Neither eating nor sleeping habits: the secret of longevity it might be in the intestines. A study published in nature magazine examined the possible link between long life and the composition of the microbiota (the community of bacteria that lives in the intestines).
The team of scientists, led by Kenya Honda, from Keio University (Japan), analyzed three groups of individuals from that country: 160 centenarians (over 100 years), 112 elderly aged 85 to 89 years and 47 younger participants, aged 21 to 55 years.
The researchers found that, compared to the elderly and the young, centenarians have a bacteria community intestinal enriched capable of generating unique bile acids.
They also identified that the production of one of these bile acids occurs through a pathway called isoalloLCAwhich has been shown to efficiently combat various intestinal pathogens (harmful organisms).
Less risk of infections
To validate their hypothesis that this pathway gives centenarians a biological advantage, the scientists conducted experiments in mice, where isoalloLCA inhibited the growth of Clostridium difficilea bacterium that causes severe diarrhea, mainly in sick people who are treated with antibiotics.
The authors wrote in their article: “These findings suggest that the metabolism of specific bile acids may be involved in the reduced risk of infection with pathobionts”, which are microbes that multiply when the body is unbalanced, whether due to antibiotic treatment, stress, radiotherapy or diet modification.
Therefore, they suggest that an enriched intestinal microbiota might be responsible for centenarians coping better with the health problems of old age.
However, they point out that more studies are needed to confirm the association between longevity and bile acids.
