4 Things to Know About the Microbiome

Anahad O’Connor�� Reporting on nutrition and health

2. The microbiome may predict how well you age.

As people get older, their microbiomes appear to change. One study found that in healthy people, the kinds of microbes that dominate the gut in early adulthood make up a smaller proportion of the microbiome over time, while the percentage of other, less prevalent species rises.

In people who are less healthy, the opposite occurs: The composition of their microbiomes remains relatively static and they tend to die earlier.

Anahad O’Connor�� Reporting on nutrition and health

3. Changing your diet can change your microbiome.

A large international study found that a diet rich in nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods supported the growth of beneficial microbes that promoted good health.

Eating a diet full of highly processed foods with added sugars, salt and other additives had the opposite effect, promoting gut microbes that were linked to worse cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Christina Caron�� Reporting on nutrition and health

4. There’s reason to be skeptical about products that claim to support the microbiome.

“Microbiome” has become a buzzword that vaguely signifies “good bacteria.” Some advertisers have promoted their products as being “gentle” on the body’s microbes.

But without studies showing that these products are truly beneficial to the helpful microbes, experts have said that consumers should be wary.