Dr Amir Khan

They need you to eat the food that they would like to eat.

And in turn, they help you out.

So what they like more than anything is plant-based fibre.

And what they do to that fibre is turn it into something called short-chain fatty acids.

All you need to know about them is that they then reduce inflammation in your body.

They help your immune system as well, and they help with your digestion.

So all of that is incredible.

What these gut bacteria do as well, alongside that, is they turn that fibre into almost like, particularly insoluble fibre, they turn it into a, like, while they're breaking it down, into a, like a gelatinous fibre.

substance in your gut so it stays there it adds bulk to your poo but what it also does is because it's thick and jelly-like it reduces the rate at which you absorb sugar from that food so it's a nice steady supply of sugar and it reduces the amount of unhelpful fats that you absorb from it as well so you end up pooing them out so you're not getting as much kind of unhelpful LDL type fats in your blood

Yes.

You will be fine.

Lots of people survive absolutely fine on a vegan plant-based diet really healthily.

In fact, studies show that plant-based diets are very beneficial to our overall health and lifespan as well.

But a lot of people don't want just a plant-based diet.

So they want to eat meat, which can be good for you if you're eating lean cuts of fish and chicken because you've got all that protein in.

It's not particularly good for your gut bacteria, but you might enjoy eating it and the protein has other benefit effects as well.

Healthy fats, really important.

You need them in your diet.

Not necessarily great for your gut microbiome, but they're good for your health.

So all of those things are important for health.