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The closer scientists examine the bacteria in the gut, the clearer its importance to our overall health becomes, and new research links a particular type of gut microbiome development with longer life and better old age. health.
In a study of over 9,000 people in three different cohorts, new research found that our gut microbiomes become more unique and personalized to us as we age, and the number of major bacteria (such as Bacteroids) also tend to decrease.
This pattern also appears to be associated with physical health and longevity. So, people whose microbiome doesn’t keep changing with old age and who don’t see a reduction in major bacteria tend not to be as healthy or to live that long.
“This unique signature can predict patient survival over the last decades of life,” says biochemist Tomasz Wilmanski, of the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB).
“Interestingly, this pattern of uniqueness appears to begin in mid-life – 40-50 years – and is associated with a clear blood metabolomic signature, suggesting that these microbiome changes may not be simply a diagnosis. of healthy aging, but that they can also directly contribute to health as we age. “
It was noted that although microbiomes diverged in their design at older ages, the metabolic functions they performed were consistent across individuals – researchers found certain metabolites linked to longevity in the gut of people (and various animals) whose microbiomes followed a pattern.
As Wilmanski points out, the question remains whether these changes in the makeup of the microbiome actually contribute to good health or only reflect it, but it certainly deserves further investigation, scientists say – and it adds some clarity. to an area of research where the results were not always clear.
For example, metabolites called indoles have been discovered that have been previously linked to reduced inflammation in the intestines of mice – and chronic inflammation is one of the health issues known to increase the risk of death in mice. the elderly.
“Previous research findings on the aging of the microbiome appear inconsistent, with some reports pointing to a decline in major gut genera in century-old populations, while others show relative stability of the microbiome until the onset of declines. health related to aging, ”says microbiologist Sean Gibbons of the ISB.
“Our work, which is the first to incorporate a detailed analysis of health and survival, can resolve these inconsistencies.”
While the study as a whole looked at people aged 18 to 101, it was a particular cohort of individuals aged 78 to 98 that allowed researchers to take a close look at how microbiomes and mortality might be linked.
We know it’s early and late in life that our mix of gut bacteria undergoes the biggest changes, and this latest study confirms the idea that an ever-changing belly bacteria mix late in life. is a good sign: perhaps it is an indicator of a body that is still thriving in the last years of life.
The study suggests that a healthy gut microbiome – whatever it is – may not look the same at different stages of life, and this is a useful avenue for future research to explore. It seems that our microbiomes can develop in different ways in older people, and some of these developments could be healthier than others.
“This is exciting work that we believe will have major clinical implications for monitoring and modifying the health of the gut microbiome throughout a person’s life,” says bioengineer Nathan Price, of ISB.
The research was published in Nature’s metabolism.
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