A diet with fruit and fiber is only beneficial if it is regular.

A diet based on fruits, vegetables and fiber only has a positive impact on health if followed regularly, according to a study carried out in Switzerland reported on Tuesday by EFE.

“Irregular consumption of healthy foods actually negates many of their benefits for the gut microbiota,” said Marcel Salathé, head of the digital epidemiology (disease study) laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL).

EPFL researchers who carried out the study found that a diet in which the nutritional value of foods varies greatly, alternating between healthy foods and fast food , sugary foods or foods high in salt, can unbalance the gut microbiota (microorganisms that live in the intestine).

The study used artificial intelligence to meticulously record the eating habits of 1,000 participants, analyzing food photos and product barcodes. Large-scale data collection determined that the frequency with which healthy foods are consumed is as important, if not more important, than the quantity. "This is a real incentive for future studies to analyze not only what people eat, but also their eating patterns over time ," said Marcel Salathé.

Researchers also found that a person's diet can be predicted with 85% accuracy by analyzing their microbiota in their stool. This prediction also works in reverse to determine the composition of microorganisms in the gut.

The study's authors also acknowledged that society has always understood the importance of eating well regularly, as evidenced by campaigns encouraging the consumption of five fruits and vegetables a day. The researchers also highlighted that awareness of healthy eating has not yet translated into concrete habits, remaining merely an intention within society.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications , was conducted by EPFL's Digital Epidemiology Laboratory, in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego, in the United States.