The composition of the gut microbiome, the specific microbial species that are present and their numbers relative to one another, varies from individual to individual and appears to influence health significantly, perhaps to a similar degree as lifestyle choices regarding diet and exercise. Further, the composition of the gut microbiome shifts with age in harmful ways, reducing the number of microbes that produce beneficial metabolites such as butyrate, while increasing the number of microbes that act to provoke an ever g…
Connecting the Aging of the Gut Microbiome to Thymic Involution and Immune System Dysfunction
The composition of the gut microbiome, the specific microbial species that are present and their numbers relative to one another, varies from individual to individual and appears to influence health significantly, perhaps to a similar degree as lifestyle choices regarding diet and exercise. Further, the composition of the gut microbiome shifts with age in harmful ways, reducing the number of microbes that produce beneficial metabolites such as butyrate, while increasing the number of microbes that act to provoke an ever g…