Watch What You Eat: How Your Gut’s Bacteria Could Be the Secret to Living Longer

In the past half a century alone, there have been several scientific breakthroughs that have undoubtedly revolutionized the field of medicine. But none of them have been as groundbreaking and exciting as the discovery of our body’s vast microbiome. Just picture it: a colony of millions of bacteria successfully thriving in each and every one of us. Makes you wonder just how complex nature is, right? And the most interesting thing about it all? Like a fingerprint, each and every person’s microbiota is unique. There’s no doubt our microbiome plays a fundamental role in our body. But here’s the question that’s been puzzling scientists for decades: does it influence the aging process? Well, increasing evidence suggests that the microbiome in our gut could be at the core of several of the age-associated changes that occur in our bodies. These changes range from our susceptibility to disease and our immune system dysregulation. In fact, according to a February research study published in the journal Nature Metabolism, scientists managed to connect the gut microbiome to healthy aging and longevity. The scientists discovered that specific gut bacteria thought to be beneficial to human health were found in large amounts in nonagenarians (people between the ages of 90-99),  centenarians (99-104 years), and super-centenarians (105 years and older) of Italian and Chinese descent. This provided strong evidence that having a healthy gut microbiome could be one of the keys to longevity and healthy aging. Usually, these bacteria are depleted when we are stressed, consume a poor diet, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, laxatives, acid-blocking medicines, steroids, antibiotics, and generally live a sedentary lifestyle. But when we have the ideal balance and concentration of these bacteria, we can prevent several diseases. They are intimately connected to how healthy we are. According to Medical Doctor Sophie Shotter, we have different bacteria living in our gut and skin. The bacteria that is present in our gut is mostly anaerobic; which means that it can survive without the presence of oxygen. It is also dependent on what we consume. The healthier we eat, the more our gut microbiome thrives and thus digestion and absorption of nutrients take place more efficiently while excreting pathogens and toxins before absorbing food into the bloodstream. In fact, you’ll be surprised to know that at least 70% of the human immune system is located in the gut. On the other hand, the skin’s microbiome is highly dependent on the environment that we live in. Medical Doctor Leslie Baumann believes that a balanced gut microbiome contributes to healthy skin and overall wellness. Inversely, an unbalanced concentration of microbiome, known as dysbiosis, can lead to the occurrence of certain autoimmune diseases such as fibromyalgia, muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. In fact, chronic dysbiosis of the gut microbiome has been strongly connected to inflammation, leaky gut syndrome, and weight gain. It has also affected the appearance and health of the skin. In one of the most complex studies on the subject matter, researchers were able to explore the gut microbiome related to disease and diet. The study in question was conducted by the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) with the collaboration of: the University of Washington, the University of California Davis, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California San Diego, and the Oregon Health and Science University. The research was further supported by the National Institute on Aging. During the study, researchers analyzed the clinical data and gut microbiome of more than 9000 subjects between the ages of 18 and 101. The data demonstrated that gut bacteria in healthy old people became increasingly unique as they grew older, as well as producing life-extending chemicals. The researchers also identified distinct signatures in the gut microbiome that were associated with either healthy or unhealthy trajectories. In healthy individuals, the gut microbiomes showed diverging uniqueness in ways that were not comparable to the unhealthy subjects. This uniqueness was strongly connected to microbially-produced amino acid derivatives present in the blood; a strong indicator that life-extending chemicals were present. The scientists, therefore, concluded that microbiomes could be used to determine survival in a population of aging individuals. Study conclusions further show that adult gut microbiomes continue to develop with advanced age in healthy individuals, but not in unhealthy ones. Furthermore, one of ISB’s medical doctors, Nathan Price, is confident that this research study will have major clinical implications for monitoring and modifying gut microbiome health throughout a person’s entire life. Researchers also observed that participants that ate a lot of healthy, natural, plant-based foods had a higher concentration of beneficial bacteria in their gut. This increase of desired gut microbes was associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and obesity. The study further noted that by modifying your diet to suit your gut microbiome, you could be setting yourself up for a longer and much healthier life. The study also noted that gut microbiome that is considered healthy for a 20-year-old is not necessarily ideal for an 80-year-old. It seems that it’s best to change your microbiome as you grow older because it will help your gut bacteria adjust to an aging body. In sum, your diet has a great impact on the composition of the microbiome. Therefore, you can enhance it either by introducing prebiotics into your diet to stabilize the gut microbiome, or by improving on what you eat by consuming more fish, avoiding highly processed foods, and staying physically active.