It added: “People whose gut microbiomes had grown more unique with age were able to walk faster and had better overall mobility than peers who showed less gastrointestinal microbe changes with age.
“Plus, those with less diverse gut environments used more medications and were nearly twice as likely to die during the study period.”
The investigators found that older adults who had a more unique pattern of changes to their GI microbe profile also tended to be healthier and live longer than peers with less microbiome divergence.
The healthier participants’ blood tests showed lower levels of LDL cholesterol and higher levels of vitamin D, but also more beneficial blood metabolites produced by gut microbes.
Researchers also found that modern diets rich in salty, sugary, or fatty processed foods may damage the ageing gut, while higher fibre nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans, and nuts could be combined with exercise to help protect a healthy gut microbiome balance as we age.