- There is even more research that a plant-based diet is linked to a healthy microbiome, beneficial bacteria that live in the gut.
- Certain types of intestinal bacteria are associated with health outcomes, such as better blood sugar control, lower body fat and a healthier heart.
- Researchers hope that analyzing a person’s unique gut microbiome could lead to personal recommendations on what to eat for optimal health.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Plant-based diets are associated with many health benefits, and new evidence suggests that it may be because they grow friendly bacteria in our gut that control blood sugar levels.
The study, published Jan. 11 in Nature Medicine, is the largest and most detailed to date examining the gut microbiome, diet and health..
Researchers from several universities, including King’s College London and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, looked at extensive data from 1,098 adults in the United Kingdom and the United States, including long-term dietary information, pre- and post-meal blood tests, and samples from their shit to analyze gut bacteria.
They found a close link between certain diets, specific bacterial species and good health.
This information can help researchers develop ways for individuals to analyze their own, unique gut microbiome, and use the analysis to develop a personal eating plan. (Several of the authors of the study are related to ZOE, a health company that analyzes gut bacteria and recommends diets based on their results.)
“Given the extremely personal composition of each individual’s microbiome, our research suggests that we can modify our gut microbiome to optimize our health by choosing the best foods for our unique biology,” said Dr Sarah Berry, co-author of the study and reader in nutrition sciences at King’s College London, said in a press release.
Meanwhile, the existing evidence supports the findings of this study that the best way to a healthy gut, at present, is a plant-based diet.
Links between certain foods and types of ‘good’ bacteria
One species of bacteria, Prevotella copri, has been linked to lower body fat, better blood sugar control and good cardiovascular health. The researchers found that these bacteria were more common when people ate a diet high in unsaturated fat, which is found in fish, nuts and seeds, although it was not linked to specific foods.
Another type of bacteria, Blastocystis species, was also linked to stable blood sugar and a healthy metabolism, and was significantly less common in participants with obesity. These bacteria are controversial, and previous research has been mixed on whether they could be considered a parasite, which could possibly be linked to digestive issues.
Participants with both of these types of bacteria had, on average, 17% less visceral fat.
Other types of beneficial bacteria were strongly correlated with a plant-based diet high in foods such as spinach, tomatoes, broccoli and seeds.
To nourish your gut, eat vegetables and avoid processed foods and added sugar
Much research has suggested that whole, unprocessed plant foods have great benefits for growing beneficial bacteria.
A 2019 study found that vegan diets are partly associated with weight loss and better metabolism because they are good for the gut microbiome. More research has found that you can improve your health without being completely vegan by eating lots of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts.
Evidence suggests that these benefits also apply to eating plans such as the Mediterranean diet, which also includes lots of whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
It seems that the key to the growth of a strong intestinal microbiome is eating mainly nutrient-dense whole plant foods, but also processed foods, refined starches and oils and added sugars.
“These are all things your grandparents probably told you,” said Dr. Rob Knight, professor at the University of California, San Diego, and co-founder of the American Gut Project, previously told Insider. “What is happening now is that we are trying to understand why these things are true.”