The positives and uncertainties with the Zoe nutrition programme

Reading ‘Personalising stuff that doesn’t matter’: the trouble with the Zoe nutrition app, The Observer, 18 May 2024.

The problem with personalised nutrition industry is that this is still a young research field, and there is not yet good enough evidence across the field to believe that we have yet found worthwhile novel interventions that are more helpful than standard advice.

What I gained from going through the Zoe process is an education in food and health. The app has given me an insight on the quantitative side (such as how much fibre I’m eating), and lessons to understand food and how our bodies process food.

I’ve discovered new foods I like, and it has changed my behaviour. I’m not sure how personalised that is, and I expect the science to change over time. But in the meantime, I’m eating better today, with big improvements in particular to breakfasts and lunches.

If you want to know what Zoe is like, Jane has written about day 0, day 1, days 2-4, days 5-14, and her end of week results.