Good Bacteria In The Intestines Can Make Elderly Longevity

Key to longevity is certainly healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating, regular exercise and living in a clean and healthy environment. This is true not only for young and middle-aged but also the elderly.

But apparently a new study finds that the key to long life for the elderly lies in the trillions of 'good bacteria' that live in the intestines of people aged 60 years and over them. The diversity of these bacteria can only be obtained from the variation in food intake, especially of fruits and vegetables.

With the diversity of bacteria present then this may help prevent a large number of diseases and health problems with age such as memory loss.

"This study also provides the motivation for many people to not feed grandparents with calorie foods and vitamin alone, even better if you vary their diet because you are also feeding the good bacteria in the gut," said the researcher.

This conclusion was obtained after the researchers asked 178 men and women aged 64-72 years about their diet, and then analyzing the bacteria in the gut and puts participants in a health test. Participants are divided into two categories, participants who lived in the house and the participants who stayed in the hospital.

The result, older people living in the hospital for more than six weeks had a variety of intestinal bacteria is much less than the elderly living at home. Health condition was worse and did not vary his diet.

Elderly who live in the hospital also eat fruits and vegetables, but in smaller portions, even the majority of its diet dominated by fatty foods, sugar and meat. Amount of whole grain bread and cereal intake was smaller than the participants who stay at home alone.

According to researchers from University College Cork, the menu is given to the elderly is already varied, but the condition of the elderly who make food choices become less attractive. Usually this is caused by dental problems, digestive system or declining interest in the elderly for various things around so that they tend to choose lighter foods such as tea and toast.

Researcher Paul O'Toole said there are several ways in which bacteria in the intestines to help the elderly keep fit. Some bacteria help release energy from fruit and vegetables and maintain intestinal health. Other bacteria to strengthen muscles and keep elderly brains still can work quickly, including the elderly is to prevent falling or slipping.

"It needs more efforts to ensure the elderly are eating a varied diet. Even if seniors can not eat the food offered, food industry should be looking for ways to make alternatives attractive to seniors," he said as reported by Medindia