A well-balanced gut microbiome contributes to successful aging process
Gut Health and Aging: A Bold New Look
A groundbreaking study led by experts at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, in collaboration with the Tianyi Health Science Institute, has some jaw-dropping revelations about gut health and aging.
This study, published in the journal mSphere, reveals that extremely healthy seniors may share the same gut bacterial composition as healthy thirty-year-olds!
Digging Deeper into the Gut Bacteria of the Young and the Elderly
The researchers used 16S Ribosomal RNA sequencing to analyze the microbial makeup of over a thousand individuals aged between 3 and 100, all boasting impressive health records. Criteria for participation included no diseases in self or family, abstinence from smoking, alcohol, and drugs (including antibiotics) for the past three months, and no family history of major cardiometabolic, gastrointestinal, or neurological diseases.
Shockingly, the study found that the gut microbiomes of extremely healthy seniors resembled those of the healthier, younger counterparts. The differences in gut bacterial composition only became apparent before the age of 20. Surprisingly, between 30 and 100, the microbiomes were largely the same! Additionally, males appeared to have a more varied gut microbiome composition compared to females.
"The new findings in this cross-sectional study suggest that the gut microbiomes of the healthy aged are not much different from the healthy young in the same population," concludes the research team.
A Gut Check on Healthy Aging
Study co-author, Gregor Reid, reflects, "Our aim is to develop novel microbiome diagnostic systems for populations and use food and probiotics to potentially improve health indicators."
However, the study doesn't establish causality. Reid poses the question, "If you can stay active and maintain a healthy diet, will aging slow down, or is healthy aging inherently tied to the bacteria in your gut?"
The Healthy Gut-Healthy Aging Link
Regardless of causality, the results clearly show a strong correlation between a healthy gut and healthy aging.
Dr. Greg Gloor, the senior investigator, states, "Our main finding is that if you're incredibly healthy at 90 years old, your gut microbiome is not that different from a healthy 30-year-old in the same population."
The authors write, "Whether this is cause or effect is still unclear. However, maintaining microbiome diversity as you age is a biomarker of healthy aging, just like low cholesterol is a biomarker of a healthy circulatory system."
Dr. Reid adds, "By studying healthy individuals, we aim to learn what we're striving for when people get sick."
The study suggests that resetting an elderly gut microbiome to one similar to a thirty-year-old's might aid in promoting health!
A Peek into the Microbiome of Healthy Seniors and Young Adults
In healthy seniors, particularly centenarians, the gut microbiome tends to have:
- More beneficial bacteria: Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus
- Lower inflammatory bacteria: Proteobacteria
- More beneficial SCFAs: Short-chain fatty acids associated with reduced inflammation
In comparison, healthy young adults generally have a more diverse gut microbiome, with a balanced mix of various bacterial strains, such as Bacteroides, Firmicutes, and Bifidobacterium.
Aging typically leads to:
- Reduced beneficial bacteria: Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus
- Increased opportunistic bacteria: Proteobacteria (Escherichia) and Fusobacterium
- Decreased SCFAs: Affecting immunological function and promoting inflammation
Remolding the Elderly Microbiota to Boost Health
Modifying the gut microbiota of elderly individuals could potentially boost health by restoring beneficial bacteria, increasing SCFAs, and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines. This could lead to a healthier, more active, and longer life!
- The study in mSphere, focusing on gut health and aging, revealed that extremely healthy seniors share similar gut bacterial compositions as healthy thirty-year-olds, suggesting a potential link between the gut and healthy aging.
- The research team concluded that the gut microbiomes of healthy seniors are not much different from those of healthy young individuals in the same population, signifying the importance of maintaining microbiome diversity as a biomarker of healthy aging.
- Study co-author, Gregor Reid, aims to develop novel microbiome diagnostic systems and use food and probiotics to potentially improve health indicators in populations.
- In healthy seniors, particularly centenarians, the gut microbiome tends to have more beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus, while aging typically leads to reduced levels of these beneficial bacteria.
- Modifying the gut microbiota of elderly individuals could potentially boost health by restoring beneficial bacteria, increasing short-chain fatty acids, and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to a healthier, more active, and longer life. This connection between gut health and healthy aging could revolutionize the field of medical-conditions, health-and-wellness, mental-health, fitness-and-exercise, and aging, according to the authors of the study.
