Well, there is.
You’re probably familiar with it, too.
New research has just added another notch onto the belt of the Mediterranean diet—gut health. You can add that to the list of improved heart health, better brain health, lower inflammation, and lower risk of other chronic conditions.
Featuring plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds, and healthy fats, the Mediterranean diet gives your body just what it needs for a healthy gut.
The new study, published in the journal Gut, found that when older adults ate a Mediterranean-style diet, they improved the makeup of their gut microbiome and experienced a number of anti-aging and health benefits.
Researchers tracked how the Mediterranean impacted gut health by looking at over 600 people between the ages of 65-79. All of the participants lived in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, or the United Kingdom.
Each participant had their microbiome assessed before and after 12 months of eating a Mediterranean diet or their usual diet. After a year, researchers found that adopting a Mediterranean diet:
- helped rebuild a more diverse population of gut bacteria;
- increased bacterial species that are associated with keeping people physically and mentally stronger in older age (anti-aging);
- and lowered the production of harmful inflammatory chemicals.
That’s a lot of benefits. But it’s not a huge surprise. The Mediterranean diet is, after all, high in fiber and other vitamins and minerals that promote a healthy body. This effect on gut health shows that you don’t necessarily need “probiotic” foods if you’re eating an overall healthy diet.
If you want to experience the slew of benefits associated with this style of eating, including a healthier gut and the multitude of positivity it presents, try a Mediterranean style today.