The Impact Of The Microbiome On Lifespan

[Mike Lustgarten]

Germ-free mice (animals don't have a microbiome) live longer than microbiome-containing mice, but it's impractical for people to live in a bubble for their entire lifespan. As a more practical approach, which microbiome-derived factors impact lifespan, and can they be modified? 
 

 

[Ron Put]

Gut Microbiota and Extreme Longevity

"Because of its impact on human metabolism and immunology, the gut microbiome has been proposed as a possible determinant of healthy aging [2, 3]. Indeed, the preservation of host-microbes homeostasis can counteract inflammaging [4], intestinal permeability [5], and decline in bone and cognitive health [6, 7]. Aiming at deepening our knowledge on the relationship between the gut microbiota and a long-living host, we provide for the first time the phylogenetic microbiota analysis of semi-supercentenarians, i.e., 105-109 years old, in comparison to adults, elderly, and centenarians, thus reconstructing the longest available human microbiota trajectory along aging. We highlighted the presence of a core microbiota of highly occurring, symbiotic bacterial taxa (mostly belonging to the dominant Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Bacteroidaceae families), with a cumulative abundance decreasing along with age. Aging is characterized by an increasing abundance of subdominant species, as well as a rearrangement in their co-occurrence network. These features are maintained in longevity and extreme longevity, but peculiarities emerged, especially in semi-supercentenarians, describing changes that, even accommodating opportunistic and allochthonous bacteria, might possibly support health maintenance during aging, such as an enrichment and/or higher prevalence of health-associated groups (e.g., Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Christensenellaceae)."

This is a field in its infancy, but it seems reasonable to me that the bacteria in one's body and its byproducts affect one's health to a significant degree.

[Gordo]

I think this could be really important:

 

Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-021-00348-0

Wilmanski, T., Diener, C., Rappaport, N. et al. Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans. Nat Metab 3, 274–286 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00348-0

 

 

Abstract (emphasis mine)

The gut microbiome has important effects on human health, yet its importance in human ageing remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrate that, starting in mid-to-late adulthood, gut microbiomes become increasingly unique to individuals with age. We leverage three independent cohorts comprising over 9,000 individuals and find that compositional uniqueness is strongly associated with microbially produced amino acid derivatives circulating in the bloodstream. In older age (over ~80 years), healthy individuals show continued microbial drift towards a unique compositional state, whereas this drift is absent in less healthy individuals. The identified microbiome pattern of healthy ageing is characterized by a depletion of core genera found across most humans, primarily Bacteroides. Retaining a high Bacteroides dominance into older age, or having a low gut microbiome uniqueness measure, predicts decreased survival in a 4-year follow-up. Our analysis identifies increasing compositional uniqueness of the gut microbiome as a component of healthy ageing, which is characterized by distinct microbial metabolic outputs in the blood.

 

Here is a link to the studyfinds write up on the above study:

Gut feeling: This could be the key enjoying a long, healthy life

 

[Ron Put]

6 hours ago, Gordo said:

I think this could be really important:

Yep, it likely is. But how, we can only broadly guess, at this point.

A whole food, plant-based diet, high in carbs and fiber, is probably conducive to a diverse, healthy microbiome, based on current studies I've seen. Genetics appear to play a role too, and it accounts for less than 40% of the individual's population.

I'd also guess that while the composition of one's microbiome can change dramatically and quickly, longer-term effects are also likely. In other words, eating burgers, KFC and sugar candy for decades would have some lasting impact, even after one switches to whole foods.

Is anyone aware of a reliable test? I tried uBiome before they went under, but it seemed mostly a scam, as my posted result dramatically changed after the initial report (same test).