Healthy ageing is more than just commitment to good habits; the condition of the gut microbiome can make a huge difference in a well-functioning body years down the road.
As humans age, the microbiome evolves.1 In the microbiome of an 8-week-old infant, for example, Actinobacteria reigns and Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes occur in lower amounts.
By contrast, let’s compare the dominant taxa in healthy and frail elderly subjects: in the microbiome of the healthy elderly, Firmicutes overpower Bacteroidetes; but, in the latter, Bacteroidetes tends to dominate.
Healthy elderly people also have a more diverse and balanced microbiome with more longevity associated bacterial and fungal species (Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus) than their frail counterparts — who tend to have more unhealthy levels of Fusobacterium and Candida albicans.
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