2023-08-21 13:14:50
New findings suggest that higher levels of inflammatory bacteria are linked to accelerated aging and poorer physical condition.
The human gut is a complex ecosystem, home to billions of microorganisms that play a vital role in maintaining our health.
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Recent findings published in the journal “Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience” have shown that the diversity of microbes in the gut can not only influence our physical fitness, but also how quickly we age.
“Revelations from a team from the Hungarian University of Sports Sciences open up new possibilities to harness the power of probiotics to promote health and longevity”said Professor Zsolt Radak, lead author of the study.
Together with his team in Budapest, Radak examined the relationship between gut microbiome diversity, biological age – our age being determined by our general state of health, not by our years of life – and the physical fitness of 80 amateur rowers.
For the purposes of the study, each participant underwent a series of physical fitness assessments and provided a stool sample to analyze for bacteria in their gut, as well as blood samples to determine their biological age at birth. using epigenetic markers.
Epigenetic markers are like switches in our DNA that can control whether certain genes are turned on or off, and play a crucial role in determining how our cells grow, function, and respond to our environment.
The quality of our cells can be influenced by factors such as our lifestyle, diet, and exposure to environmental factors, which can ultimately impact our health and aging.
Epigenetic markers allow scientists to measure this cellular decline, giving insight into our “epigenetic clocks” or “biological age”.
Unexpected results
“We found that inflammatory bacteria actually accelerate the aging process. If you have more inflammatory bacteria, you have advanced aging”Zsolt Radak told Euronews Next, adding that accelerated aging “means you are older than your chronological age”.
Similarly, by analyzing the specific bacteria present in the gut microbiomes of rowers, the researchers found that higher levels of anti-inflammatory bacteria were correlated with better fitness indicators and a slower rate of aging.
Conversely, the presence of inflammatory bacteria was associated with poorer performance on fitness tests.
The athletes ranged in age from 38 to 84 and had competed in the 2019 World Rowing Masters Regatta, an international rowing competition designed specifically for master rowers.
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A Crucial Link Between the Gut and Aging
“The results suggest a crucial link between gut bacteria, inflammation, fitness and the aging process, challenging the common assumption that more bacteria is synonymous with poor health. ‘better health’explains Professor Zsolt Radak.
However, the study was unable to determine a causal link. It may well be that athletes’ presumably healthier food choices have a positive influence on the abundance of beneficial bacteria in their gut.
However, “These bacteria are not related to chronological aging. I think this is a very interesting observation, because it means that these bacteria are actually involved in DNA methylation aging [vieillissement épigénétique], [et ne sont donc pas] the result of aging [chronologique]”declared Zsolt Radak.
In other words, inflammatory bacteria, when abundant, are linked to accelerated aging.
“I think these results are important because first we need to identify the relationships. Then, of course, if you can confirm that, the next step is to modify [traiter] this kind of abundance [de bactéries inflammatoires] and make changes to the gut microbiome that may help slow aging and lead healthier lives.”did he declare.
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Zsolt Radak’s team is currently conducting a six-month follow-up study in which they have modified the gut microbiome of rowers, using probiotics, to assess whether this intervention has a direct impact on age. biological.
The results should be published in early 2024.
In the meantime, they are also working on another study involving 60 Olympic champions aged 25 to 102, which aims to explore the impact of early high-level physical activity on the aging process.
“Preliminary results have already revealed that elite athletes have a younger epigenetic age than their chronological age”Zsolt Radak told Euronews Next.
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