# Your Microbiome Ages as You Do—and That’s a Problem  ## Metadata - Author:: [[Jessica Hamzelou]] - Full Title:: Your Microbiome Ages as You Do—and That’s a Problem - Category: #articles - URL: https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/02/1064091/your-microbiome-ages-as-you-do/ ## Highlights > The team looked at how the microbiomes of younger people compared with those of older people, and how they appeared to change with age. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424053)) > They found that the microbiome does seem to change with age, and that, on the whole, the ecosystems in our guts do tend to become more unique—it looks as though we lose aspects of a general “core” microbiome and stray toward a more individual one. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424056)) > But this isn’t necessarily a good thing. In fact, this uniqueness seems to be linked to unhealthy aging and the development of those age-related symptoms listed above, which we’d all rather stave off for as long as possible. And measuring diversity alone doesn’t tell us much about whether the bugs in our guts are helpful or not in this regard. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424064)) > Another team has come up with a good analogy, which is known as the Anna Karenina principle of the microbiome: “All happy microbiomes look alike; each unhappy microbiome is unhappy in its own way.” ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424070)) - Tags: [[favorite]] > There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that, on the whole, a diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, and fiber is good for the gut. A couple of years ago, researchers found that after 12 months on a Mediterranean diet—one rich in olive oil, nuts, legumes, and fish, as well as fruit and veg—older people saw changes in their microbiomes that might benefit their health. These changes have been linked to a lowered risk of developing frailty and cognitive decline. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424080)) # Your Microbiome Ages as You Do—and That’s a Problem  ## Metadata - Author:: [[Jessica Hamzelou]] - Full Title:: Your Microbiome Ages as You Do—and That’s a Problem - Category: #articles - URL: https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/02/1064091/your-microbiome-ages-as-you-do/ ## Highlights > The team looked at how the microbiomes of younger people compared with those of older people, and how they appeared to change with age. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424053)) > They found that the microbiome does seem to change with age, and that, on the whole, the ecosystems in our guts do tend to become more unique—it looks as though we lose aspects of a general “core” microbiome and stray toward a more individual one. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424056)) > But this isn’t necessarily a good thing. In fact, this uniqueness seems to be linked to unhealthy aging and the development of those age-related symptoms listed above, which we’d all rather stave off for as long as possible. And measuring diversity alone doesn’t tell us much about whether the bugs in our guts are helpful or not in this regard. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424064)) > Another team has come up with a good analogy, which is known as the Anna Karenina principle of the microbiome: “All happy microbiomes look alike; each unhappy microbiome is unhappy in its own way.” ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424070)) - Tags: [[favorite]] > There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that, on the whole, a diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, and fiber is good for the gut. A couple of years ago, researchers found that after 12 months on a Mediterranean diet—one rich in olive oil, nuts, legumes, and fish, as well as fruit and veg—older people saw changes in their microbiomes that might benefit their health. These changes have been linked to a lowered risk of developing frailty and cognitive decline. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1557965672/21424080))