How to improve your microbial diversity

Several evidence-based approaches documented how to promote the diversity of your gut microbiome, contributing to physical and mental wellbeing. Want to know which are supported by the most reliable science? Here’s a list for you:

1. Include probiotic foods: Probiotics are live microorganisms, often found in fermented foods like kefir, yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. Probiotic-rich foods are known to have beneficial effects on the gut microbiome by introducing health-promoting microbes.¹Wastyk HC, Fragiadakis GK, Perelman D, Dahan D, Merrill BD, Yu FB, Topf M, Gonzalez CG, Van Treuren W, Han S, Robinson JL, Elias JE, Sonnenburg ED, Gardner CD, Sonnenburg JL. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021 Aug 5;184(16):4137-4153.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019. The Chuckling Goat kefir contains 27 different live cultures that add to the biodiversity of your gut microbial ecosystem.
2. Prebiotics: Prebiotics are non-digestible food components, such as inulin and oligosaccharides, that promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria²Van den Abbeele P, Verstraete W, El Aidy S, Geirnaert A, Van de Wiele T. Prebiotics, faecal transplants and microbial network units to stimulate biodiversity of the human gut microbiome. Microb Biotechnol. 2013 Jul;6(4):335-40. doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.12049.. Foods rich in prebiotics include garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, and artichokes. The Chuckling Goat Complete Prebiotic contains 18 different prebiotic fibres and can help supplement your daily prebiotic intake.
3. Diversify your diet: Consuming a wide range of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses/legumes (beans, lentils, etc), and nuts/seeds provides essential nutrients and dietary fibre to support a more diverse gut microbiome³Heiman ML, Greenway FL. A healthy gastrointestinal microbiome is dependent on dietary diversity. Mol Metab. 2016 Mar 5;5(5):317-320. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.02.005..
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Regular physical activity, stress reduction, and adequate sleep can positively impact gut microbial diversity. Exercise has been shown to increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria,⁴Monda V, Villano I, Messina A, Valenzano A, Esposito T, Moscatelli F, Viggiano A, Cibelli G, Chieffi S, Monda M, Messina G. Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:3831972. doi: 10.1155/2017/3831972. while stress⁵Geng S, Yang L, Cheng F, Zhang Z, Li J, Liu W, Li Y, Chen Y, Bao Y, Chen L, Fei Z, Li X, Hou J, Lin Y, Liu Z, Zhang S, Wang H, Zhang Q, Wang H, Wang X, Zhang J. Gut Microbiota Are Associated With Psychological Stress-Induced Defections in Intestinal and Blood-Brain Barriers. Front Microbiol. 2020 Jan 15;10:3067. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03067. and lack of sleep⁶Smith RP, Easson C, Lyle SM, Kapoor R, Donnelly CP, Davidson EJ, Parikh E, Lopez JV, Tartar JL. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS One. 2019 Oct 7;14(10):e0222394. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222394. can negatively affect the gut microbiome.
5. Avoid overuse of antibiotics: While antibiotics are essential in treating bacterial infections, their misuse/overuse can disrupt the gut microbiome by killing beneficial bacteria.⁷Patangia DV, Anthony Ryan C, Dempsey E, Paul Ross R, Stanton C. Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health. Microbiologyopen. 2022 Feb;11(1):e1260. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.1260.⁸Johnson LP, Walton GE, Psichas A, Frost GS, Gibson GR, Barraclough TG. Prebiotics Modulate the Effects of Antibiotics on Gut Microbial Diversity and Functioning in Vitro. Nutrients. 2015 Jun 4;7(6):4480-97. doi: 10.3390/nu7064480. Use antibiotics only when prescribed by your doctor, and follow their instructions for the full course of treatment.
6. Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding has been associated with the establishment of a diverse and healthy gut microbiome in newborns, as breast milk contains beneficial bacteria and nutrients that support early microbial colonisation.⁹Ma J, Li Z, Zhang W, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Mei H, Zhuo N, Wang H, Wang L, Wu D. Comparison of gut microbiota in exclusively breast-fed and formula-fed babies: a study of 91 term infants. Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 25;10(1):15792. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72635-x. Mothers unable to breastfeed needn’t worry as babies are incredibly resilient and their gut microbiome will be established by incorporating bacteria from a range of sources in their environment.¹⁰O’Sullivan A, Farver M, Smilowitz JT. The Influence of Early Infant-Feeding Practices on the Intestinal Microbiome and Body Composition in Infants. Nutr Metab Insights. 2015 Dec 16;8(Suppl 1):1-9. doi: 10.4137/NMI.S29530.

