Professor Tim Spector's health scare led to him founding ZOE as he thought he'd die at 57

Professor Tim Spector, who founded Zoe, has opened up about his health scare which prompted him to launch the nutrition firm, as well as his thoughts on the lare Dr Michael Mosley

Professor Tim Spector, from King's College London, has disclosed that a health scare which had him dreading dying at just 57 spurred him to establish the ZOE nutrition company. Speaking candidly to Times Magazine, he conceded that although he deemed himself in good health, his own medical crisis would propel him towards creating ZOE, renowned for its unique "holistic approach to testing", as stated on its website.

At 66, and known to have been close with the recently deceased Dr Michael Mosley, Professor Spector recounted the alarming onset of "double vision" and fluctuating blood pressure.

He said: "I started Zoe after a mini stroke at 53. I thought I was healthy. And then all of a sudden I had double vision and fears about whether I had a brain tumour.

"My blood pressure went up. I thought, I've got to just start doing something for myself - or I will die at 57 like my father."

He also shared his sentiments on Dr Mosley, whose passing he finds "quite traumatic", acknowledging their kindred spirits and shared penchant for taking chances. Speaking on the Diary Of A CEO podcast, Professor Spector delved into the impact of gut microbiome on mental wellness and illnesses, indicating its potential influence on our overall health, including mood, as noted by CoventryLive, reports Gloucestershire Live.

He elaborated on the role of gut microbes in our vulnerability to diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders, referencing a study involving identical twins: "The only thing I've ever found in 30 years that's really different about identical twins is their gut microbes.

"And that explains why one gets cancer, the other one doesn't, why one gets an autoimmune disease or one's depressed and one's happy," he remarked. The health guru also recently shed light on an unexpected fact about low-fat yoghurt during his appearance on the ZOE Science and Nutrition podcast, stating: "It says low fat, you're more likely to have fake yoghurt than if it's full fat."

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