Scientist - News - 06-11-2009:

Gut microbiota: an important factor for the elderly
Beintema, Nienke

A recent scientific review suggests that ageing itself does not necessarily have a negative impact on the composition of the gut flora – rather, it is the associated lifestyle changes that have this effect. Several prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics have been identified to be beneficial to the elderly.

As our Western population ages, scientists are looking for ways to increase the health and well-being of the elderly. In the past years, there has been much focus on the role of intestinal health and gut microbiota. Researchers from the Finnish research branch of Danisco collected the data relevant to the process of ageing, and recently published their findings in the journal Ageing Research Reviews (online on 27 October).
The review concludes that ageing itself may have relatively little effect on overall gastrointestinal function. However, the authors underline that the associated changes in nutrition, increased incidence of disease and corresponding use of medication with advancing age are indeed the factors that modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota.

Beneficial strains
The review also focused on the potential benefits of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics for the elderly. Firstly, it identifies probiotic strains that improve bowel function, a common problem in the elderly. These beneficial strains include L. rhamnosus Lc705, P. freudenreichii shermanii JS, L. casei Shirota, B. longum 46 and 2C, and B. lactis Bb-12, LKM512 and DN-173 010. Synbiotic preparations, containing L. acidophilus NCFM and lactitol, have also been observed to improve bowel function in the elderly.
The paper then focuses on the ability of probiotics to modulate immune function in the elderly. It concludes that the most thoroughly investigated strains in this respect are L. rhamnosus HN001 and B. lactis HN019, which have been shown to increase natural killer cell and phagocytic activity in healthy elderly subjects. Positive immune effects have also been shown for B. lactis Bb-12, Bifidobacterium longum 46 and 2C and Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001. In a synbiotic study, a combination of L. acidophilus NCFM and lactitol showed an enhancement of intestinal immune status.

In their conclusion, the authors note that a healthy gastrointestinal function is a major factor determining health and well-being in the elderly. They stress that probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics can play a significant role in this regard – but that additional research is needed, focused specifically on the elderly, to determine risks and opportunities.

More information:
Article in Ageing Research Reviews