A gut microbiome test can identify many of the microorganisms living in your gut. But which bacteria are present is only one part of the information.
Researchers are studying several features that may help us understand the microbiome in relation to health and ageing.
Which bacteria are present?
Microbiome analysis can describe different bacterial groups and how much of each is present.
This provides a picture of microbiome composition.
The difficulty is that healthy people can have very different microbial communities. A particular bacterium may also have different significance depending on the rest of the microbiome and the person’s health.
What about microbiome diversity?
Diversity describes the variety of microorganisms within the gut microbiome.
It is frequently studied as a marker of gut health. Reduced diversity has been reported in several diseases.
But diversity needs context. A higher number alone cannot tell us whether a person has a healthy gut microbiome.
What are the bacteria actually doing?
Microorganisms produce many substances as they process food and interact with the body.
Researchers can therefore study microbiome function as well as composition.
Two people may have different bacteria but still share important microbial functions. This is one reason why identifying bacteria alone gives an incomplete picture.
Why does this matter for healthy ageing?
The gut microbiome changes with age. Diet, medications, lifestyle, environment and health can influence these changes.
For this reason, a microbiome result is most informative when it is considered alongside age, gut health, diet, lifestyle and overall health.
For healthy ageing, the aim is to understand how the microbiome is functioning within the individual over time.
