Alcohol: Can it ever be healthy?

Alcohol: Can it ever be healthy?

Author: ZOE March 17, 2022 Duration: 42:34
For many of us, it's a ritual to help us wind down after a long day, an excuse to catch up with friends, or a lubricant to an awkward social situation. Alcohol can be delicious, but our relationship with it is often complicated.  Good times with friends aren’t without sacrifice, and many of us feel the morning after impact of a few too many drinks. For an unfortunate minority, alcohol can lead to addiction and even death.  What we want to know is, can alcohol ever be healthy? Is any amount of alcohol a sure path to an early grave, or could a glass of red wine be the best thing for your heart health? This episode examines these contradictions to see what the science says.  Jonathan speaks to two leading scientists to better understand the effects of alcohol: Tim Spector - scientific co-founder at Zoe and one of the top 100 most cited scientists in the world Dr. Sarah Berry - one of the world's leading experts in human nutrition, with over 30 randomised human clinical trials to her name Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 00:10 - Jonathan’s introduction 01:25 - Episode start 01:45 - Tim’s favourite alcohol 02:24 - Is red wine healthy? 04:56 - How does alcohol relate to our microbiomes? 08:41 - What’s the cause of alcohol's positive effects? 11:16 - The importance of the amount of alcohol consumed 15:47 - Understanding the adverse effects of alcohol 17:48 - Why do hangovers get worse with age? 21:41 - Does alcohol influence weight? 24:48 - Alcoholic beers vs non-alcoholic beers in relation to sugar 28:34 - Avoid alcohol if you have these conditions! 29:54 - How does fermentation of beer differ from kombucha? 32:21 - Organic and natural wine 35:10 - Summary 38:03 - Outro Follow Sarah: https://twitter.com/saraheeberry Follow Tim: https://twitter.com/timspector Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/ This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Ever feel like the advice on eating well shifts with the wind? ZOE Science & Nutrition cuts through the noise by going straight to the source. Each conversation, hosted by Jonathan Wolf, sits down with leading researchers who are actually shaping our understanding of the human body, particularly the profound role of gut health. This isn't about quick fixes or fad diets; it's a deep and accessible exploration of the science itself. You'll hear these experts break down complex studies on nutrition and metabolism, then translate those findings into clear, actionable steps you can consider for your own life. The discussions span how food impacts everything from your energy levels and immune system to long-term weight management and disease prevention. Tuning into this podcast feels like having a direct line to the frontiers of nutritional science, all presented in a grounded, engaging way that makes even the most intricate topics relatable. It’s for anyone who’s curious about the real reasons behind why we eat what we eat and how those choices fundamentally shape our health.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 304

ZOE Science & Nutrition
Podcast Episodes
Does calorie counting work? - The Big IF Dailies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:14
Food package labels can be complex. With so much information, many of us set a beeline for the calorie number, but there’s more going on in food than just the amount of energy. How much value is there in counting calorie…
Should you avoid late-night snacks? - The Big IF Dailies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:13
We’ve all been there at least once, hovering by the fridge and looking for something to graze on just before bed. What you eat after dark can disrupt your sleep and digestion. Yet new evidence suggests that when we snack…
What breaks a fast? - The Big IF Dailies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:06
Fasting has been shown to improve our metabolism, slow disease and potentially increase our life span. While world religions have practiced fasting for millennia, the trend of fasting has soared in popularity in the last…
5 foods I got wrong - Tim Spector [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:23
Where were you in 2015? President Obama was in the White House, The UK was a member of the European Union, and you couldn’t escape Bruno Mars's global smash: Uptown Funk. More importantly, 2015 marked the release of Tim…
What does science say about intermittent fasting? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:33
It seems like every day, someone new mentions intermittent fasting. But what is it, exactly? There are myriad options — from the 5:2 diet, with two days of extreme calorie restriction each week, to the warrior diet, whic…
Fiber: Why it’s important and how to get more of it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:10
Diets rich in fiber are associated with good heart health and metabolic wellbeing. This type of diet can do wonders for our gut microbiome. With so many benefits, relatively low cost, and high availability, fiber should…
Heart health and aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:20
Do our blood vessels hold the secret to long life? 60,000 miles long. That’s the length of the tube system inside us that transports blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the cells in our body. If these tubes fail, the result…
Gas & Bloating: the causes & how to stop it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:12
Most of us are familiar with the unpleasant feeling of being bloated. It can happen after eating specific foods or when you experience slower bowel movements. Sometimes, it can be a symptom of an underlying health condit…
How your food choices affect the planet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
Our planet is overheating. Human society is creating too much carbon dioxide, stopping the sun’s warmth from escaping back into space. As earth gets hotter, its ice caps are melting, causing sea levels to rise, and subme…
High cholesterol foods: what really happens when you eat them? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:42
Cholesterol in our food has a bad reputation. Many of us think of it as something to try to cut it out of our diet completely. Yet new research could redeem eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods. In today’s short episode…