New research indicates that people who live to be at least 100 years old have gut microbial communities similar to those found in younger individuals. The study, published in Nature Aging, analyzed fecal samples from 1,575 participants, including 297 centenarians aged 100-117. Researchers observed that older adults generally had increased levels of potential pathogens in their gut microbiomes, along with diminished beneficial gut bacteria.
In contrast, centenarians displayed gut microbiome features shared with both younger and older cohorts, including lower levels of inflammation-promoting bacteria and higher representation of Bacteroidetes microbes. These individuals also exhibited greater stability in beneficial Bacteroides species and increased microbiome evenness. The study suggests that the unique enterotypes in centenarians, which combine signatures of young and old adult individuals, may contribute to their longevity.
GIbiome 