My clients know gut health is an area I’m hugely passionate about because of my own struggles to control (and cure) my IBS-C.

Here's some fascinating gut facts that will blow your mind!

• Different gut bugs thrive on different types of plants and just like a flourishing garden, a healthy gut microbiome is one that's abundant.

• Different bacteria (probiotics) prefer different fertilisers (prebiotics), and eating a variety of plants gives your gut bacteria different types of fibre, polyphenols and other nutrients to munch on.

• The higher the number of different plant-based foods you eat, the more diverse your gut bacteria will typically be. This diversity is linked to better gut and overall health, including better heart, skin, brain and mental health.

• The American Gut Project looked at stool samples from over 10,000 people from around the world and discovered that people who eat over 30+ different plants a week had a more diverse mix of gut bacteria than those who ate less than 10 a week.

• A 2018 review, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) highlights the wide body of research showing that lower gut bacterial diversity is also associated with conditions like:

- Inflammatory bowel disease

- Type 1 diabetes

- Type 2 diabetes

- Eczema

- Celiac disease

- Ulcerative colitis

- Obesity

• ZOE studies have also found links between specific "good" and "bad" gut bacteria as indicators of better or worse health, including:

- Inflammatory markers

- Cholesterol

- Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)

- Type 2 diabetes risk

- Heart disease risk

• Plus, and this is mind blowing, the ZOE project has discovered that our gut microbiome is predictive of our blood sugar and fat responses after eating, ie: how efficiently our body clears glucose and fat from our blood. Essentially, it appears that these responses can be improved by improving our gut microbiome. How amazing is that!

• This efficiency rate is linked with weight gain and obesity too, with poorer gut health being related to increased weight.

How crazy is that?! So we need to cut off the supply of junk food to kill off 'bad' bacteria and let our healthy bacteria thrive instead.

So, What's The Top Tip I Give To My Clients? Eat the Rainbow

The best way to make sure you’re getting a wide variety on a daily basis is to eat plants of all different colours each day.

This might not always be possible, and your gut will also be happy if you eat plants of all different colours throughout the week. Another way to increase variety is by adding herbs and spices to every meal, and, it appears our bacteria have a penchant for black coffee and dark chocolate too! (look for 70% cocoa content and above).

[Note that this information is for general guidance and information only. If you have gut health issues, eating the rainbow may not be the right approach for you, as increased fibre and the presence of lectins on certain foods may exacerbate some conditions. Speak with your Dr for advice specific to you.]

Sources

BMJ (ref)

Zoe.com