2023 Nutrition Trends: Gut Health, Protein and Personalized Eating

As we begin 2023, the nutritional landscape is shaped by three converging forces: a rapidly expanding body of microbiome research, renewed scientific debate about protein recommendations and a growing consumer appetite for personalized nutrition tools. Each of these areas has meaningful implications for how registered dietitians counsel clients — and for how you might approach your own eating this year.

The gut microbiome story continues to develop in compelling ways. Research published in Cell and Nature journals in 2022 found that dietary diversity — specifically the number of distinct plant foods consumed weekly — is more strongly predictive of microbiome diversity than any other measured variable. Participants eating 30 or more different plant foods per week showed dramatically richer microbiomes than those eating fewer than 10. This is a practical, actionable finding: variety matters more than perfection, and adding one or two new plant foods per week can meaningfully shift your microbiome composition over time.

On protein, a growing body of evidence is challenging the longstanding RDA of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight as a minimum adequate intake rather than an optimal one. For active adults, older individuals and those in weight management, the emerging consensus suggests that 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram is more supportive of muscle preservation, satiety and metabolic health. How you distribute that protein across the day — aiming for 25 to 40 grams per meal — matters as much as the daily total. This year, we encourage clients to view protein not as a supplement strategy but as a dietary priority.

Sources

• McDonald D, et al. American gut: an open platform for citizen science microbiome research. mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18.

• Stokes T, et al. Recent perspectives regarding the role of dietary protein for the promotion of muscle hypertrophy with resistance exercise training. Nutrients. 2018;10(2):180.

Ready to take the next step in your nutrition journey? Schedule an appointment at NutriGreene today. www.nutrigreene.com | (203) 429-4211 | info@nutrigreene.com