Are you eating 30+ different plant foods a week?

Did you know diversity of gut bacteria is associated with a healthy microbiome? Research suggests a diverse microbiome can support immunity, reduce inflammation, and even enhance athletic performance and recovery!

The American Gut Project (a study analysing the gut microbes of over 10,000 people) found that those regularly eating 30+ different types of plant foods per week had a more diverse microbiome than those eating 10 or fewer.

We all know eating fruit and vegetables is good for us, but the key point here is that eating a variety of different plant foods each week is even better for us - it has been shown to encourage the growth of multiple different species of beneficial bacteria, resulting in a more diverse microbiome.

Interestingly, it was the variety of plants in the diet that determined the diversity of the microbiome, unrelated to whether the participant identified as vegetarian, vegan or a meat eater.

Eating 30 different plants a week may sound daunting, but it’s actually very achievable as this target includes grains, herbs, spices, nuts and seeds, as well as fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables. So, if you’re not quite reaching this recommendation, why not make a start and add a new plant-based ingredient to your shopping basket this week?

To view the research in full follow this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5954204/