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"One easy way to build a healthier gut is to spice up your meals" According to two separate studies from Penn State University in the United States, a handful of peanuts and a few pinches of herbs and spices could potentially give your gut a healthy boost. The human stomach and intestines contain trillions of individual microorganisms, including hundreds to thousands of species of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They are collectively known as the gut microbiome, and their importance to our health is so great that scientists consider it a supporting organ. Diet, exercise, and medication are just a few of the factors that can influence the makeup of a person's gut, which means that each person's gut community is unique. If your gut microbiome isn't fed and nurtured properly, harmful microbes can proliferate, while symbiotic microbes struggle with tasks like dealing with our immune system and breaking down food. Scientists are still trying to figure out what characteristics distinguish the healthiest gut communities, but as research advances, they are getting a better idea. "Research has shown that people with a lot of different microbes have better health and a better diet than those with little bacterial diversity," says nutritional scientist Penny M. Kris-Etherton. While we commonly think of diets in terms of their fundamentals, such as greens and meats, the way we combine them accounts for a significant amount of variation in our cultural and personal preferences. Kris-Etherton and her Penn State colleagues were among the first to investigate the effect of herbs and spices on the composition of the human gut. A four-week randomized controlled feeding experiment with 54 adult participants at risk of cardiovascular disease was conducted in their study. Everyone in the trial followed the same general menu, which was designed to reflect the average American diet. Some participants were instructed to add 0.5 gram (about 0.2 ounce) of spices to their meals, while others were instructed to add 3.3 or 6.6 gram. Cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme were among the spices used. Meanwhile, a control group was instructed to use none of these spices on their food. Fecal samples taken before and after the experiment show that diets high in spices have higher bacterial diversity. "It's such an easy thing for people to do," Kris-Etherton says. "The average American diet is far from ideal, so I believe that adding herbs and spices could benefit everyone; it's also a way of decreasing sodium in your diet while flavoring foods in a way that makes them palatable and, in fact, delicious!" The new findings back up previous research suggesting that herbs and spices are natural prebiotics that feed healthy bacteria in the human gut. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study published in 2019 discovered that a 5-gram capsule of a spice blend containing cinnamon, oregano, ginger, black pepper, and cayenne pepper caused changes in the gut microbiome that were visible within weeks. The spice blend in the more recent study, on the other hand, was slightly different and was directly incorporated into participants' daily meals. Those who consumed medium and high amounts of spice, equivalent to about a 3/4 teaspoon per day and about 1 1/2 teaspoon per day, had a higher abundance of Ruminococcaceae gut bacteria. This microbe family is found in greater numbers in healthier human adults, though its exact role in the gut is unknown. Participants in the study who consumed spices had lower levels of proinflammatory molecules in their gut, indicating a possible anti-inflammatory effect. More research is needed to determine which spices affect gut microbes and why, but spices aren't the only dietary supplement that appears to boost certain gut bacteria. For the first time, a recent randomized controlled trial from Penn State investigated the effect of peanuts on the microbiota. The study lasted six weeks and included 50 adults who all followed the same daily diet. Participants ate either 28 grams of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts or a small sample of cheese and crackers at the end of each day, after dinner but before bed. Ruminococcaceae bacteria were significantly more abundant in the guts of participants in the group snacking on nuts, as with the spices in the previous study. Scientists still don't understand a lot about the gut microbiome, but for now, adding a pinch of spice to your diet probably won't hurt - and might even help. It will, at the very least, add some flavor. The peanut study was published in Clinical Nutrition, while the spice study was published in The Journal of Nutrition.