Jonathan Wolf’s Post

My six year old self would say this was the coolest week of my life. I got to do a ZOE podcast with a NASA scientist who is now transforming cancer treatments. What could possibly link astronauts to cancer patients? In this week's podcast, Dr Jessica Scott reveals how six decades of NASA research aid cancer survivor recovery. Challenging the old belief that rest is key during cancer treatment, new research suggests exercise may be a key factor for a long and healthy life post-diagnosis. Dr Jessica Scott spent 7 years at NASA designing exercise programs for astronauts in outer space. Now, she’s using her unique skillset in the fight against cancer and is a principal investigator at the world-leading Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In this episode, she explains the effects of space travel on health, how exercise can reduce the side effects of cancer treatment, and discusses exercise practices to support recovery. Click the link in the comments to listen to the podcast and learn more about exercise’s effect on cancer patients.

I got obesity wrong. Like many, I grew up believing that if you were living with obesity, it was your fault. But obesity is not a matter of willpower. It’s a chronic disease. With the arrival of GLP-1 agonist drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, the way we think about dramatic weight loss is shifting. As with any new medication, people worry about safety. Are these drugs dangerous? What about the side effects? Do they really work? Today's podcast guest Dr Louis Aronne has studied obesity for over 35 years. He is the former president of the Obesity Society and an associate editor of the scientific journal Obesity. In this episode, Louis dives deep into these groundbreaking new weight loss medications. We explore how lifestyle and eating habits affect long-term health and why medications paired with better dietary choices can unlock transformative results. To listen to the podcast and learn more about the benefits and risks of these new drugs, click the link in the comments.

Today we are re-releasing this episode in memory of the late, great Michael Mosley — a person I deeply admired, and a long-time friend of my co-founder, Tim Spector. Michael believed in empowering people to take proactive steps toward improving their health and had a remarkable gift for making science accessible to everyone. In the early days of founding ZOE and speaking with our members in the UK, Michael’s name came up again and again as someone who had helped them make positive changes in their lives. Michael's work has touched millions worldwide, influencing countless lives for the better. I think that is an extraordinary legacy. I hope you enjoy listening.

The pros and cons between meat, meat alternatives, and whole foods remain a hot topic for debate. Meat alternatives are now widely available, offering plant-based versions of nearly every traditional meat product. They claim to promote sustainability, animal welfare, and better health. But are they truly healthy? Should you opt for them over meat, or are they just ultra-processed foods to avoid? I’m thrilled to welcome Professor Christopher Gardner back to the podcast today. Christopher is a professor of medicine at Stanford University, Director of Nutrition Studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, and a world-leading expert in how nutrition affects our health. In this episode, we delve into the rising demand for meat alternatives, examine the ingredients and protein quality of plant-based meats, and discuss a study conducted by Christopher comparing meat alternatives to regular meats. To hear Christopher’s verdict on meat alternatives, click the link in the comments.

I won't pretend to personally understand the experience of menstruation. Typically, periods have been a topic many avoid, feeling it's taboo — myself included. However, given that over half of the population menstruate at some point in their lives, and a large percentage of that group experience PMS and PCOS, we should be able to discuss periods without stigma. In today's ZOE podcast, OB-GYN/gynecologist and best-selling author, Dr Jen Gunter, and ZOE’s Chief Scientist, Dr Sarah Berry, join me to discuss menstruation myths and shed light on the latest menstrual science. Jen shares her insights from her new book, Blood, and explains why she thinks of menstruation like an orchestra. We discuss how iron deficiency can be linked to heavy periods, the differences between PMS and PMDD, how regular exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce symptoms, and when to seek advice from your healthcare provider. And if you are a man I strongly recommend you listen, to better understand the women in your life. To listen to the podcast, click the link in the comments. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Many of the meals you eat will lead to inflammation in your body a few hours later. I used to think inflammation was pseudoscience nonsense. It isn’t. It’s a critical risk factor for numerous chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and even certain cancers. On today’s podcast episode, I’m joined by Professor Philip Calder, a world expert on how our diet affects our immune system and inflammation. He shared some hopeful news with me: While our diets can play a key role in triggering inflammation, they also have the remarkable power to reduce it. In our conversation we discuss anti-inflammatory foods, the connection between inflammation and aging, sustainable sources of omega-3s, and how your dietary habits impact inflammatory diseases. To listen to the podcast and discover actions you can take today to reduce long term inflammation, click the link in the comments.

Today I feel I might have finally made my mum and dad proud. If you've met them you'll know they are a hard act to follow… Nature Medicine has just published the results of the first randomised controlled trial ("RCT") of ZOE membership, to see if it improves health better than government advice. I'm very excited to say that the answer is a resounding "YES"...

This is the hardest news I’ve ever shared on LinkedIn. We’ve seen extraordinary growth since launching ZOE membership in the UK two years ago. We spent the last year desperately trying to catch up with demand, as we welcomed 100,000 new members. Unfortunately, it’s now clear that in doing this, we over-expanded our team over the last six months. We now have to make difficult decisions to reduce our costs by around 20%, which will impact some of our team. I take full responsibility for this. When we started ZOE seven years ago, I wanted to build a company that reflected my own values. My son was seven, and I realised that if he was going to understand what was important to me it didn’t matter what I said - what mattered was what I did. Which is why I co-founded this incredible company with Tim and George. A company where people have a strong sense of community, can be themselves and feel proud to work towards ZOE’s mission to improve the health of millions. The impact on our close-knit team will be very hard. And yet, we must face this hard reality because our mission is important, and it���s clear that we can succeed at it. Building a startup isn’t easy, and success is rarely a straight line. It is often two steps forward and one step back. This feels especially true right now, as despite this difficult decision, we are also far more confident in what we’re building than a year ago: from the members who tell us amazing stories of how ZOE has changed their lives, from the many thousands of new members joining each month and from the groundbreaking scientific discoveries our team is making. I will always be grateful to every single member of our amazing team who have taken us so far, so fast. Each of them should feel immensely proud of how they have helped so many people transform their health. I have attached my full announcement to our ZOEntists here:

One thing I’ve learned from speaking to world-leading scientists on the ZOE podcast, is that exercising is critical to maintain your health as you age. Despite knowing this, finding time for exercise is hard and I don’t really love doing it. So I’m always interested in ways to get the most benefit from my hard work! That’s why I was so fascinated to hear about today’s guest, Professor Karyn Esser’s research about the importance of WHEN you exercise. Karyn is the co-director of the Older Americans Independence Center and has been leading cutting edge research on how our muscles’ circadian rhythm affects our health. That’s right - she has discovered your muscles have their own body clock. To discover why you’re probably strongest in the afternoon and what this means for your health, listen now. Link in the comments