If Probiotics in their Present Form Were a Truly Effective Intervention, We Would Already Know

There is an increasing focus in the research community on the role of the gut microbiome in aging. This is in large part driven by the ability to accurately, cost-effectively measure the composition of the gut microbiome from a stool sample, using 16S rRNA sequencing. The 16S rRNA gene is differs between bacterial species, without being subject to a high rate of mutation and change. Using low-cost modern techniques, researchers can thus read out the relative numbers of different species in the gut microbiome, a service now available to the public at large as well. This allows researchers to see exactly how the balance of populations changes with age and disease states. The gut microbiome does change with age, and it changes in ways that promote harmful, inflammatory microbial populations at the expense of helpful microbial populations responsible for generating beneficial metabolites such as butyrate. Researchers have shown that transplanting a microbiome derived from stool samples from young animals into old animals can reset the aged microbiome to a more youthful balance of microbial populations. The result is improved health and extended life. Unfortunately, when it comes to the application of this discovery to human medicine, all too often the focus stops at the application of probiotics to the problem of the aged metabolism. Yes, we know that probiotics are beneficial. Yes, they are cheap and readily available. If present probiotic formulations were a truly...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs