive states.

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Tim's Personal Motivation: Mum's Dementia

01:04 • 1min

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Rising Dementia: Diagnosis and Trends

02:10 • 4min

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How the Gut Sends Signals to the Brain

05:53 • 5min

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Diet Changes Rapidly Improve Mood

10:30 • 6min

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Stress, Immune Signals and Depression

16:00 • 4min

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Inflammation, Metabolism and Brain Disease

20:11 • 3min

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Parkinson's May Begin in the Gut

22:47 • 3min

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Eight Rules for Gut Health Overview

26:17 • 20sec

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Mindful Eating and Food Quality

26:36 • 27sec

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Eat 30 Plants Weekly for Microbial Diversity

27:03 • 6min

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Prebiotics (Fertiliser) Outperform Probiotics

33:01 • 17min

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Fermented Foods Reduce Inflammation

49:46 • 8min

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Pivot Protein: Plant-Based Sources and Fiber

57:34 • 58sec

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Quality Over Calories and Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

58:32 • 4min

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Choose Better Breads and Rethink Gluten Claims

01:02:23 • 4min

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Nuts, Polyphenols and Food Colour Signals

01:06:43 • 3min

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Time-Restricted Eating: Give Your Gut a Rest

Keto: Therapeutic Uses and Practical Limits

01:20:00 • 2min

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Microplastics, Environment and Simple Avoidance

01:22:01 • 2min

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GLP-1 Drugs: Transformative but Need Support

01:24:17 • 3min

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Sauna, Socialising and Brain-Protective Habits

01:27:10 • 1min

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Early-Life Trauma Raises Lifetime Inflammation

01:28:40 • 4min

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What Excites Tim: Food as Medicine

• Mentioned in 12 episodes

The Diet Myth

The Real Science Behind What We Eat

Tim Spector

In this book, Tim Spector challenges the conventional wisdom on diets by highlighting the importance of gut microbiota in determining health and weight. He draws on his own research and the latest scientific studies to debunk common diet myths, such as the effects of saturated fats, trans fats, and dietary cholesterol. Spector argues that the key to health lies in maintaining a diverse gut microbiome through a varied diet rich in whole foods, rather than following restrictive diet trends. He also shares personal experiments and insights from his research, including the impact of different foods on gut bacteria and overall health.

#10029

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

Spoon-Fed

Why Almost Everything We’ve Been Told About Food is Wrong

Tim Spector

In this book, Tim Spector challenges the conventional wisdom on food and nutrition by exposing the lack of good scientific evidence behind many medical and government food recommendations. Through twenty short, myth-busting chapters, Spector highlights how the food industry significantly influences these policies and our dietary choices. The book encourages readers to rethink their relationship with food, emphasizing its importance not just for individual health but also for the future of the planet.

#2425

• Mentioned in 17 episodes

Food for Life Cookbook

Tim Spector

#6178

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Ferment

Tim Spector

Ferment is a comprehensive guide to understanding the science behind fermentation and its transformative role in human health. Drawing on cutting-edge research, Tim Spector demystifies fermented foods and their benefits for the gut microbiome, mood, and energy levels. The book includes practical tips for buying and making fermented foods such as kombucha, kefir, sourdough, miso, and kimchi, along with five fundamental dietary principles for optimal health.

World-leading gut health expert PROFESSOR TIM SPECTOR reveals brand new research around why dementia, depression, and anxiety may start in the gut, how flossing lowers Alzheimer’s risk, and the TOP foods that stop inflammation!

Professor Tim Spector is a medical doctor, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, and co-founder of ZOE, a science-led nutrition company. He has been recognised as one of the top 1% of most-cited scientists worldwide, and is the author of bestselling books, including 'Ferment’.

He explains:

◼️Why ultra-processed foods hijack your brain, mood, and behaviour

◼️The role of oral health and gum bacteria in brain inflammation

◼️Why most brain diseases share the same underlying risk factors

◼️The daily gut habits that improve focus, and cognitive resilience

◼️How poor sleep, stress, and late-night eating trigger brain fog and fatigue

(00:00) Intro
(02:38) Why My Mum No Longer Recognises Me
(04:07) Is Dementia Becoming More Common—or Just Better Diagnosed?
(05:07) The Hidden Dementia Types You Might Be at Risk For
(07:43) How Your Gut Health Could Be Shaping Your Brain
(11:18) What Your Diet Is Really Doing to Your Mood
(14:09) Why You’re Craving Unhealthy Food—and How to Break the Cycle
(14:45) Can Chronic Stress Increase Your Dementia Risk?
(15:57) Could Vaccines Be Linked to Depression?
(17:47) The Immune System’s Shocking Role in Brain Disorders
(21:03) Does Parkinson’s Disease Begin in the Gut?
(24:17) 8 Gut Health Rules That Can Transform Your Wellbeing
(25:45) Is Coffee Actually Good for Your Gut? Here’s What We Know
(30:24) Why You Should Eat 30 Different Plants Each Week
(34:41) Prebiotics vs Probiotics: Which One Does Your Body Really Need?
(39:17) How Flossing (or Not) Could Affect Your Risk of Dementia
(40:30) What Our Belief in Science vs Religion Reveals About Us
(45:56) Ads
(47:57) Why Fermented Foods Are Crucial for Gut and Brain Health
(55:58) Are You Eating the Wrong Kind of Protein?
(56:54) This Matters More Than Counting Calories
(58:14) The Hidden Dangers of Ultra-Processed Foods
(01:01:34) What’s the Healthiest Bread You Can Actually Eat?
(01:02:40) Are You Really Gluten-Free—Or Just Guessing?
(01:05:01) What Most People Get Wrong About Nuts
(01:06:24) Why These Foods Deserve the 'Superfood' Title
(01:08:12) What Fasting Does to Your Gut—and Why It Matters
(01:10:03) Ads
(01:11:55) The Keto Diet: What Condition It Could Actually Heal
(01:16:15) Can a Keto Diet Still Support a Healthy Gut?
(01:20:27) You Have Microplastics in Your Blood—Now What?
(01:22:43) How GLP-1s Could Radically Change Your Health
(01:25:35) Surprising Brain Benefits of Sauna Use
(01:26:26) How Socialising Might Be Protecting Your Brain
(01:27:07) How Childhood Trauma Could Shape Disease Later in Life
(01:30:43) Why Food Might Be the Most Powerful Medicine
(01:32:07) How to Build a Better Relationship With Food

Follow Tim:

Instagram - https://bit.ly/4jXTsPZ

X - https://bit.ly/4qCNW88

ZOE YouTube - https://bit.ly/45tuXEt

You can download Tim’s “How to eat in 2026” guide, full of practical tips, recipes and the science behind ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles, here: https://zoe.com/2026

You can purchase Tim’s book, ‘The Food For Life Cookbook: As seen on Channel 4's What Not To Eat’, here: https://amzn.to/3Zr1xDg

Steven is an investor in ZOE.

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