Ecosystem in your gut can tell a lot about how well you will age

A new study finds that people whose bacteria, viruses and other microbes transformed most as they aged tended to be healthier and live longer, writes Sharon Ní Chonchúir 

Picture: iStock 

What’s your gut feeling? Scientists have recently begun to understand that what happens in our gut affects our overall health. A new study even goes so far as to suggest that what happens there can predict how well we will age.

Our intestines are ecosystems of their own, consisting of trillions of bacteria, viruses and other microbes. Together, these are known as a microbiome and it’s our microbiome that helps us break food down into its component nutrients. It also controls how our body absorbs and uses those nutrients in body functions ranging from energy production to hormone balance, and potentially influencing mood and behaviour.