The Microbiome Doctor, Professor Tim Spector: Doctors Were Wrong! The 3 Foods You Should Eat for Perfect Gut Health (Video)

In this 26 January 2026 published video, host Steven Bartlett talks with world-leading gut health expert Professor Tim Spector who 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 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

https://youtu.be/w3dTmyZq4Qk

00:00 Intro
02:53 Why My Mum No Longer Recognises Me
04:22 Is Dementia Really Becoming More Common?
05:22 The Hidden Types of Dementia You Might Be at Risk For
07:59 How Your Gut Might Be Controlling Your Brain Health
11:34 What Your Diet Could Be Doing to Your Mood
14:25 Why We Crave Junk—and What It Reveals About Us
15:01 Can Chronic Stress Trigger Dementia?
16:12 Could Vaccines Affect Your Mental Health?
18:03 The Surprising Role of the Immune System in Brain Disease
21:18 Does Parkinson’s Disease Begin in the Gut?
24:32 8 Rules for Building a Healthy Gut—And Why It Matters
26:01 What Coffee Really Does to Your Gut Health
30:40 What Happens When You Eat 30 Plants a Week
34:56 Prebiotics vs Probiotics: Which Does Your Gut Actually Need?
39:33 Why Not Flossing Might Raise Your Dementia Risk
40:45 Why We Struggle With the Science of Existence
46:11 Ads
48:13 Why You Should Be Eating Fermented Foods Every Day
56:14 Are You Eating the Wrong Type of Protein?
57:09 What Really Matters More Than Counting Calories
58:30 The Real Cost of Ultra-Processed Foods
01:01:49 What’s the Best Bread for Gut and Brain Health?
01:02:55 Am I Really Gluten-Free, or Just Guessing?
01:05:16 The Truth About Nuts and Your Brain Health
01:06:39 What Makes a Food a True Superfood?
01:08:28 How Fasting Impacts Your Gut and Mind
01:10:19 Ads
01:12:10 How the Keto Diet Might Heal More Than You Think
01:16:30 Can You Be Keto and Still Have a Healthy Gut?
01:20:42 What It Means If You Have Microplastics in Your Blood
01:22:58 How GLP-1 Drugs Could Improve Your Life
01:25:51 The Powerful Brain Benefits of Sauna Use
01:26:41 How Socialising Could Protect Your Brain
01:27:23 Can Childhood Trauma Predict Disease Later in Life?
01:30:58 How Food Is Quietly Becoming Medicine
01:32:23 What It Takes to Build a Healthy Relationship With Food