Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Fitness and Health e-Zine is one of my go-to places for keeping up with the latest suggestions for my health.
In a recent article entitled, “What You Eat, Not Your Genes, Determines Your Microbiome,” Dr. Mirkin wrote, “The hottest area of medical research today may well be on the bacteria that live in your gut to affect how much you weigh, how long you live, and your susceptibility to many diseases. In the largest and most complete study of its kind ever, researchers analyzed genes of colon bacteria from 1,046 healthy Israelis and found that the bacterial composition of your colon is determined primarily by your lifestyle and what you eat, and has less than a two percent association with your genes.”
As he usually does, he ended the piece by sharing recommendations—in this case, for eating for a healthy microbiome. Most of these are the same recommendations for numerous types of positive health outcomes.
• Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and other seeds.
• Eat whole grains that contain lots of fiber and beta-glucan.
• Try a plant-based diet.
• Restrict mammal meat.
• Restrict refined carbohydrates.
• Restrict fried foods.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners.
I’ve been enjoying Dr. Mirkin’s newsletter for years. If interested, you can subscribe at DrMirkin.com.
Best regards,
David