400 g
Fruit & veg per day
WHO recommends at least 400 g (five portions) of fruit and vegetables daily.
Source: WHO 2020
Gut health
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that help digest food, train your immune system and even talk to your brain. What you eat feeds them.
Gut facts
~38 trillion
bacteria live in the human body, mostly in the gut
~70%
of the immune system's cells are linked to the gut
30
different plant foods a week linked to a more diverse microbiome
~90%
of the body's serotonin is made in the gut
How to feed good bacteria
Most important
Fibre, fibre, fibre
Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds are the main food for gut microbes.
Prebiotics
Onions, garlic, leeks, bananas, oats and asparagus contain fibres that feed good bacteria.
Probiotics
Live yoghurt, laban, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and miso add helpful live microbes.
Plant variety
Aim for many different plants each week — herbs, spices, nuts and seeds all count.
Polyphenols
Berries, olive oil, green tea, cocoa and coffee feed microbes and reduce inflammation.
Water
Fibre needs water to keep things moving.
Gut friends and foes
Helps your gutCan harm your gut
Legumes, oats, vegetablesDiets low in fibre
Live yoghurt and fermented foodsUltra-processed foods with many additives
Olive oil and nutsLots of sugar and sweetened drinks
Regular sleep and exerciseChronic stress and poor sleep
Antibiotics only when neededUnnecessary antibiotics
Easy daily gut habits
- Add a handful of legumes to soups and salads
- Swap white bread for whole-grain
- Have a spoon of live yoghurt or a fermented food daily
- Eat the skins of fruit and vegetables when you can
- Increase fibre slowly to avoid bloating
- Move every day — exercise helps digestion
See a doctor if you notice
- Blood in your stool or black stools
- A lasting change in bowel habits for three weeks or more
- Unexplained weight loss
- Ongoing belly pain, bloating or difficulty swallowing
- Anaemia or tiredness with no clear cause
Probiotic supplements?
Evidence is strongest for specific strains in specific cases, like some antibiotic-related diarrhoea. For most people, a fibre-rich diet with fermented foods is the better daily choice.
World health facts
All facts3.9M
Deaths from too little fruit & veg
Low fruit and vegetable intake was linked to about 3.9 million deaths in 2017.
Source: WHO
#1
Low whole grains: top diet risk
Too few whole grains was the leading dietary risk for death worldwide, ahead of sugar.
Source: GBD, The Lancet 2019
25 g+
Fibre adults need daily
Adults should get at least 25 g of natural fibre a day from vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains.
Source: WHO 2023
Related articles
More in Mind & Life
Sources
- • Harvard Health — The gut microbiome
- • American Gut Project (McDonald et al., mSystems 2018)
- • WHO/FAO probiotic definition (2001)
- • NHS Bowel cancer symptoms
General information based on public health sources, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before major changes, especially if you are pregnant, have a health condition or take medication.