Diet can help you maintain a healthy microbiome as you age
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Your gut microbiome plays a crucial role in supporting both mental and physical health. It provides the body with essential nutrients and helps regulate the immune system. Recent research has highlighted the importance of a healthy microbiome in the process of aging.
As we grow older, the composition of microbes in our gut changes. We experience a decline in beneficial microbes, such as the anti-inflammatory bacterium known as Faecalibacterium, and an increase in species that promote inflammation. This imbalance is associated with various age-related conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Several studies, involving diverse populations from isolated rural communities in India to wealthy semi-urban communities in Italy, have observed similar patterns in gut microbiome composition in older individuals. One noteworthy finding is that older adults who maintain good health have a higher abundance of beneficial microbes, which are diminished in those experiencing physiological decline.
Although the causality between a healthy gut microbiome and vitality in older adults is not yet fully understood, a fascinating study conducted by John Cryan and his colleagues at University College Cork, Ireland, found that transplanting gut microbiota from young animals to elderly animals reversed age-associated impairments in brain function.
All of this highlights the importance of taking care of our gut microbiome and ensuring its optimal health. But what exactly can we do?
How to Keep Your Microbiome Healthy
First and foremost, it is important to understand what constitutes a healthy microbiome…
