New microbiome science | Dr Tim Spector

About this episode

In this episode, Simon Hill continues his conversation with Dr Tim Spector about recent advancements in microbiome science and their implications for gut health.

In this episode, I return to a conversation I promised to continue - sitting back down with Prof Tim Spector, MD, to explore everything that has changed in microbiome science since Episode 224. Tim and the ZOE team have now published a landmark Nature paper with 34,000 microbiome samples, run a clinical trial comparing personalized nutrition against government guidelines, and Tim has published a book on fermentation science. We cover why most probiotics are scientifically obsolete, a practical ranked guide to fermented foods, the TMAO pathway linking gut bacteria to cardiovascular risk, and the estrobolome - the gut bacteria that recycle estrogen in women. If you have the gut health basics in place, this conversation tells you what to prioritize next. What We Cover The ZOE Microbiome Health Ranking 2025: what 34,000 gut microbiomes revealed about the species that actually matter A practical guide to fermented foods: how much, how often, and whether pasteurised versions count The TMAO mechanism - how your gut bacteria may influence the cardiovascular risk of red meat Why most probiotic supplements use strains that are 100 years out of date The estrobolome: how gut bacteria control…

People in this episode

Host: Simon Hill

Guest: Dr Tim Spector

Topics covered

• microbiome science
• fermented foods
• gut health
• probiotics
• cardiovascular risk
• estrobolome
• personalized nutrition

Keywords

• microbiome
• fermentation
• probiotics
• TMAO
• estrobolome
• gut bacteria
• personalized nutrition
• cardiovascular risk
• fermented foods

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ZOE, Nature

More episodes of The Proof with Simon Hill

• Nutrition for satiety and weight loss | Dr Federica Amati · June 9, 2026 · 1h 34m
• The Surgeon Defending Statins, GLP-1s, and Ancel Keys | Dr Terry Simpson · June 1, 2026 · 1h 43m
• Has Optimisation Culture Gone Too Far? | Sarah Ann Macklin · May 28, 2026 · 1h 11m
• What the Headlines Get Wrong About the Future of Meat | Bruce Friedrich · May 26, 2026 · 1h 48m
• Improving cholesterol and blood pressure with diet | A Masterclass · May 18, 2026 · 1h 57m
• The Peptides Quietly Accelerating Aging | Dr Valter Longo · May 11, 2026 · 1h 48m