Introduction
You might not think about your gut health when you visit a farmer’s market or local farm to buy produce. However, there is a strong connection between what you eat and the health of your gut. This article aims to show the many benefits of consuming local produce, emphasizing the role local produce plays in promoting gut health.
Understanding Beneficial Bacteria
When we talk about the microbiome, the largest group of microbes reside in the large intestine, or colon. There are over 100 trillion microbes and over 5,000 species, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. They weigh about four pounds (Beam et al., 2020). They play a vital role in our health by influencing digestion, immunity, and overall health. In fact, the more diversity or different types of bugs we have, the better health outcomes we can enjoy.
Gut bacteria strongly influence our health and the development of chronic health problems. Research has shown connections between gut bacteria and weight management, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, blood pressure regulation, allergies, and asthma (Danneskiold-Samsøe et al., 2019).
Advantages of Eating Local Produce
There are many ways eating local produce can benefit your health and the environment. Firstly, local produce is typically much fresher than what you can purchase in the grocery store and often picked the same day! If your grocery store carries produce from local farms, it would be considered fresher since it usually travels a much shorter distance to reach the store. When produce is picked fresh at peak ripeness, several nutrients can be found in higher amounts, including potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C (McCurdy, 2022).
When shopping for produce at farmer’s markets or local farms, you will automatically end up with seasonal options. If you do this regularly, learning what is currently growing and the freshest option will be easier. Supporting local farmers is an excellent way to ensure that local agriculture continues to thrive, providing us with the best options for our health and improving our gut health.
Local produce and beneficial bacteria
Current research confirms that diet is a major driving force in shaping our gut
microbiome. Foods that contain fibers and other bioactive compounds, such as fruits and vegetables, can help to increase the number and variety of beneficial microbes in the gut. A newer area of research is now looking at the bacteria found on produce to determine whether these bacteria can influence the composition of our microbiome (Wicaksono et al., 2023). Researchers have found differences in the bacteria found in produce locally grown versus that found in the grocery store. How farming is done, and the soil itself can affect the bacteria on the produce. For example, produce grown using hydroponics seems to have a lower bacterial diversity than produce grown in soil (Wicksono et al., 2023). This is an interesting research area that I expect to develop further over time.
Practical tips for incorporating local produce
There are many ways to add more local fruits and vegetables to your diet. Most local farmer’s markets will be operating through the end of October. You may still find local produce in grocery stores for months. Here is a link to a website that lists local farmer’s markets in Western PA. Another great resource is a seasonal eating guide. This guide can be used to learn what produce is available each month to help you plan your seasonal meals. If you live in Western PA, some of the most popular produce available in October include:
Apples
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard greens
Fennel
Green beans
Kale
Leeks
Parsnips
Pears
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Spinach
Turnips
Winter squash
One final resource is a website that uses seasonal ingredients to provide healthy recipes.
Conclusion
Diet is the most significant factor in the composition of our gut microbiome, and eating more whole foods that contain fiber can have a positive effect. Eating locally grown produce that can easily be found at a farmer’s market or some grocery stores is an excellent way to start working on building a healthier, more robust microbiome that influences overall health.
Call to Action—What you can do today to get started:
Find several local farmer’s markets and plan a visit this month
Look at the seasonal eating guide to determine what fruits/veggies to focus on for October
Try some new recipes with seasonal ingredients
References
Beam, A., Clinger, E., & Hao, L. (2021). Effect of Diet and Dietary Components on the Composition of the Gut Microbiota. Nutrients, 13(8), 2795. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082795
Danneskiold-Samsøe, N. B., Dias de Freitas Queiroz Barros, H., Santos, R., Bicas, J. L., Cazarin, C. B. B., Madsen, L., Kristiansen, K., Pastore, G. M., Brix, S., & Maróstica Júnior, M. R. (2019). Interplay between food and gut microbiota in health and disease. Food Research International, 115, 23–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.07.043
McCurdy, M., Intern, U. E., & Connections, N. (2022, May 17). Health Benefits of Eating Locally. Extension. https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2022/05/health-benefits-eating-locally
Wicaksono, W., Cernava, T., Wassermann, B., Abdelfattah, A., Soto-Giron, M., Toledo, G., Virtanen, S., Knip, M., Hyöty, H., & Berg, G. (2023). The edible plant microbiome: Evidence for the occurrence of fruit and vegetable bacteria in the human gut. Gut Microbes, 15. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2023.2258565
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