All of these approaches can help improve gut microbial diversity, but it is essential to remember that individual factors, such as genetics, age, and underlying health conditions, can influence the composition and diversity of your gut microbiome. That’s why testing your gut microbiome periodically can really help you understand your unique microbial signature. The Chuckling Goat Gut Microbiome Test provides really comprehensive results that you can discuss with one of our expertly trained Nutritional Therapists during your free consultation. Combined, hard facts and careful interpretation provide the basis for the personalised action plan to support your gut health.

Synonyms: improve microbiota diversity, improve microbial richness, improve microbiome diversity, improve microbial community diversity, improve biodiversity of microorganisms, improve microbial species diversity

Important disclaimer

The Chuckling Goat Gut Microbiome Handbook is an educational resource built to translate complex science into plain English. The information provided on this page is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Always check with your GP for interactions with medications/health conditions before changing your diet or starting to take food supplements.

References

• 1
  Wastyk HC, Fragiadakis GK, Perelman D, Dahan D, Merrill BD, Yu FB, Topf M, Gonzalez CG, Van Treuren W, Han S, Robinson JL, Elias JE, Sonnenburg ED, Gardner CD, Sonnenburg JL. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021 Aug 5;184(16):4137-4153.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019.
• 2
  Van den Abbeele P, Verstraete W, El Aidy S, Geirnaert A, Van de Wiele T. Prebiotics, faecal transplants and microbial network units to stimulate biodiversity of the human gut microbiome. Microb Biotechnol. 2013 Jul;6(4):335-40. doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.12049.
• 3
  Heiman ML, Greenway FL. A healthy gastrointestinal microbiome is dependent on dietary diversity. Mol Metab. 2016 Mar 5;5(5):317-320. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.02.005.
• 4
  Monda V, Villano I, Messina A, Valenzano A, Esposito T, Moscatelli F, Viggiano A, Cibelli G, Chieffi S, Monda M, Messina G. Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:3831972. doi: 10.1155/2017/3831972.
• 5
  Geng S, Yang L, Cheng F, Zhang Z, Li J, Liu W, Li Y, Chen Y, Bao Y, Chen L, Fei Z, Li X, Hou J, Lin Y, Liu Z, Zhang S, Wang H, Zhang Q, Wang H, Wang X, Zhang J. Gut Microbiota Are Associated With Psychological Stress-Induced Defections in Intestinal and Blood-Brain Barriers. Front Microbiol. 2020 Jan 15;10:3067. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03067.
• 6
  Smith RP, Easson C, Lyle SM, Kapoor R, Donnelly CP, Davidson EJ, Parikh E, Lopez JV, Tartar JL. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS One. 2019 Oct 7;14(10):e0222394. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222394.
• 7
  Patangia DV, Anthony Ryan C, Dempsey E, Paul Ross R, Stanton C. Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health. Microbiologyopen. 2022 Feb;11(1):e1260. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.1260.
• 8
  Johnson LP, Walton GE, Psichas A, Frost GS, Gibson GR, Barraclough TG. Prebiotics Modulate the Effects of Antibiotics on Gut Microbial Diversity and Functioning in Vitro. Nutrients. 2015 Jun 4;7(6):4480-97. doi: 10.3390/nu7064480.
• 9
  Ma J, Li Z, Zhang W, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Mei H, Zhuo N, Wang H, Wang L, Wu D. Comparison of gut microbiota in exclusively breast-fed and formula-fed babies: a study of 91 term infants. Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 25;10(1):15792. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72635-x.
• 10
  O’Sullivan A, Farver M, Smilowitz JT. The Influence of Early Infant-Feeding Practices on the Intestinal Microbiome and Body Composition in Infants. Nutr Metab Insights. 2015 Dec 16;8(Suppl 1):1-9. doi: 10.4137/NMI.S29530.

Questions? Talk to a Nutritional Therapist on live chat!