
This episode is brought to you by Troscriptions, Timeline, Joi and Blokes.
In this conversation, Dr. Tim Spector breaks down why modern life has quietly dismantled our relationship with fermented foods and how that loss may be fueling inflammation, metabolic disease, and poor mental health. Drawing from the landmark Stanford fermented foods study, he explains how just a few daily servings of fermented foods lowered inflammatory markers by 25%, outperforming fiber alone in immune impact. He outlines the hierarchy of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, why ultra-processed foods sabotage gut health, and how eating 30 diverse plants per week can measurably improve mood, energy, and microbiome diversity. From reversing type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease to redefining stool health as a vital sign, Spector argues that restoring gut diversity may be one of the most powerful levers for extending healthspan — potentially adding ten more healthy years of life.
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00:00 – The Fermented Foods Study That Changed Everything
03:22 – Health Trends in 2026: Fiber vs. The Protein Craze
06:04 – The 30 Plants Per Week Rule
09:40 – Gut Health and Mental Health Connection
16:27 – What Modern Life Destroyed About Fermentation
21:55 – The Stanford Fermented Foods Study
24:31 – 3 Fermented Foods to Start Today
27:29 – Live vs. Dead Microbes (Postbiotics Explained)
38:56 – Probiotics vs. Prebiotics vs. Postbiotics
48:41 – The Biggest Destroyer of Gut Health
52:48 – The New Gut Health Metric (Nature Study)
01:01:56 – What Your Stool Says About Your Health
01:09:29 – Can Gut Health Reverse Chronic Disease?
01:13:02 – The Simplest Gut Health Rule
01:13:36 – Adding 10 Healthy Years to Your Life
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