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Aging is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be slow, creaky, painful, or disease-ridden the way we often think is normal. Gut health impacts aging. So much so, it can determine whether you age gracefully. Can Gut Bacteria Delay Ageing

What happens in our bodies as we age?

As we get older, our bodies show hallmark changes in our cells that are associated with aging. These changes contribute to many of the symptoms we associate with getting older. Some of the hallmarks of aging include:

  • Genomic instability — genetic changes that happen when cells divide which increase the potential for conditions like cancer
  • Telomere attrition — telomeres (proteins and DNA sequences that cover the ends of your chromosomes) begin to shorten with age which has been associated with cellular senescence
  • Cellular senescence — a hallmark of aging that happens when cells stop dividing but continue to be metabolically active. This has been linked to an increase in inflammation. 
  • Epigenetic alterations — changes that happen to your DNA and the genes expressed that can contribute to disease development as you age.
  • Loss of proteostasis — protein homeostasis makes sure that proteins are folded, transported, and degraded properly. As we age this process results in misfolded proteins which can contribute to disease development (often seen in cancer).
  • Deregulated nutrient sensing — cells are able to determine nutrient levels in their environment. This sensing allows them to send signals to the brain to let it know if there is an abundance or insufficiency of certain necessary nutrients. As we age, this system becomes less effective leading to malnutrition or metabolic conditions. 
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction — the mitochondria provide energy for your cells. As we age the mitochondria will sustain damage from multiple things which can contribute to diminished function. Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with many diseases, specifically metabolic diseases in the elderly.
  • Stem cell exhaustion — stem cells are necessary for the management and health of your tissues. As we age, stem cells become damaged or depleted leaving our bodies with a lot of tissues to repair and nothing to repair them. Stem cell exhaustion deals with many of the physical issues of aging like bones and muscles declining and changes to brain structures.
  • Altered intercellular communication — changes that happen to the cells that can lead to miscommunication or lack of communication. This prevents important body processes from happening which can contribute to disease development.

Chronological and Biological age

As you can see, there are a lot of different things happening within our bodies as we age. Prioritizing our health can slow these processes while making unhealthy choices will speed the process up. This is where chronological aging and biological age come into play.

Chronological age is how many years old you are.

Biological age is how old your cells and tissues say you are. 

So when someone young says they feel like they’re 80 years old, they truly can feel that way based on biological age. Meanwhile, someone who is 90 years old can have a much younger biological age and feel fantastic. 

There is one major contributing factor to why some people age faster than others and that is inflammation. Which brings us to…

What is inflammaging and why does it matter to our longevity?

Inflammaging is the term used to describe factors of aging that happen more rapidly because of inflammation. Any bad thing we associate with aging is associated with inflammation: diseases, wrinkles, weight gain, frailty, inability to move without pain, etc.

Our longevity, or our ability to feel better for longer as we age, is highly impacted by inflammation. Inflammation throughout the body is linked to disease development and progression. This has been proven over and over again because it taxes the immune system and its functions. 

If we become diseased, our longevity is put at risk. So how does the gut affect aging? And can gut bacteria delay aging? 

It absolutely can.

Can gut bacteria delay aging?

Decades worth of research has proven that gut health and inflammation go hand in hand. If your gut is healthy, it can prevent inflammation. If your gut is in a state of dysbiosis, it will contribute to excessive inflammation and lead to problems throughout the body. 

Aging is no exception.

Gut health is shaped by multiple things:

  • Mothers diet during pregnancy 
  • Delivery method
  • Breast vs bottle fed
  • Diet through infancy and childhood 
  • Diet in adulthood
  • Gender
  • Puberty
  • Hormonal changes
  • Where you live
  • Who you live with
  • Medication use
  • Activity level
  • Infections
  • Exposure to microbes (healthy and unhealthy)
  • Sanitization (over use and under use specifically)

There are many other things that go into it as well, but we’d be here all day if the list included everything.  All of these things shape your “core microbiome”. Your core microbiome is your baseline, is unique to you, and helps keep you healthy. 

Types of Bacteria

As we age, certain bacterial types start to decrease. However, certain bacteria are found in healthy elderly people. Some of those microbes and what they do include:

  • Lactobacillus reuteri is linked to maintaining a healthier bone density which means a lower risk of osteoporosis
  • Christensenellaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, and Rikenellaceae were linked to lower risk of obesity, specifically in the abdominal area
  • Christensenella, Akkermansia, and bifidobacteria were found in people 99+ years of age making a potentially significant link between those bacteria and longevity.

Studies show that elderly people who retain their core microbiome and have a robust microbial richness, remain healthier and have a lower biological age. 

Different bacterial strains have been linked to slowing down or reversing many of the hallmarks of aging. 

  • Bifidobacterium longum BB68, Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055, L. fermentum MBC2, and B. infantis ATCC15697 helped control signaling pathways that contributed to a longer lifespan
  • L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690, L. salivarius FDB89, and L. fermentum LA12 provided antioxidant properties through the increase of C. elegans.
  • L. brevis OW38 reduced the expression of senescence markers
  • L. paracasei PS23 delayed sarcopenia progression while protecting the mitochondria
  • L. fermentum DR9, L. plantarum DR7, and L. reuteri 8513d reduced telomere shortening and oxidative stress
  • Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 improved gut and immune functions by increasing SCFA production
  • Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG helped maintain a healthy gut microdiversity and intestinal health meanwhile reducing inflammation

There are a bunch of other strains being studied, but all evidence points to the conclusion that yes, gut bacteria can delay aging processes. 

How can I support my gut microbiome as I age?

So you might be interested in improving your gut health to experience a better life and longevity. So here are our best suggestions!

  1. Take Atrantil or AtrantilPro. Atrantil is full of prebiotics and polyphenols that support a good balance of gut microbes. AtrantilPro gives you everything Atrantil does plus 3 great probiotics (some of which are named above). 
  2. Move your body daily. Whether you want to call it exercise or not, it’s up to you. But living an active lifestyle contributes to a healthier gut. 
  3. Eat a diverse diet full of healthy and nutrient-dense foods. This is the best way to ensure your gut stays healthy. The foods you eat MATTER to your health and longevity — so choose wisely.
  4. Get in the sun every day. With the cold fronts that keep sweeping through our nation, it can be hard to want to get outside. But getting outside to get sunlight fights off harmful bacteria and supports the good.
  5. Sleep well. Sleep matters to your gut health and having a good routine for sleep (especially while you’re young) helps with longevity.
  6. Drink more water and less alcohol. Water is necessary for every system and process in your body. Alcohol does the opposite and damages these processes and cells.
  7. Spend time being happy and full of gratitude. These are key factors in the blue zones where there are more centenarians than any other place in the world. They’ve got to be doing something right and this gets a lot of credit. 

Live a healthy and happy life, and you’re on the right track to longevity and delayed aging.

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