Why This Matters to Us:
As longevity enthusiasts, we're always looking for ways to extend our healthy lifespans. This study highlights the critical role of gut bacteria in achieving extreme longevity. By understanding the specific types of bacteria that thrive in super-elderly individuals, we can explore ways to cultivate a similar gut environment in our own bodies. This knowledge can guide our dietary choices and lifestyle habits to promote a healthier, longer life by focusing on host-microbes homeostasis.
The Detail:
The study, "Gut Microbiota and Extreme Longevity," published in 2016, examined the gut bacteria of semi-supercentenarians (people aged 105-109) and compared them to younger adults, elderly individuals, and centenarians (100+ years old). The goal was to understand how gut bacteria change over a long life and whether unique bacteria are associated with extreme longevity.
The research showed that everyone has a core microbiota – common bacteria like Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Bacteroidaceae. However, these bacteria become less abundant as people age. Additionally, as people age the subdominant species increase. Subdominant species are bacterial species that are less common in the gut.
The study found that the gut bacteria of super-elderly individuals have unique characteristics. While they still have the core microbiota and increased subdominant species found in elderly individuals, they also have an enrichment of health-associated bacteria like Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Christensenellaceae. These bacteria may help maintain health during aging.
According to aging researcher Dr. William Li, these four bacteria associated with longevity are Odoribacter, Oscillibacter, Christensenella, and Akkermansia.
How to Foster Gut Bacteria Associated with Living Over 100 Years
To promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, Dr. William Li suggests eating fermented foods like yogurt and fiber-rich foods such as nuts and whole grains.
- Eating Fermented Foods: Fermented foods contain probiotics, which are live microorganisms that may promote longevity when consumed. Some recommended fermented foods are kefir, yogurt, kimchee, and sauerkraut. Eating plenty of fermented foods increases the diversity of gut bacterial species and lowers inflammation. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is one of the identified hallmarks of aging, so consuming more fermented foods with probiotics may help target inflammation to promote longevity.
- Eating Fiber-Rich Foods: Fiber-rich foods contain prebiotics, a type of fiber that the body does not digest but which healthy gut bacteria use as food. Some of the fiber-rich foods are vegetables, leafy greens, fruits (especially berries), nuts, seeds, and whole grains. A low-fiber diet is associated with the onset of age-related conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Increasing fiber-rich foods to foster the growth of beneficial gut bacteria may aid in avoiding these chronic age-related diseases.
- Avoid Overeating: Dr. William Li also suggested not overeating to optimize gut health. Avoiding breakfast every so often, a form of intermittent fasting, may help the gut recover after digesting foods.
- Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods and Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Ultra-processed foods undergo transformation from their natural state with the addition of sugars, fats, and different types of preservatives. To avoid killing beneficial gut bacteria, Dr. William Li suggested eating whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooking meals from raw food products. Also, consuming alcohol can kill beneficial gut bacteria, so it is recommended to limit alcohol intake.
Dr. William Li relayed the interconnectedness of the gut bacteria with other organs and physiological systems, including the brain and immune system. Having a harmful gut bacterial composition can contribute to cognitive dysfunction, such as impaired memory, and may predispose to dementia. Having beneficial gut bacteria, as fostered with fermented and fiber-rich foods, improves immunity, which may help against infections. Eating to promote beneficial gut bacteria and avoiding ultra-processed foods and alcohol may enhance cognition and immunity, both of which decline with age.