MICROBIOMES OF THE SUPERAGERS

BY STUDYING THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING BEYOND THEIR 100TH BIRTHDAYS, SCIENTISTS ARE DISCOVERING THAT THE SECRET TO REACHING A RIPE OLD AGE IN RUDE HEALTH MIGHT LIE IN OUR GUTS

- by AMY FLEMING

When she died in 2024, Spain's Maria Branyas was the world's oldest woman. She was 117.

Experts believe the secret to her longevity may have been the bacteria living in her gut – her microbiome – and luckily, before she died, she donated stool samples to medical scientists so they could learn more about it. The international team of researchers studying the samples were stunned to find that, along with her advantageous genetic profile, her gut was flourishing with the associated microbial community of youth.

There was plenty of Bifidobacterium, which typically gets star billing in probiotic supplements due to its inflammation-reducing properties, not to mention its ability to boost our immune systems. It also aids in digestion and helps produce essential micronutrients like vitamins.

Branyas may be the most extreme example, but record numbers of people are now living past their 100th birthday. Yet as more of us live longer, more of us are having to live with chronic disease, so the goal of longevity researchers is to work out how to stretch our healthspan – the illness-free years of our lives.

Gut health is a promising target for achieving this. While we're largely stuck with our genes, our unique microbiomes can be influenced by diet and lifestyle. As scientists learn more about what keeps the gut microbiomes of the longest-lived people so youthful, the better our chances are that more of us can follow in their footsteps...

BALANCE BEATS DIVERSITY

WHY AN EVEN MIX OF GUT BACTERIA COULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL THAN A RICHER MIX