Research
Energy balance
Aging is associated with a decrease in gut microbiota diversity and a shift in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which correlates with increased inflammation and reduced production of beneficial metabolites like butyrate.
As you age, your gut microbiota naturally becomes less diverse and produces less butyrate, which is linked to inflammation. Focus on high-fiber diets to support the remaining beneficial bacteria (like Clostridium clusters) that produce butyrate and help manage inflammation.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
the process of ageing coincides with decreasing microbiota diversity... there was a significant decrease in the Firmicutes subgroup Clostridium cluster XIV and an increase in Bacilli in the centenarian group... increased level of circulating inflammatory cytokines. These were inversely associated with bacteria belonging to Clostridium cluster XIV and Clostridium cluster IV that include the main butyrate-producers in the gut.
Why this rating
Based on multiple studies comparing young, elderly, and centenarian cohorts.
Source
The function of our microbiota: who is out there and what do they do?
Noora Ottman et al. · Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology · 2012
DOI 10.3389/fcimb.2012.00104
narrative_reviewCited 466×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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