This is an interesting article about a study where new microbiomes were transplanted into mice. The results offer a promising angle on the future of longevity research.
Humans have been playing around with fecal transplants for some time now; for a while, people thought it might help people with autism (it still might), and others felt it could be the answer for things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn’s disease. This study took a different angle and looked at whether or not a change in the microbiome could make an older mouse appear more youthful. Turn out it could!
The older mice that received a transplant of a “youthful” microbiome had significant improvements in muscle strength and skin quality. Grip strength increased in these mice by approximately 30–50%, and their muscle fibers grew significantly thicker. Their skin also grew thicker, retained more moisture, and had significant brain growth!
Researchers found that the microbiome seems to be able to alter the expression of genes in the host, so the bacteria in the gut can influence how much our own cells are making of certain proteins. While much more research is needed in humans, it’s worth considering your microbiome when you think about health.
In fact, teams in Europe gather people’s stool samples to keep them ‘on ice’ because it appears that the more homogeneous our diet becomes, the more homogeneous our microbiomes become. I forget the project’s name, but the scientist likens it to collecting seeds or endangered plants….one day, we might need them.
What can you do to improve your microbiome?
Dr. Terry Wahls once challenged me to try and eat 200 different things in a year (tea and spices count), as the average American usually only eats about 15 different types of food a year. Think coffee, wheat, pork, and potatoes, and you have pretty much most of them!
I think I managed about 150…
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