An increasing number of scientists from around the globe are devoting their efforts to investigating the factors that contribute to longevity, with the aim of identifying the reasons behind the differences in longevity and health between individuals. A group of researchers in Denmark has identified a potential key to the enigma. The study, conducted on 107 Japanese centenarians, demonstrated a robust correlation between the subjects' longevity and the gut microbiome within their bodies.
The University of Copenhagen, renowned for its excellence in longevity research, is the organiser of the largest longevity conference in the world, the ARDD. In 2023, representatives of the Scientific Senate of the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania attended this event, where they had the opportunity to interact with longevity specialists. The experience proved to be a transformative one, offering insights that expanded the horizons of understanding and promoting longevity in Romania.
While research continues, a preliminary conclusion may be that a healthy microbiome may be the key to a long and healthy life.
The microbiome and longevity
The microbiome is defined as the collective of bacteria, fungi and mites that inhabit the human body, both internally and on the skin. In particular, the gut microbiome can be defined as an ecosystem of living microorganisms or microbes that inhabit a 'pocket' of the large intestine, known as the cecum.
Microorganisms are defined as any living organism that is less than 1000 micrometres in size. This encompasses bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microscopic organisms. Although a vast number of microorganisms inhabit the human body, bacteria are the most extensively studied due to their pivotal role in maintaining health. It has been postulated that there are more bacterial cells in the human body than human cells that we are aware of. This figure is estimated to be approximately 40 trillion bacterial cells, in contrast to the 30 trillion human cells that are known to exist.
The gut microbiome begins to exert an influence on the body from the moment of birth. The first exposure to microbes occurs during the birth process, when the infant passes through the birth canal. The second encounter with microbes occurs during the initial stages of breastfeeding.
During the process of growth and development in life, the gut microbiome undergoes diversification, which is the emergence of numerous different microbial species. This diversity is regarded as beneficial for human health. The composition of the gut microbiome is influenced by the food we consume. As the gut microbiome develops and diversifies, it can affect the human body in a number of ways.
The Danish researchers concluded that the information obtained could be used to increase the life expectancy of other humans by engineering the microbiome to an optimal balance of viruses and bacteria to protect against disease. The rationale for this assertion is that a balanced microbiome protects against inflammation, which is a significant contributing factor to DNA damage and age-related diseases.
