Why Should You Try To Eat 30 Plants A Week?
Eating 30 different plants a week can boost the diversity and health of your gut microbiome, and in turn, it may improve many other aspects of your health - including your skin!
While we should all be aiming to have 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, as per NHS guidelines, there is now more scientific evidence to suggest that eating a larger variety of plants could be just as important.
Where does the 30 come from?
You may have heard experts like Prof. Tim Spector recommending that you eat 30 different plants a week, or you’ve seen it mentioned as a “challenge” on social media. But where did this number come from?
In 2018, scientists published results from the American Gut Project, a collaboration of researchers and more than 10,000 “citizen scientists” from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Prof. Tim Spector led the U.K. arm of the research, called the British Gut Project.
The volunteers shared detailed information about their eating habits and provided samples of their stools, so the researchers could analyse to find out which gut bugs they contained. The study showed that participants who ate a wider variety of plants had more diverse gut microbiomes.
Participants who ate 30 or more different plants per week were more likely to have certain “good” gut bugs than those who ate just 10. Their stool samples also contained higher levels of healthy chemicals produced by the bacteria.
What falls into 30 plants?
You might think 30 plants sounds like a lot to eat, but you’ll be pleased to hear this doesn’t just include fruit and veg - it also includes grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices too!
It’s also great to include a wide range of colour within this 30 - different colours mean different polyphenols, which fuel different strains of gut microbes and have different health benefits. For example, red, yellow and green peppers count as 3 different plants.
Fruit & vegetables
There are a huge variety of plants you can include in your 30 - like root vegetables, salad leaves, cruciferous veggies (also called brassicas) and alliums, like onions, garlic, and chives, lots of different fruits of all colours, shapes and sizes.
Legumes
Legumes also count - including beans, pulses, and peas. They’re incredibly versatile and are a great source of fiber, protein, folic acid, and minerals.
Grains
Some grains and cereals that count toward your 30 include barley, different colours of rice, and the types that often become flour, like wheat and rye.
Nuts & seeds
Nuts and seeds contain protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They’re great as a snack, and they can add a satisfying crunch to many meals.
Herbs & spices
Herbs and spices are a healthy way to add an extra hit of flavour to your meals. Both fresh and dried ones count.
What are the benefits of eating 30 plants a week?
Different plants contain different prebiotics, which in turn feed different gut bugs. This means that eating a wide range of plants is likely to support the diversity of the bugs in your gut microbiome. A more diverse microbiome, rich in beneficial bugs, has links to a better functioning and more resilient gut.
As well as a healthier microbiome, there’s also evidence to suggest it can support a healthy functioning immune system and even lower your risk of cancer and help you stay healthy as you age.
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Resources:
[1] https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/professor-tim-spector
(2) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/
[3] https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00031-18