ZOE Science & Nutrition Recap: Why you should eat 30 different plants every week | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & Tim Spector
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Oct 7, 2025 
Join Tim Spector, an esteemed epidemiologist focused on nutrition, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a celebrated chef and food writer, as they advocate for a groundbreaking dietary shift. They propose a tantalizing goal: consuming 30 different plants each week for optimal gut health. Discover why plant variety trumps the old 'five a day' mantra, how making plants the star can transform meals, and practical tips for diversifying your diet. From the benefits of home-cooked spices to travel-friendly plant snacks, they share flavorful ways to enrich your plate!
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Plants Are Broader Than You Think
- 'Plants' include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, not just salad veg.
- Tim Spector highlights that guidelines often ignore nuts, seeds and spices which matter for health.
Small Fiber Gains Yield Big Benefits
- Total dietary fiber strongly predicts longevity and health outcomes.
- Tim Spector notes each 5 g increase in fiber reduces overall mortality risk by ~14%.
Diversity—Not Just Quantity—Matters
- Gut microbiome diversity correlates with the number of different plants eaten weekly.
- Spector's epidemiology found the healthiest microbiomes in people who ate ~30 different plants per week.
