Could mushrooms hold the secret to better gut health, lower cholesterol, and can they protect your brain? Today, Professor Robin May, a leading microbiologist and the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Officer, explores why our interest in mushrooms has exploded. He explains why they are not just another vegetable but could hold the key to better gut health, brain health, immune health, and lower cholesterol. By the end of the episode, you’ll know which health claims about mushrooms are real, which are exaggerated and where the science is just too early to trust. You’ll have a solid understanding of what mushrooms are really doing inside our bodies and how to unlock the secret health powers they hold. Should mushrooms become a regular part of your weekly shop rather than an occasional side dish? And if fungi have evolved alongside humans for millions of years, what else might they reveal about the future of nutrition and health? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30: https://zoe.com/daily30?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=d30 Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE: https://zoe.com/buymembership?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=BAU Follow ZOE on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/zoe/ Timecodes 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook | https://amzn.to/4amfIMX Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati | https://amzn.to/4blJsLg Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector | https://amzn.to/4amZinu Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector | https://amzn.to/4hU1Df5 Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector | https://amzn.to/4l9oXat Free resources from ZOE: The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra | http://ZOE.com/hertility?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=hertility Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint | https://ZOE.com/brainhealth?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=betterbrainhealth How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health | https://zoe.com/2026?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=How to eat in 2026 Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition | https://zoe.com/freeguide?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=freeguide Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks | https://zoe.com/gutguide?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=gutguide Better Breakfast Guide | https://zoe.com/breakfastguide?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=breakfastguide Mentioned in today's episode A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D, Nutrients (2018) | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6213178/ Ergothioneine: an underrecognised dietary micronutrient required for healthy ageing, British Journal of Nutrition (2023) | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9816654/ Ergothioneine: A Stress Vitamin with Antiaging, Vascular, and Neuroprotective Roles?, Antioxidants and Redox Signaling (2022) | https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ars.2021.0043 Mushrooms & longevity, Nature (2025) | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-025-00244-x Lion’s mane & nerve growth factor, Journal of Biological Engineering (2023) | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13036-023-00392-2 The Relationship between Mushroom Intake and Cognitive Performance, Nutrients (2024) | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10857520/ Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here: https://gf6hx47iu5g.typeform.com/topicsuggestion Episode transcripts are available here: https://zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts