The Proof with Simon Hill

Plant-based nutrition has rarely been more contested. Seed oils are vilified, butter is celebrated, protein is treated as a pure quantity question, and nutrition epidemiology is routinely dismissed by people who have never read one of its papers. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Andrea Glenn, an Assistant Professor at NYU and Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,...

Ultra-processed foods are now the central nutrition conversation of the decade, but the gap between the marketing and the evidence has never been wider. In this episode, I sit down with registered nutritionist and Sunday Times bestselling author Rhiannon Lambert to bring some practical clarity to what the science actually says. We get into how the NOVA system can be too blunt to be useful, why cal...

Peptides are being marketed as solutions for everything from injury recovery to longevity, but what does the science actually say? In this episode, Dr Leigh Baxt joins me to break down what peptides are, how drug development really works, and why so many of the claims circulating online are running far ahead of the evidence. We explore the difference between approved peptide medicines and unregula...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Belinda Beck to challenge long-held beliefs about osteoporosis and bone health. We break down what actually works, what doesn’t, and why many people are being given outdated advice. We explore the science of bone adaptation, the importance of heavy resistance training, and how to think about prevention and treatment across the lifespan. What We Cover Why walking i...

In this episode, I return to a conversation I promised to continue - sitting back down with Prof Tim Spector, MD, to explore everything that has changed in microbiome science since Episode 224. Tim and the ZOE team have now published a landmark Nature paper with 34,000 microbiome samples, run a clinical trial comparing personalized nutrition against government guidelines, and Tim has published a b...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Kevin Hall from the NIH to unpack the science behind ultra-processed foods, energy balance, and the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines. We explore what controlled feeding studies reveal about why people tend to eat more calories on ultra-processed diets, and whether it’s the foods themselves or the broader environment driving these effects. What We Cover Key takeaways fr...

In this episode, I speak with Dr Lora Giangregorio about how to train for stronger bones, better balance, and long-term independence. We break down what actually matters when it comes to preventing fractures and improving bone health. We explore the role of resistance, balance, and impact training, and how to apply these in a practical, sustainable way. What We Cover Why starting where you are mat...

In this episode, I’m joined by Christopher Gardner and Ty Beal to break down the science and debate behind the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines. We explore ultra-processed foods, protein recommendations, plant-based alternatives, and how nutrition evidence is interpreted when shaping national dietary advice. Despite disagreements on specific points, this conversation highlights how much common groun...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Kristen Knutson to unpack circadian health and how timing influences our metabolism, cardiovascular health, and sleep quality. We discuss the role of morning light, meal timing, exercise, and regularity, and why modern lifestyles often push our biology out of sync. Dr Knutson also clarifies common misconceptions about melatonin, wearable sleep trackers, and what t...

Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple and Dr Alyssa Olenick join me to answer a question I hear constantly from women in midlife: “Why am I putting in so much effort, but not seeing the results?” We break down what matters most for strength, body composition, and long term health, and what is simply noise. You’ll come away with a clear framework for resistance training, a realistic view of cardio, and a calmer...

Dr Brad Schoenfeld and Alan Aragon join me to explore protein requirements, recomposition, and how to structure resistance training for long-term strength and muscle retention. We discuss calorie deficits, effort, failure, recovery, and the training variables that matter most for healthy ageing. What We Cover Protein targets in and out of a calorie deficit Recomp versus surplus for muscle growth E...

The 2025 US Dietary Guidelines are out, and they’ve sparked debate across the nutrition world. In this episode, I sit down with Dr David Katz to examine where the new recommendations align with science and where they diverge from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s evidence review. We discuss the increased emphasis on meat and protein, contradictions around saturated fat and full-fat dairy...

Can diet really reverse atherosclerosis, or is that an overpromise? Since sharing my own coronary CT angiogram results, this question has come up almost daily. In this episode, I revisit the best clinical trials to see what the evidence actually says. I break down six randomised controlled trials and explain how different dietary patterns influence plaque progression, plaque stability, and cardiov...

