In a recent presentation, nutrition graduate Guadalupe Benavides made a key statement: the gut works like a biological pharmacy capable of determining whether aging will be frail or full of vitality.
The expert spoke at the webinar "Microbiome, Nutrition and Longevity: Science Applied to Well-Being." According to her, what we eat reaches the large intestine, where billions of bacteria transform food remnants into key metabolites.
Among the "good" ones are short-chain fatty acids with anti-inflammatory action. Among the "bad" ones are trimethylamine N-oxide, linked to cardiovascular risks, and hydrogen sulfide, which can irritate the mucosa.
Humans and their microbes form a holobiont — a single entity in which bacteria supply more than nine thousand active enzymes that the body does not produce on its own.
Benavides cited research from Stanford University: three critical ages when the composition of proteins in the blood changes sharply — 34, 60 and 78 years. These points make it possible to understand how external factors influence the course of aging.
The microbiota communicates with the entire body through neural, hormonal and immune pathways. Ninety percent of serotonin is produced precisely in the gut, and bacteria regulate GABA and dopamine, directly influencing anxiety and mood.
A 2026 study identified a specific microorganism, Roseburia inulinivorans, whose presence correlates with greater muscle mass and strength. This opens prospects in the fight against sarcopenia in the elderly.
The case of 117-year-old Maria aroused particular interest: her microbiome resembled a young one rather than the typical microbiome of the very old. High alpha diversity and the bacterium Akkermansia, capable of renewing the gut's protective mucus, stood out especially clearly.
With age, the risk of inflammaging grows — chronic low-grade inflammation that begins with dysbiosis and makes the intestinal wall permeable. Harmful bacteria enter the blood, constantly activating the immune system and exhausting it.
Benavides emphasized: diet is a real therapeutic tool. 25–30 grams of fiber daily, polyphenols from vegetables, a Mediterranean eating pattern and avoidance of ultra-processed foods are recommended.
Replacing just three percent of calories from animal protein with plant protein (for example, 60 grams of meat with a cup of lentils) is associated with a significant reduction in overall mortality. Omega-3 from algae at a dose of one gram per day for three years can biologically "rejuvenate" a person by about three months.
A personalized approach to probiotics and vitamin and mineral supplements completes the picture: there is no universal "miracle strain," but there are targeted strategies that support the diversity of the internal ecosystem.
