Professor Robin May, the Chief Scientific Officer at the UK Health Security Agency, spent the last two weeks managing public health scares—including a meningitis B outbreak in Kent and a hantavirus case on a cruise ship—before pivoting to the podcast studio to discuss the nutritional power of fungi.
On the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast, host Jonathan Wolf praised May's credentials, introducing him as a "world-leading expert on the way that mushrooms interact" with our immune systems.
During the episode, Robin May explained how consumers can boost the nutritional profile of their food, noting that "the big thing about all mushrooms pretty much is they are making vitamin D just like us in response to sunlight or actually in response to UV light." He warned that mushrooms grown in industrial dark farms and rushed to supermarket shelves will have almost no vitamin D in them unless they get some sun exposure.
As Robin May continues to balance his high-stakes government role at the UK Health Security Agency with mainstream health advocacy, expect to see more of him bridging the gap between rigorous academic microbiology and everyday wellness tips.