California is a great place to live. And as people are often living longer, longevity can lead to problems — AGING! While no real surprise, certain parts of the body age at different rates.
As one looks at the function of the intestinal tract — from mouth to south — there is a dramatic decline in the 5th decade of life. Taste and smell erode, leading to a narrow, limited diet. Decreasing stomach acid leads to less absorption of protein, vitamin B12, calcium and iron, and slowing of the motility of the intestines progresses to constipation and toxin overload.
All of this can change the diversity and concentration of the gut bacteria — an area that is receiving increasing attention. In fact, research at the University of Dundee states that there is a 1,000 fold decrease in the gut friendly bacteria in older adults.
Imbalance in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) will both limit our absorption of nutrients and decrease our ability to resist invading organisms. As we get older, certain gut bacteria will decrease (like Bacteroides and Bifidobacteria) along with fatty acids that nourish the walls of the intestine. At the same time, other “unfriendly” bacteria increase.
This gut age-shift is important because the change in bacteria as mentioned earlier can be responsible for less nutrient absorption, poor immune function and reduced toxin removal. Additionally, other age-related bacteria, such as clostridia, can lead to increased ammonia and stool that is more akin to garbage. Yuck!
How to Make Your Gut Younger?
This is actually easier than you might think. The cells in the gut wall actually replace themselves every three days. With that kind of turnover, it is possible to improve one’s health.
You probably know that probiotics can replenish the gut bacteria and this is particularly true in the aging population, but that’s not all. Recently a study of seniors found that consumption of a probiotic (Bifidobacterium lactis) increase the ability to fight disease.
Additionally, fermentable fiber, the kind that feeds the good bacteria will increase the diversity of the gut in even higher amounts if one tolerates fermented foods well. Adding these foods for some people along with probiotics will increase chances of being younger next year!
When choosing a probiotic, look for a broad-spectrum option, meaning that there is a large variety of strains. For more information on food and supplement choices, contact me at juliefreeman57@gmail.com.
— Julie Freeman, MA, RD, LD, RYT, is a licensed integrative nutritionist with advanced training in counseling and functional medicine. Her “toolbox” includes certifications in yoga, reiki, mind-body medicine, modeling and finishing for personal development, and she has written two cookbooks, Balanced Eating for a Balanced Life and Sweets n’ Treats. Click here to read previous columns, or contact her at juliefreeman57@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.