The gut microbiota is an emerging target for improving brain health during ageing
It’s now emerging that our gut microbiota could be crucial for improving brain health during aging! Researchers from Nestlé, Harvard Medical School and ETH Zürich highlight in the newest Gut Microbiome edition the current knowledge on the link between the gut microbiota and the brain during aging. The researchers assess the existing evidence on the effects of diet on the gut microbiota, bringing to light the potential for gut microbiota-based nutritional interventions during aging to support and promote brain health.
Abstract
The gut microbiota plays crucial roles in maintaining the health and homeostasis of its host throughout lifespan, including through its ability to impact brain function and regulate behaviour during ageing. Studies have shown that there are disparate rates of biologic ageing despite equivalencies in chronologic age, including in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, which suggests that environmental factors may play an important role in determining health outcomes in ageing. Recent evidence demonstrates that the gut microbiota may be a potential novel target to ameliorate symptoms of brain ageing and promote healthy cognition. This review highlights the current knowledge around the relationships between the gut microbiota and host brain ageing, including potential contributions to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, we assess key areas for which gut microbiota-based strategies may present as opportunities for intervention.
Keywords: Gut microbiome; brain ageing; microbiota-gut-brain axis; probiotics; cognition; neurodegeneration
Source: Boehme M., Guzzetta K.E., Wasén C., and Cox L.M. 2023. The gut microbiota is an emerging target for improving brain health during ageing. Gut Microbiome, 4, e2, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmb.
