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ZOE Science & Nutrition

ZOE Science & Nutrition

How to feed the 50 gut bacteria that shrink body fat, calm inflammation and cut cholesterol | Prof Nicola Segata & Prof Sarah Berry

Mar 19, 2026 · 1h 3m

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Is gut health just about taking a probiotic? Or could the bacteria in your gut be shaping your body fat, inflammation and cholesterol? In this episode, Professor Nicola Segata, a pioneer of new gut technology, and ZOE’s Chief Scientist Professor Sarah Berry, explain a major breakthrough in gut science. After analysing more than 34,000 microbiomes, the team identified 50 gut bacteria strongly linked to better health. Even more striking, many of them were previously unknown to science. Nicola explains how his team ranked hundreds of gut bacteria to define the “top 50” linked to better health, and explore how these bacteria group into patterns connected to inflammation, blood sugar, heart…