gut-microbiome
The plant microbiome consists of the microbial communities—bacteria, fungi, and archaea—that live within plant tissues and in the rhizosphere soil environment, functionally analogous to animal gut microbiota. These microbial communities are crucial to plant science because they directly enhance nutrient acquisition, improve disease resistance, and help plants adapt to environmental stresses. Understanding plant-microbe interactions has become fundamental to advancing crop productivity, plant health, and sustainable agricultural practices.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-03-21
Adults eating plant-rich diets who exercise regularly show greater gut bacterial diversity and healthier microbial patterns than sedentary peers, suggesting physical activity helps optimize the microbiome in plant-based eaters.
Low-activity participants (<150 min/week) showed 15-20% lower microbial diversity and reduced abundance of beneficial commensal bacteria compared to active peers
Physical activity level associated with distinct organic acid metabolite patterns despite comparable dietary pesticide exposure between groups
Study was cross-sectional with age imbalance between groups, limiting causal conclusions but suggesting hypothesis-generating findings worth longitudinal investigation