Research
Mixed
Interventions targeting the gut microbiome in older adults, such as prebiotic (pectin) or probiotic supplementation, do not significantly alter alpha or beta diversity metrics compared to placebo.
If you are older, taking prebiotics (like pectin) or probiotics may not drastically change your gut's overall diversity or short-chain fatty acid levels compared to not taking them. While not harmful, do not expect these supplements to be a 'magic bullet' for microbiome health. Focus on long-term dietary habits.
ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
There were no differences in alpha diversity following probiotic or prebiotic supplementation in older adults. ... No significant differences in BCFA and SCFA between YO and ADT at baseline. No significant differences in BCFA and SCFA... in YO or ADT, before vs. after pectin supplementation
Why this rating
Based on a small number of intervention studies (4 total) included in the review.
Source
The Gut Microbiome, Aging, and Longevity: A Systematic Review
Varsha D. Badal et al. · Nutrients · 2020
DOI 10.3390/nu12123759
systematic_reviewCited 509×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Mixed
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