Prebiotics and Probiotics Found in One Food Source

New discovery that microorganisms in plants build the human microbiome could have implications for how we approach growing and eating food. 

The microbes found on fruits and vegetables end up helping shape our gut microbiome, new study finds. New Africa/Shutterstock

Other than feeling a bit squeamish that nasty disease-causing bacteria can lurk in our produce and cause food poisoning, most of us probably haven’t given much thought to the community of microbes living on our fruit and vegetables.

There are beneficial microorganisms in and on produce that are shaping our health in ways we are continuing to discover. A new study, published in Gut Microbes, sheds light on the relationship between the human gut and the microbes on the plants we eat.