Feed Your Microbiome

Your gut is not just yours - it's home to trillions of bacteria. How you treat them matters.

New research is clear: the more plants you eat, the healthier your gut microbiome. What your gut bacteria crave is fibre-rich, whole plant foods. Think broccoli, lentils, nuts, pulses, and fruits - foods loaded with fibre, complex carbohydrates, and beneficial compounds that feed your microbial community, protecting you from chronic diseases like inflammation, heart disease, and colorectal cancer.

Scientists from Italy studied nearly 22,000 people and found clear microbial signatures distinguishing vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. While omnivore microbiomes showed bacteria linked to inflammation and disease - thanks, animal eating - vegans and vegetarians cultivated gut bacteria associated with healthier cardiometabolic systems and beneficial fatty acid production. But here's the catch: simply dropping meat isn’t enough. A diverse range of quality plant foods is essential. It’s not just what you avoid, it’s what you embrace.

Diversity isn’t automatically beneficial if the bacteria themselves aren’t. A diverse microbiome filled with harmful bacteria helps no one. So, the focus isn't just on diversity - it's about cultivating the right bacteria through nutrient-rich plant foods.

Why are plants so powerful?

1. Fibre is your microbiome’s fuel. Animal flesh and ovulations have zero fibre. Plants - particularly prebiotic fibres from garlic, onions, beans, and chicory - feed beneficial gut bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acids that fight inflammation and maintain your gut barrier.

2. Complex carbohydrates matter. Sweet potatoes, bananas, and other plant foods contain resistant starches fermented by gut bacteria, which produce protective compounds essential for gut health and cancer prevention. Skipping complex carbs or relying on simple carbs harms your gut, creating damaging by-products.

3. Plant diversity boosts microbial diversity. Gut health expert Tim Spector advises eating 30 different plant foods a week to foster a rich microbial environment. More variety equals more protection.

4. Plants encourage beneficial bacteria. Polyphenols - bioactive compounds found abundantly in plants - promote beneficial microbes with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting effects. Eating plants of different colours means more polyphenols and better gut protection.

5. Industrialised diets damage your gut. A non-industrialized diet trialled in Ireland (the NiMe diet), based on rural Papua New Guinea eating patterns - high plants, low meat, no processed foods - reduced cholesterol by 17%, blood sugar by 6%, and inflammation markers significantly, all in just three weeks. Participants even lost weight without cutting calories.

The benefits aren’t just personal. Adopting plant-rich meals in schools and hospitals could save the NHS nearly £55 million annually in procurement costs alone - money better spent supporting British crop farmers and healthier children.

The outdated School Food Standards still mandate meat multiple times a week, limiting healthier options. Experts argue it’s time for change, calling for plant-based meals to become standard practice in schools and hospitals. This isn't just about saving money - it's about investing in health, sustainability, and future generations.

Bottom line: your gut microbiome thrives on plants, and so do your health and the planet. Embrace plants, feed your microbes, and demand better from institutions serving our communities. It’s not complicated - it’s common sense.

Read more: Plantbased Diets Key to Weight Loss and Longevity