Most of us know the standard advice: eat more fruits and vegetables, cut down on sugar, and avoid ultra-processed foods.
But research led by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of California, San Diego, published in Nature Communications, reveals that timing and regularity may matter just as much as what we eat.
Our gut microbiota, trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living inside our digestive system, plays a major role in digestion, immunity, mood, and even weight control.
While scientists have long linked fiber-rich diets to a healthy microbiome, this study explored how consistency in eating habits affects gut health.
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Over 1,000 participants
The research followed over 1,000 participants in Switzerland who logged their daily meals through an app called MyFoodRepo.
Artificial intelligence analyzed these eating patterns and compared them with DNA sequencing of stool samples to map each person’s microbiome.
The outcome was clear: people who maintained steady, balanced diets had far greater microbial diversity than those who ate well sporadically.
In many cases, regularity proved a stronger indicator of gut health than the total amount of healthy food consumed.
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Why routine matters for your microbiota
Think of your gut as a delicate ecosystem. When it receives nutrients predictably, beneficial microbes can thrive.
But if your diet swings between salads and fast food, balance breaks down, and good bacteria weaken, harmful strains multiply, and inflammation may rise.
The researchers even found they could predict a person’s diet with 85 % accuracy just by studying their gut bacteria.
So forget crash diets or “compensation days.” A healthy microbiome is built through rhythm: eating fruits and vegetables daily, keeping regular meal times, and avoiding extreme ups and downs.
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Sources: El Confidencial, and Nature Communications.
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