Optimize Your Gut to Fight Disease With Tim Spector

As Hippocrates said, food is medicine.

But what food specifically for which person? Under what particular circumstances? And when? These nuanced questions are far more complicated to answer.

Thanks to some astonishing breakthroughs in medical technology, scientists are at the threshold of prescribing food to sidestep disease, predict diagnostic outcomes, promote longevity, and enhance well-being on a highly individuated basis.

The era of personalized medicine is upon us. And at the tip of this revolution is today’s guest, Dr. Tim Spector.

Arguably the world’s leading authority on the cutting edge of microbiome research, Tim is a globally-renowned epidemiologist, geneticist, and author. Awarded the distinction Order of The British Empire (or OBE), he has published over 1,000 original articles in some of the world’s top scientific journals, is the director of the TwinsUK Registry, founder of the British Gut Project, and co-founder of the data science company ZOE.

He is also the bestselling author of several books, including The Diet Myth—the first introduction on the importance of the gut microbiome for human health for a non-scientific audience and Spoon Fed, a primer on the latest evidence on food science and personalized nutrition. His latest work is Food for Life, an in-depth, scientific breakdown of what and when to eat, and ways we can all improve our own personal nutrition.

Specific topics discussed in this episode include:

• Our rapidly evolving understanding of the microbiome and its wide-ranging impact on every facet of health;
• food myths and misconceptions regarding labeling;
• the importance of plant diversity in one’s diet;
• the role probiotics and prebiotics play in our bodies;
• the physical impacts of intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating;
• how technology and ‘Citizen Science’ are advancing the field of personalized nutrition and health care;
• the environmental implications of food systems and consumer food choices; and
• the future of food, microbiome science, and more.

The visually inclined can watch this exchange on YouTube. And as always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This is a fascinating conversation that will leave you reframing the importance diet plays in your life—and what the near future holds for better health for all.

Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,