Centenarians and young people gut microbiota. Comparative analysis of gut microbiota in centenarians and young people: impact of eating habits and childhood living environment

The composition of centenarians’ gut microbiota has consistently been used as a model for healthy aging studies. However, there is an incomplete understanding how childhood living conditions and eating habits affecting development and composition of gastrointestinal microbiota in centenarians with good cognitive functions. We compared the gut microbiota with living and eating habits of oldest-old and young people group. The richness and diversity of microbiota, and abundance of hereditary and environmental microbes were higher in longevity than young people. The longevity people ate more potatoes and cereal products. In their childhood they had more exposure to farm animals and did not have sewers compared to young people. Young people’s gut microbiota contained more butyrate producing bacteria and bacteria that are characteristic to an animal-based Western diet. These results expand an understanding of the childhood environment and diet effect on the development and stability of the microbiota in longevity people.