I’m joined by Dr Robert Eckel to unpack why obesity is far more complex than a BMI number and why insulin resistance plays such a central role in cardiometabolic disease. We discuss preclinical versus clinical obesity, fat distribution, metabolic risk, and what actually improves health outcomes beyond weight loss alone. What We Cover Why BMI is only a starting point Preclinical versus clinical obe...

Fertility is not just about timing ovulation. In this episode, Dr Natalie Crawford explains how sleep, stress, insulin resistance, diet, toxins, supplements, and lifestyle choices influence egg and sperm quality, miscarriage risk, and fertility outcomes. We cover fertility myths, evidence-based nutrition, supplements that matter, and when medical treatments like IVF or egg freezing make sense. Wha...

Could your gut microbiome influence how many calories you absorb from the same food? Karen Corbin explains the science behind energy absorption, faecal calorie loss, and why feeding your microbes may support metabolic health. We also cover practical diet upgrades, the reality on probiotics, and where microbiome research is heading next, including metabolite signatures and gut–brain links. What We...

In this episode, Drew Harrisberg and I go deep on life beyond macros and metrics. We talk about gratitude, regret, ageing, and how constant optimisation can quietly pull us away from what actually matters. We also cover living with type 1 diabetes, health tech, social sport, future wellness trends, and why simplicity, connection, and play may be the real foundations of long-term wellbeing. What We...

I sit down with Dr Luc van Loon to unpack what really happens to protein in the body, from digestion to muscle and organ tissue. We explore why muscle protein synthesis is often misunderstood, how inactivity drives muscle loss, and what the research actually says about protein needs across the lifespan. What We Cover Ice baths and their impact on muscle adaptation Protein absorption, muscle protei...

In Part 2 of Highlights of 2025, I revisit some of the most important conversations from the year on The Proof, covering cardiovascular prevention, blood pressure, cholesterol, nutrition, sustainability, and performance. Featuring insights from Dr Laurence Sperling, Dr Thomas Dayspring, Dr Dan Soffer, Dr Raymond Townsend, Dr Hannah Ritchie, Dr Iñigo San Millán, and Dr Dawn Mussallem, this episode...

Welcome to Part 1 of our Highlights of 2025 series, where I revisit the most important conversations from the year on The Proof, spanning nutrition science, misinformation, and long-term health. This episode features highlights from Dr Matthew Nagra, Dr Rupy Aujla, Drew Harrisberg, Dr Steven Novella, Dr Bill Harris, Dr David Katz, Doug Evans, Dr Suzanne Devkota, Dr Jessica Knurick, and Dr Walter W...

In this episode, I’m joined by cardiac dietitian Michelle Routhenstein to unpack why heart disease prevention is still so misunderstood. We explore cholesterol confusion, blood pressure, saturated fat, carbs, supplements, and why personalised nutrition matters far more than rigid dietary rules. Michelle explains how food choices influence plaque progression, inflammation, gut health, and heart rhy...

In this episode I sit down again with microbiome researcher Dr Suzanne Devkota to explore what a healthy microbiome really is and how we can support it. We unpack diversity, early life programming, fibre and microbiota accessible carbohydrates (MACs), plus the genuine role of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics. Suzanne also shares cutting edge research on short chain fatty acids, Akkermansia,...

In this episode I am joined by Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*, to talk about why so many of us build our lives around “shitty values” and what it takes to change. We discuss regret, shame and the stories we tell ourselves, and how taking responsibility without blaming yourself can transform the way you move through the world. Mark shares his counterintuitive values fram...

Dr Walter Willett has spent more than fifty years at the forefront of nutrition research, leading landmark studies that have shaped how we think about fat, carbohydrates, protein and chronic disease. In this episode, he joins me to untangle decades of confusion around saturated fat, seed oils, dairy, eggs, plant protein and more, and to explain what a truly healthy dietary pattern looks like when...

Dr Jessica Knurick joins me to examine the systems influencing America’s health. We discuss the gap between individual choices and public health realities, the rise of MAHA, and why many proposed solutions fail to address the real drivers of chronic disease. Jessica breaks down regulation, subsidies and the role of corporations, the truth about food dyes and additives, and why SNAP remains essenti...