30-Plant Challenge: Why Gut Health Matters More After 40

The gut microbiome is a bustling community of trillions of microbes that line the digestive tract, and a healthy microbiome includes many different species. In his book The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat, Tim Spector, a pioneering British epidemiologist and founder of personalized nutrition company ZOE Health, describes our unique gut microbiomes as our own little garden. He writes “We need to make sure the soil (your intestines) that your plants (your microbes) grow in is healthy, containing plenty of nutrients; and to stop weeds or poisonous plants (toxic or disease microbes) taking over we need to cultivate the widest variety of different plants and seeds possible.”

For most women, gut flora diversity peaks around age 40. After that, hormone changes begin to shift the balance and eating to support a healthy microbiome becomes especially important.

How Menopause Changes the Gut Microbiome?

Gut microbes do more than digest fiber. They regulate immune function, help produce serotonin which regulates our moods, and even influence our food cravings by communication via the gut-brain axis. Within the microbiome, a special collection of bacterial genes, known as the estrobolome, control the amount of estrogen circulating in our body and how it’s used or metabolized.

As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, the gut microbiome becomes less diverse. Populations of certain beneficial flora shrink, while less favorable ones increase. The gut can become out of balance, a state called dysbiosis. When this imbalance exists, the estrobolome doesn’t metabolize estrogen as well, which has been linked to serious conditions including metabolic syndrome, endometriosis, cardiovascular disease, cognition issues, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and some cancers.

In a large study of US Latinas, researchers observed significant gut microbiome changes from pre- to postmenopause. After menopause, potentially troublesome gut flora including Prevotella marshii and Sutterella wadsworthensis increased. These microbes are associated with genital infections and gastrointestinal diseases, respectively. Meanwhile, researchers noted a decline in two beneficial microbes: akkermansia muciniphila, which supports metabolic health, immunity and a healthy gut lining and [Clostridium] lactatifermentans, a probiotic species that helps make needed short chain fatty acids essential for microbiome balance.

Small studies have demonstrated that menopausal women on hormone therapy have more diverse gut flora, more similar to premenopausal women. But beyond hormone therapy, one of the best things women can do to maintain a diverse, healthy and balanced microbiome is to eat a wide variety of plants every week. To help bring awareness to the variety of foods we consume, eating 30 plants weekly is a cornerstone focus of the ‘Pause Strong Challenge.

Why Eat 30 Plants a Week?

One word: fiber. Fiber is a superfood in its own right and eating sufficient fiber protects us from many lifestyle diseases. It lowers disease risk, supports digestion, and helps keep blood sugar steady. Unfortunately, an estimated 90 percent of American women aren’t hitting the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily. A supplement like ‘Pause Nutrition Fiber GDX can provide support, but most of your fiber should come from food.

Regularly eating fiber-rich foods like broccoli, sweet potatoes and black beans will keep some of your gut microbes happy, but it won’t satisfy all of them. The many microbes in the gut microbiome need fiber from different foods, and the number 30 comes from a couple different studies. When American Gut, a long-term citizen science project, collected microbiome samples from more than 11,000 people, they found those who ate 30 different plants weekly had much healthier microbiomes than people eating 10 or less.

The 2024 BIOME randomized controlled trial confirmed this. Spector and a team of UK and US researchers compared the benefits of probiotic capsules versus a diverse diet. The researchers asked 349 healthy test subjects to take either a probiotic (L. rhamnosus) capsule, a prebiotic 30-plant blend or a control mixture of bread crumbs. After six weeks, subjects on the 30-plant blend had more diverse gut flora as well as a better balance of favorable and unfavorable flora. Additionally, the 30-plant blend group said they were less hungry, and reported better digestion, sleep, energy and moods. Neither the control group nor those on the probiotic capsule saw any microbiome changes.

If that’s not enough, another reason to eat a variety of raw fruits and vegetables is that when you eat a plant, you also eat its microbiome. A 2025 European study documents the many different beneficial microbes in produce like apples, carrots, blueberries and lettuce. Once you eat it, researchers found those same microbes make a new home in your gut.

What Counts as a Plant?

You probably already have many of them in your kitchen: Leafy greens, avocados, berries, nuts, beans and pulses such as lentils. But the list of plant foods is much longer than people realize:

• Drinks: coffee, green tea, chamomile tea, hibiscus tea
• Seasonings: chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric
• Herbs: mint, basil, parsley, dill, oregano
• Fats: olive oil, avocado oil, almond butter, coconut oil, coconut milk
• Condiments: chili crunch, pesto, mustard, salsa
• Snacks: hummus, guacamole, plantain chips, popcorn, hummus, chia pudding and even corn chips (Watch the sodium and look for chips fried in a non-inflammatory oil such as avocado oil)
• Chocolate: cocoa powder, cacao nibs and even 70% or darker dark chocolate

How To Eat 30 plants a Week

Once you start paying attention it’s surprisingly easier than you think to reach your 30-plant-a-week goal. In an interview with The Washington Post, gut researcher Karen Corbin of AdventHealth Translational Research Institute of Metabolism and Diabetes in Orlando, Florida suggests asking yourself a daily question: “Have I fed my gut microbiome today?” Corbin said. “If the answer is no, then find something in your meals that you can upgrade.” Try these tips to increase your number:

Taste the season

Farmers’ markets are the perfect place to find fresh, seasonal produce in every color. In spring and summer, fill your basket with plums in green, red and purple as well as a variety of berries. In autumn and winter, reach for crisp apples in shades of red, green and gold, different types of squashes or gourdes.

Make simple swaps

Trade your usual produce for similar, yet more interesting choices. Make swaps to upgrade the variety of fiber you’re giving your gut microbiome.

• Instead of orange carrots, try rainbow ones. Salad mixes make eating a variety of greens more convenient and we always choose the multicolor cherry tomatoes over red ones.
• If you normally eat black beans, explore the bean aisle for new legumes such as black-eyed peas, garbanzos, speckled kidney beans, or white navy beans. Lentils are available in brown, red, green, yellow and black.
• Check out grains beyond oatmeal such as polenta, red quinoa, farro, millet or the African super grain fonio.
• Try bok choy, Swiss chard, collard greens or mustard greens instead of regular spinach.

Spice it up

Herbs and spices count toward your 30 plants goal. Sprinkle on some herbs and spices to add a few more flavors and plants to everyday cooking. If you’re making tacos or chili, try adding mild but flavorful guajillo or ancho chili along with tomatoes, cumin, oregano and garlic. Season fish with some dill or a pinch of marjoram. An Asian style chopped salad is a perfect place to add fresh cilantro, basil or mint along with fresh ginger root.

Add a plant powder

Using a supplement powder that contains numerous plants ensures that you’re eating a wide range of different plants each week. Some high-quality powders contain 20 or more plants in a single scoop. Check out NutraChamps Super Greens, a probiotic and enzyme powder with 40 superfood ingredients, as well as the Zoe Daily 30, which is really tasty and versatile.

With a few swaps, seasonal shopping, and a willingness to try new flavors, you’ll be on your way to more flavorful and satisfying meals plus a healthier gut microbiome.

Bon appetit!

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