Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have studied the gut microbiome of healthy Japanese centenarians, finding a unique combination of intestinal bacteria and bacterial viruses that may contribute to their longevity.
Among other things, the new study shows that specific viruses in the intestines can have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora and thus on our health. “We found great biological diversity in both bacteria and bacterial viruses in the centenarians. High microbial diversity is usually associated with a healthy gut microbiome. And we expect people with a healthy gut microbiome to be better protected against aging-related diseases,” says Joachim Johansen.
And if the researchers are able to understand the connection between viruses and bacteria in the Japanese centenarians, they may be able to tell what the optimal balance of viruses and bacteria looks like.More specifically, the new knowledge on intestinal bacteria may help us understand how we should optimize the bacteria found in the human body to protect it against disease.pays a bacterium a visit, it may actually strengthen the bacterium.