Action point | Evidence for change in microbiome |
---|---|
1. Eat at least seven servings of different plants each day Vegetables, fruits, pulses, beans, herbs, spices, seeds and nuts are all counted as plants. | Vegetable fibre stimulates gut bacteria [67, 85, 86]. 30+ different plant types/week increases microbial diversity [69]. |
2. Eat food within a 12-h window each day | Time-restricted eating enhances diversity of the gut microbiome [70,71,72]. |
3. Consume 125 ml Kefir drink each day | Daily kefir for 4 weeks increases Lactobacillus in gut [73]. |
4. Eat a microbiome-friendly, protein-rich breakfast from a prescribed menu A sample breakfast menu was provided (see additional file 1). Inclusion of protein and prebiotic fibre in the form of nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit. | Protein increases satiety [87, 88]. Prebiotic fibre promotes growth of beneficial gut bacteria [67, 85, 86]. |
5. Reduce consumption of added sugar and artificial sweeteners | Low fibre/high sugar diets associated with lower diversity of gut bacteria [89, 90]. Artificial sweeteners decrease beneficial microbes [60, 91]. |