The secret to longevity lies in the gut?

Experiments on fruit flies have shown that using a combination of probiotics and herbs can extend lifespan. In tests, a diet enriched with a new preparation extended the life of flies by up to 60 percent.!

"You are what you eat" – mówi old adage. However, science is increasingly proving that more important than the food itself are the bacteria living in our intestines. It turns out that they may have an effect on the rate of aging. The research, published in „Scientific Reports” point to the impact that gut bacteria can have on the health of an.

In the study, researchers in Canada fed fruit flies a preparation made from a combination of probioticsów and Triphali. In simple terms, it can be said that probiotics are orally administered live cultures of bacteria that have a positive effect on our health through their action in the gut. Triphala, on the other hand, is a blend of three fruitów: amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki, used in traditional Indian medicine.

A diet enriched with the new formulation extended the life span of flies by up to 60 percent.! In a group fed normally, the death of insectsów followed after a maximum of 26 days. Shells, whichóre received the specifics, they were functional for up to 66 days. Moreover, there were róalso healthier, and the natural aging processes have been inhibited in them.

The research was decided upon because of the growing body of evidenceów on the serious impact of gut bacteria on health. – Probiotics radically change the architecture of the intestinal microflora, not only in terms of composition, but also in terms of food metabolismów – mówi Satya Parkash, a professor of biomedical engineering at McGill University, która supervised the research. – Our formulation affects many biochemical processes simultaneouslyóin the body,” he adds.

Parkash argues that fruit fliesówoks are a great research object. The biochemical processes taking place in them are 70 percent of the. coincident with those in mammalsów. Therefore, it seems highly likely to scientists that the new preparation will have a positive effect on humans.

– The effects of the drug on humans will probably not be as beneficial as in the case of flies. But our research clearly indicates that the inclusion of Triphala and a probiotic in the dietów can result in reduced susceptibility to disease and prolonged life – mówi Parkash.

Scientists believe that their discovery can be explained by the existence of a "gut-m axisózg", which is a bidirectional communication pathway between gut microflora and mózg. Over the past few years, studies have shown a link between this communication and neuropathological changes, irritable bowel syndrome, neurodegeneration and other diseases. So far, however, no specific has been created thatóry would affect the intestinal microflora to such a wide extent.

– At the beginning of the study, it was hoped that combining Triphala with probiotics would yield slightly better results than using either of these specifics aloneóIn separately. But we didn’t realize that our preparation would be so effective – mówi wspóhe author of the study Susan Westfall, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.

The preparation has already received a provisional patent in the US. The researchers estimate that it can helpóc in cancer treatmentów, diabetes, obesity, chronic inflammation, depression, or irritable bowel syndrome.