How the Gut Microbiome Influences Aging
The gut microbiome emerges as a modifiable driver of healthy aging, with evidence from model organisms supporting a causal role for gut microbes in lifespan and healthspan. This narrative review synthesizes developmental changes in the human gut microbiome across life stages and explains how diet, lifestyle, hormones, and immune function shape aging biology. Late life regulation occurs through the gut–muscle axis and the gut–brain axis, where microbial metabolites and immune signaling influence sarcopenia risk, neurocognitive function, and systemic inflammation. The review frames dysbiosis as a contributor to immune dysregulation and barrier dysfunction while positioning restoration of eubionts and gut homeostasis as a potential route to longevity.
Signatures of Longevity in the Microbiome
Long-lived individuals tend to display higher microbial diversity, enrichment of beneficial taxa, and preserved gut barrier function. These signatures are linked with lower inflammatory tone and more stable metabolic signaling. The authors describe how these patterns may reflect enhanced resilience of the host–microbe ecosystem, with downstream effects on muscle maintenance, brain health, and overall vitality. The gut microbiome is presented not only as a biomarker of biological aging but also as a therapeutic target that can be steered toward a longevity associated profile.
Modifiable Pathways and Clinical Implications
The review highlights pragmatic levers for clinicians counseling older adults. Higher fiber intake supports fermentation and short chain fatty acid production that benefit barrier integrity and immune balance. Regular exercise interacts with the gut microbiome to promote diversity and anti-inflammatory signaling. Targeted use of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics is discussed as a means to tilt communities toward eubionts and improve gut homeostasis. The authors outline key unanswered questions that will shape future interventional strategies, including optimal strain selection, dosing, and patient phenotyping. Overall, the gut microbiome offers a clinically relevant path from dysbiosis to longevity with feasible lifestyle and adjunctive interventions.
Reference: Tseng C-H, Wu C-Y. From dysbiosis to longevity: a narrative review into the gut microbiome’s impact on aging. J Biomed Sci. 2025;32(1):93.
