Photo: porfiro
Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and the University of California, San Diego, have found that maintaining a healthy microbiome requires not only eating nutritious foods but also consuming them regularly. In their new study, researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze dietary data from more than a thousand participants in the Food&You project.
The findings revealed that both the composition and consistency of a diet are crucial. In particular, the study reaffirmed a long-standing guideline: people should eat about 400 grams of fruits and vegetables daily.
“Our research shows that you can’t make up for a lack of fruits and vegetables by having one ‘healthy’ day while eating poorly the rest of the week,” explained Marcel Salathé, head of the Laboratory of Digital Epidemiology and co-director of the EPFL Center for Artificial Intelligence. “Irregular consumption of healthy foods weakens their positive impact on the gut microbiota.”
In recent years, scientists have increasingly recognized the microbiome’s role not only in digestion but also in metabolism, cognition, and mental health. The researchers hope their findings will help create data-driven dietary guidelines based on scientific evidence rather than popular food trends.
“Since lifestyle-related gastrointestinal disorders develop gradually, studies like ours can help assess and improve a person’s diet. Artificial intelligence may become a key tool in motivating people to adjust their eating habits in time,” the authors added.
Earlier studies have shown that only a small portion of the global population follows a balanced diet that supports both human health and environmental sustainability.
