Living inside every person are trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and other life forms) that are collectively known as the microbiome. Various organs have distinct microbial inhabitants, but the group that has attracted the most attention in biomedical research is the one in the gut (1).
Gut microbes are key to many aspects of human health including hormone regulation, metabolic & neurobehavioural traits (2), immune function (70% of the immune system resides in the gut), inflammation regulation and communication between the brain and the gut (3). Therefore without looking after our gut microbiome we may be compromising our overall health.
So how do we do this?
The American gut project has found that eating over 30 plant-based foods a week results in greater diversity of gut bacteria compared to eating <10 plant-based foods a week (4).
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices provides a range of dietary fibres and resistant starches which feed the good gut bacteria and leads to a more diverse microbial community, hence conferring a range of health benefits.
Incorporating plant foods into your diet not only supports a healthy microbiome but also provides important nutrients for growth and development.
What is a plant point?
Every variety of fruit, vegetable, grain, nut, seed and legume provides a single plant point; with herbs and spices providing ¼ of a point each. There is no set serving size per plant point as the emphasis is on diversity rather than quantity. Where this challenge differs from the 5 a day recommendation is that each item only counts once in the week. As soon as you eat that pear on a Monday, you can’t count it again till the 7 days are up (5.)
So, what does eating 30 plant points a week look like?
Eating 30 plant-based points a week might seem daunting however with some careful planning it is easy to achieve. Make sure you use a range of different fruits, vegetables, grains (e.g. oats at breakfast, couscous for dinner), herbs and spices in cooking, and don't forget those handy pulses - baked beans, kidney beans, butter beans, hummus. Even dark chocolate can count.
Is this recommendation for everyone?
If you are keen to include more plant-based foods within your diet please remember these are all rich in fibre so if you are not used to eating lots of these foods then build up slowly to allow the gut to adjust. This is especially true for small children whose tummies can fill up quickly with high fibre diets; remember portion sizes for children are a lot smaller than for adults so please adjust accordingly and remember to give both white and wholemeal starchy foods.
References:
Ana M Valdes et al. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ 2018;361:k2179
Are you getting your 30 plants a week? Plant points explained - BBC Food
American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research | mSystems (asm.org)
Could you eat 30 plant-based foods a week? - World Cancer Research Fund (wcrf-uk.org)
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