05/13/2026
30+ different plant foods a week may be one of the most important habits for gut health most people have never heard of.
The American Gut Project (McDonald et al., 2018) analyzed stool samples and dietary data from 10,000+ participants and found that people eating 30+ different plant foods per week had significantly greater gut microbiome diversity than those eating 10 or fewer.
And microbiome diversity is associated with better production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, stronger gut barrier function, and better overall metabolic health.
The surprising part: it wasnât vegan vs paleo vs omnivore that mattered most. Plant diversity mattered more.
And âplantsâ doesnât just mean vegetables.
Coffee, tea, herbs, spices, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, cacao, fruits, and vegetables all count.