New research by the China-Canada Institute has found “ridiculously healthy” 100-year-olds have the same gut bacteria as healthy 30-year-olds in the same population – suggesting that a healthy gut equals healthy ageing.
The researchers analysed the gut microbial composition of over 1,000 healthy Chinese participants aged from three years to over 100 years old who fit the category of “extreme healthy” with no known health issues or family history of disease.
They also didn’t smoke or drink, have depression and hadn’t been prescribed any drugs or antibiotics in the three months before the study.
The results? The only major differences were only found in people aged under 20. For people aged between 30 and 100, the microbiota were mainly the same, though men’s composition seemed “more variable” than women’s.
You really are what you eat
“This demonstrates that maintaining diversity of your gut as you age is a biomarker of healthy ageing, just like low-cholesterol is a biomarker of a healthy circulatory system.” lead researcher Greg Gloor said.
We’re always being told to eat well and stay active to stay healthy as we age – but could gut bacteria be just as important?
The scientists say more research is needed, but “resetting” an elderly persons’ microbiota to that of a 30-year-old using food and probiotics could actually help to improve their health.
Time to crack open the sauerkraut?
