The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett The Microbiome Doctor: Doctors Were Wrong! The 3 Foods You Should Eat For Perfect Gut Health!
Jan 26, 2026
01:39:30
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
(01:08:12) 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
(01:30:43) Why Food Might Be the Most Powerful Medicine
(01:32:07) How to Build a Better Relationship With Food
Independent Research: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DOAC-Tim-Spector-Independent-Research-further-reading-.pdf
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.
The Diary Of A CEO:
◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/
◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook
◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt
◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb
◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt
◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Sponsors:
LinkedIn Talent Solutions - https://linkedin.com/doac
Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/DOAC
Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com
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
(01:08:12) 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
(01:30:43) Why Food Might Be the Most Powerful Medicine
(01:32:07) How to Build a Better Relationship With Food
Independent Research: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DOAC-Tim-Spector-Independent-Research-further-reading-.pdf
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.
The Diary Of A CEO:
◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/
◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook
◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt
◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb
◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt
◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Sponsors:
LinkedIn Talent Solutions - https://linkedin.com/doac
Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/DOAC
Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com