Do I really need to eat 30 different plants each week?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Eating 30 plants a week, some say, will diversify your gut microbiome and, in turn, improve your health.
PHOTO: PIXABAY
Alice Callahan
- Eating 30 different plants a week is a popular wellness idea, but experts say there is no strong proof it is a “magical threshold” for better health.
- A 2018 study linked 30-plant diets to more diverse gut microbes, but it was small and only showed association, not cause. Later research found similar benefits with 11 to 20 plants.
- Limited trials suggest more plants may ease constipation, but there is no evidence it improves inflammation, heart health or lifespan.
AI generated
When Kathryn Smith, 26, a surgical athletic trainer in Atlanta, first heard on a podcast that eating 30 different plants every week could improve her health, she liked the idea of having a tangible goal.
She began making homemade granola with oats, nuts and seeds; salsas with chilli peppers, cucumber, avocado and herbs; and bean salads with corn, tomatoes and mango.