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Human intestinal microbiota and healthy ageing
Kirsti Tiihonen1, Arthur C Ouwehand, Nina Rautonen
1Danisco A/S, EnteroMix Research, Sokeritehtaantie 20, FIN-02460 Kantvik, Finland. kirsti.tiihonen@danisco.com
Ageing Research Reviews
|October 31, 2009
Summary
Aging alters the gut microbiota, showing decreased stability and increased diversity. Factors like nutrition and medication significantly impact these changes in the elderly.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Microbiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging is associated with shifts in gut microbiota composition, including decreased anaerobes and bifidobacteria, and increased enterobacteria.
- While traditional views suggested simple marker changes, molecular techniques reveal decreased stability and increased diversity in the gut microbiota of the elderly.
- Aging itself may have minimal impact on gastrointestinal function, apart from reduced immune function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on the gut microbiota in the elderly.
- To explore the potential benefits of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for the aging gut microbiota.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature on gut microbiota and aging.
- Analysis of studies utilizing molecular techniques to assess microbial composition.
- Examination of factors influencing gut microbiota changes in older adults.
Main Results:
- Gut microbiota in the elderly exhibits decreased stability and increased diversity, challenging earlier findings.
- No single marker reliably indicates microbiota changes with age.
- Nutrition, disease incidence, and medication use are significant modulators of the gut microbiota in aging.
Conclusions:
- The aging gut microbiota is complex, characterized by altered stability and diversity rather than simple compositional shifts.
- Interventions like probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics may offer potential benefits for modulating the gut microbiota in the elderly.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of these changes and the efficacy of interventions.
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