Diet can help you maintain a healthy microbiome as you age
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Your gut microbiome is essential for maintaining both mental and physical health. It supplies the body with necessary nutrients and helps fine-tune the immune system. We now understand that a healthy microbiome is crucial for healthy aging.
As we grow older, the composition of microbes in our gut changes. Beneficial types of microbes, such as the anti-inflammatory Faecalibacterium, decline, while species that contribute to inflammation increase. Inflammation is implicated in various age-related conditions like heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Several studies, conducted with participants from different populations worldwide, have shown similar shifts in the microbiome during old age. One important finding is that older individuals who remain in good health have a diverse collection of beneficial microbes that diminish as they experience physiological decline.
We don’t know if the microbiomes of healthy older individuals contribute to their vitality or are a result of their lifestyle choices. However, a study in mice conducted by John Cryan at University College Cork, Ireland, and his colleagues revealed that transplanting gut microbiota from young animals to elderly ones reversed age-associated impairments in brain function.
All of this reinforces the importance of taking care of our gut microbiome and keeping it as beneficial as possible. But how can we achieve that?
How to maintain a healthy microbiome
First and foremost, it’s important to understand what constitutes a healthy gut microbiome….
