Biological changes in the gut microbiome— all the bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and their collective genetic material in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract — may be the key to healthy aging. Current findings suggest potential connections to a poor microbiome in older age and many health conditions including obesity, metabolic disorders, inflammation, and even cancer.
New research has shown that the gut-body connection has a massive role in how we age, and that optimizing gut health can potentially ward off chronic symptoms. These correlations make sense when you learn that 70% of the immune system resides in your gut and 95% of your body’s supply of serotonin, that feel good hormone, is made in the gut.
Turns out that adults over 55 that had more diversity in their microbiome (in other words better gut health) also tended to live healthier and longer lives with less incidence of chronic disease. These adults had lower levels of LDL cholesterol, higher levels of vitamin D, and more beneficial blood metabolites produced by gut microbes.
Some of the metabolites produced were short chain fatty acids like butyrate, AKA postbiotics, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and extend lifespan in murine studies. Other benefits older adults with optimal gut health displayed included: faster mobility, more muscle mass, lower cholesterol, more energy, better skin integrity, less joint pain related to inflammation, and even optimized brain function.
The American diet is in part to blame with food rich in sugar, preservatives and vegetable oils damaging the gut lining and lowering microbial diversity, which in turn accelerates aging. Alternatively, diets high in nutrient dense food like beans, fresh veggies, and nuts coupled with regular exercise slowed down aging significantly. But other than the obvious, what else can adults 55 and over do to improve their gut health?
Supporting the gut with the use of pre and postbiotics is a great start to aid healthy aging. After extensive research, we came across a company called Klora which makes products that help optimize gut health and the microbiome in older adults. The company was started by a doctor and all of their products are third party tested and made in the United States. They had a team of qualified nutritionists and physicians come up with their halo product called GUT-RENEW.
Klora’s Gut-Renew is the only product on the market that has the unique combination of a prebiotic and postbiotic. The capsules are a combination of two powerful ingredients that help promote good bacteria and the cells of the digestive system at the same time.
- Prebiotic: 2’Fl is a powerful human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) prebiotic that is identical to the molecular structure found in breast milk. It helps immune function by feeding the good bacteria and by increasing microbial diversity.
- Postbiotic: Butyrate as the postbiotic provides energy for the cells in the gut. It promotes the formation of healthy digestive cells, modulates immune function, and helps the integrity of the GI barrier (so you can fight off things like leaky gut).
If you are 55 and over, it is paramount that you start taking care of your gut health. An unbalanced microbiota can lead to infections, disease, and even accelerated aging. As we get older our gut microbiome changes and we need to do everything we can to support it so that we can expand our health span!
