People living to 100 seem to be defying many other aspects of ageing common to other people. They have a diverse microbiome that looks different to other older people’s – Mary Ni Lochlainn
As we get older, our microbiomes also shift, characterised by a loss of beneficial bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bifidobacterium, alongside an increase in potentially harmful species like Clostridium. This imbalance is associated with several health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, stroke and heart disease.
While researchers don’t yet fully understand the gut microbiome in relation to every different disease process, we can learn a lot from centenarians, according to Mary Ni Lochlainn, clinical lecturer in geriatric medicine at King’s College London in the UK.
“People living [to] 100 seem to be defying many other aspects of ageing common to other people,” says Ni Lochlainn. “They have a diverse microbiome that looks different to other older people’s.”
Generally, there isn’t a definition of healthy or unhealthy gut bacteria, as it’s more about having an equilibrium of microbes that work together to promote health. However, a few specific bacterial species have been identified, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, that seem to be protective of health.
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