The blinding health revolution has been brought about by studying our gut. 80% of the immune system is in your gut and is solely responsible for keeping bad bacteria in check. What you eat plays a big role in what bugs live in your gut, and a diet rich in fiber and fermented foods keeps those bad bacteria at bay, and your gut bacteria thrive.

What Is Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern that emphasizes eating vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds; drinking plenty of water; and consuming moderate amounts of fish, olive oil, and poultry. It’s low in red meat and dairy products and high in monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil. The diet emphasizes eating food in its most natural state, including whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, avoiding processed foods, and eating fish at least twice a week. It also encourages enjoying a glass of wine with dinner, eating legumes (such as beans and lentils), and using herbs and spices to add flavor to food. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy way of eating that promotes long-term weight loss and has a number of health benefits.

Does The Mediterranean Diet Help with Gut Health?

The Mediterranean diet has long been touted as a healthful eating plan, with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and high protein helping to reduce heart disease. But new research suggests another benefit to the Mediterranean diet—it helps support gut health and prevent health issues such as diarrhea, constipation, and stomach ulcers.

The Mediterranean diet has long been touted as a great way to lose weight and improve heart health. And in recent years, several studies have confirmed that eating this diet can help improve gut health—or at least that eating this way can help control inflammation. But does this diet work?

The Mediterranean diet is touted for its health benefits. A key aspect of the diet is eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and fish. Dieters might also find themselves eating more olive oil, plus more chicken and turkey and less processed meat. Whole grain pasta and bread are standard fares, too, as are nuts and beans for snacking.

What Foods Increase Gut Bacterial Diversity?

A healthy gut microbiome is increasingly important for optimal health and metabolic balance. The gut microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms that live in our digestive tracts and affect our immune and metabolic systems. It’s estimated that a person’s gut microbiome contains more than 1000 different species and that a healthy gut microbiome contains 20-30% more organisms than an unhealthy one. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is crucial to maintaining a healthy immune system and metabolism.

While gut bacteria are undeniably important for human health, we still don’t have a complete picture of which bacteria are most important and how they interact with our bodies. The greater our diversity, the healthier we are.

Have you thought about what role the bacteria in your intestines play in your health? Recent studies have shown that gut bacteria are closely linked with our overall health, so it makes sense to look at how we can encourage good bacteria in our bodies. One way is through diet since many foods contain probiotics that are good for our gut. Before you start eliminating foods from your diet, it’s helpful to understand what probiotics are and how our gut health benefits by maintaining good bacteria.

Bacteria in the bacteria-rich environment of the gut drive the metabolism of our cells, have a major influence on our immune system, and play a vital role in the production of vitamins and nutrients. These bacteria also trigger allergies, inflammation, and colon cancer. A Mediterranean-style diet is known to improve health, but researchers now suggest that a Mediterranean diet-based dietary intervention might also modify the bacterial population in our bodies.

How Does the Mediterranean Diet Affect Gut Microbiome?

The Mediterranean diet is touted as being much healthier than the standard American diet, and there’s a good reason. It improves overall heart health by eliminating foods high in saturated fat and refined sugars, like red meat and desserts, and adding plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

The bacteria in our gut play an important role in our health. And, if this research is anything to go by, we’re learning more and more about what a healthy gut crowd looks like. Certain bacteria in our gut help us digest and metabolize food, extract nutrients, and prevent infections.

The Mediterranean diet has been long promoted as a healthier way to eat. It turns out that it has other benefits, too. For example, the diet alters the number of bacteria in our gut, which might help prevent some diseases. According to research, the Mediterranean diet, an ancient way of eating that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seafood, is associated with a lower risk of cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.