Is this the secret to living to 100? Scientists identify a specific mix of bacteria and viruses that could help us live longer
Man may have finally discovered the secret to longevity, which lurks in our guts.
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen studied 176 healthy Japanese centenarians — a rare population who live to be 100 years old or more — and found that they all had a mix of bacteria and viruses in their gastrointestinal tract.
The research showed that specific viruses in the gut can benefit the microbiome in the gut and thus our health.
While it’s impossible to alter people’s genetic predispositions, the researchers speculate they could alter a person’s gut biome to accommodate the unique mix.
Scientists at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research at the University of Copenhagen studied 176 healthy Japanese centenarians — people who have reached 100 years of age — and used an algorithm to map their gut bacteria and bacterial viruses
Joachim Johansen, author of the study, said: ‘We are always eager to know why some people live extremely long.
‘Previous research has shown that the gut bacteria of ancient Japanese citizens produce brand new molecules that make them resistant to pathogenic – that is, disease-promoting – microorganisms.
“And if their guts are better protected against infection, well, that’s probably one of the things that makes them live longer than others.”
The team developed an algorithm to map the gut bacteria and bacterial viruses of centenarians.
These results were then compared to a group of adults between the ages of 18 and 60.
Mr Johansen said the team found “great biological diversity in both bacteria and bacterial viruses” among the centenarians.
He said: ‘High microbial diversity is usually associated with a healthy gut microbiome. And we expect that people with a healthy gut microbiome are better protected against age-related diseases.’
He added that the information could be used to increase the life expectancy of other people by developing the microbiome to have an optimal balance of viruses and bacteria to protect against disease.
Mr Johansen said: ‘We’ve learned that if a virus visits a bacteria, it can actually amplify the bacteria.
‘The viruses we found in the healthy Japanese centenarians contained extra genes that could stimulate the bacteria.
“We learned that they could stimulate the transformation of specific molecules in the gut, which could serve to stabilize gut flora and fight inflammation.”
For example, the study paper stated that the centenarians showed greater metabolic output of microbial hydrogen sulfide, which “may support mucosal integrity and resistance to pathobionts.”
Mucosal integrity refers to the resilience of the gastrointestinal tract – the pathway of the digestive system leading from the mouth to the anus.
Pathobionts are pathogens that originate in the intestines.