A healthy gut has a positive impact on many parts of our body. The intestines, among other things, affect the state of the brain and skin. However, many people wonder where to start when it comes to gut care. Gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, author of The Fiber-Fueled Cookbook, says it all starts with diet. He told mindbodygreen that it is very important to eat a lot of different plant products and specified how many grains, fruits and vegetables per week are optimal for gut health.
How many types of fruits and vegetables should be eaten weekly?
An American study in which experts studied the bacteria in the digestive system showed that consuming more plants has a good effect on the health of the digestive system.
"Researchers also found that people who consumed more than 30 different herbs per week had the healthiest microbiomes in their digestive system," says Bulsiewicz. He added that each plant feeds different microbes and that the diversity of microbes in the gut is important for health. "It is a measure of the body's resistance. Diversity on our plates translates into diversity in our digestive system.”
How to get the right number of plants?
Although 30 different herbs per week seems like a huge number, it is not unattainable. It certainly requires effort, which is why the doctor advises you to regularly make shopping lists, either on a piece of paper or on your phone, as they will be very useful.
"Pay attention to every dish and every time you're in the kitchen or at the supermarket, keep in mind that different types of fruits and vegetables are beneficial for your health," says Bulsiewicz. "If you think about it, in very little time you'll be eating as many as 40 or 50 plants a week."
It is important to note that not only plants that you eat as part of breakfast, lunch and dinner and incidental fruit are counted, but every plant that you take into your body. For example, if you eat bread with seven different types of grains, they count toward your weekly plant intake. The same goes for soups, salads and smoothies.
The goal is to eat as many different plants as possible, so even if you don't get to 30 plants during the first week, that's fine as long as you prioritize your fruit and vegetable intake.
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