Unlocking the Secrets of Longevity: How Gut Bacteria and Viruses Affect Our Health
Why do some people turn 100 on their own while others spend billions of dollars on treatments to stay alive? Researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research have set out to answer this question by studying 176 healthy Japanese centenarians. What they found was that the combination of gut bacteria and bacterial viruses in these people was quite unique.
Gut Bacteria and Longevity
As we age, the diversity of our gut bacteria decreases, which can lead to inflammation, infection, and disease. Previous research has shown that the gut bacteria of Japanese elderly people produce entirely new molecules that make them resistant to disease-promoting microorganisms. And if their intestines are better protected against infection, it’s probably one of the things that makes them live longer than others.
Centenarian’s Gut Microbial Diversity
In addition to the important new and protective bacterial viruses, the researchers also found the intestinal flora of centenarian Japanese to be extremely interesting. High microbial diversity is generally associated with a healthy gut microbiome, and the team hopes that people with healthy gut microbiomes are better protected against aging-related diseases.
Optimization of Intestinal Bacteria
But what if we could engineer a microbiome that can help us live longer and healthier lives? Using an algorithm designed by the researchers, they were able to map gut bacteria and bacterial viruses from centenarians. If researchers can understand the connection between viruses and bacteria in Japanese centenarians, they will be able to determine what the optimal balance of viruses and bacteria is.
The new insights into gut bacteria which may help protect us from disease, serve to stabilize the intestinal flora and counteract inflammation. If we can get these bacteria and their viruses to move with people who don’t have them, more people could benefit from them.
Changing Our Gut Bacteria
Gut bacteria are a natural part of the human body and our natural environment. And the crazy thing is, we can actually change the composition of gut bacteria. We can’t change genes, at least not for long. If we know why viruses and gut bacteria are a good combination, it will be much easier for us to change something that really affects our health.
Additional Piece:
Staying Healthy in Old Age
As we age, our body becomes more vulnerable to disease, and navigating our way through this inevitable process can be challenging. But research suggests it doesn’t have to be that way. By understanding the interplay between our gut bacteria, bacterial viruses, and their effect on our health, we can optimize our microbiome to protect ourselves against aging-related diseases.
What Steps Can We Take?
So, what steps can we take in our daily lives to keep our gut bacteria healthy and diverse? Here are some key tips:
1. Eat a balanced diet and incorporate probiotic and prebiotic-rich foods into your meals to promote gut health and maintain a diverse microbiome.
2. Exercise regularly to reduce inflammation and improve gut bacteria diversity.
3. Limit stress by practicing mindfulness, yoga, or other relaxation techniques that have been shown to improve gut bacteria diversity.
4. Get adequate sleep, not only to promote overall health but also to promote healthy gut bacteria.
5. Consider taking probiotic supplements to increase the concentration of beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Concluding Thoughts
While the research may still be in its infancy, it’s clear that our gut bacteria and bacterial viruses play a crucial role in our physical health and longevity. By taking care of our gut microbiome through healthy eating, regular exercise, stress reduction, and adequate sleep, we may be able to protect ourselves from aging-related diseases and improve our quality of life in old age.
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research have studied the combination of gut bacteria and bacterial viruses in 176 healthy Japanese centenarians. They found that the gut bacteria of Japanese elderly people produce entirely new molecules that make them resistant to disease-promoting microorganisms. Specific viruses in the intestines can have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora and thus on their health. The intestinal flora of centenarian Japanese is highly diverse, generally associated with a healthy gut microbiome. Researchers can understand the connection between viruses and bacteria in Japanese centenarians and determine what the optimal balance of viruses and bacteria is. Gut bacteria are a natural part of the human body and environment, and we can engineer a microbiome that could help us live long healthy lives. We can change the composition of gut bacteria through healthy lifestyle factors, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress reduction, and adequate sleep. By taking care of our gut microbiome, we may be able to protect ourselves from aging-related diseases and improve our quality of life in old age.
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We are chasing the dream of eternal life. We fast to stay healthy. And every year, we spend billions of kroner on treatment to make sure we stay alive. But some people turn 100 on their own. Why is that?
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research have set out to find the answer.
By studying 176 healthy Japanese centenarians, the researchers found that the combination of gut bacteria and bacterial viruses in these people is quite unique.
“We are always eager to find out why some people live extremely long lives. Previous research has shown that the gut bacteria of Japanese elderly people produce entirely new molecules that make them resistant to pathogenic, i.e., disease-promoting microorganisms. And if their intestines are better protected against infection, so that’s probably one of the things that makes them live longer than others,” says postdoc Joachim Johansen, first author of the new study.
Among other things, the new study shows that specific viruses in the intestines can have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora and thus on our health.
“Our intestines contain billions of viruses that live inside and outside of bacteria, and they couldn’t care less about human cells; instead, they infect bacterial cells. And since there are hundreds of different types of bacteria in our intestines, too there are lots of bacterial viruses,” says Associate Professor Simon Rasmussen, last author of the new study.
Joachim Johansen adds that in addition to the important new and protective bacterial viruses, the researchers also found the intestinal flora of centenarian Japanese to be extremely interesting.
“We found high biological diversity in both bacteria and bacterial viruses in centenarians. High microbial diversity is generally associated with a healthy gut microbiome. And we hope that people with healthy gut microbiomes are better protected against aging-related diseases.” says Joachim Johansen. .
Once we know what the intestinal flora of centenarians is like, we can get closer to understanding how we can increase the life expectancy of other people. Using an algorithm designed by the researchers, they managed to map gut bacteria and bacterial viruses from centenarians.
“We want to understand the dynamics of the gut flora. How do different types of bacteria and viruses interact? How can we engineer a microbiome that can help us live long and healthy lives? Are some bacteria better than others? Using the algorithm, we are able to describe the balance between viruses and bacteria,” says Simon Rasmussen.
And if researchers can understand the connection between viruses and bacteria in Japanese centenarians, they will be able to determine what the optimal balance of viruses and bacteria is.
Optimization of intestinal bacteria
More specifically, new insights into gut bacteria may help us understand how we should optimize the bacteria found in the human body to protect against disease.
“We have learned that if a virus visits a bacterium, it can actually strengthen the bacterium. The viruses we found in healthy Japanese centenarians contained additional genes that could stimulate the bacterium. We learned that they could drive the transformation of specific molecules in the intestines, that could serve to stabilize the intestinal flora and counteract inflammation,” says Joachim Johansen, and Simon Rasmussen adds:
“If you discover bacteria and viruses that have a positive effect on human gut flora, the obvious next step is to find out if only some or all of us have them. If we can get these bacteria and their viruses to move with people who don’t have, more people could benefit from them.
Although this requires more research, the new knowledge is significant, because we can modify the intestinal flora.
“Gut bacteria are a natural part of the human body and our natural environment. And the crazy thing is that we can actually change the composition of gut bacteria. We can’t change genes, at least not for long. If we know why viruses and gut bacteria are a good combination, it will be much easier for us to change something that really affects our health,” says Simon Rasmussen.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230531150147.htm
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