Research
Mixed
Specific gut bacteria extend host lifespan by interacting with host nutrient signaling pathways (IIS and mTOR), and this extension is lost if these pathways are disabled.
Some gut bacteria can extend lifespan by interacting with your body's nutrient-sensing pathways (like IIS and mTOR). However, this benefit is not universal; it requires your specific host pathways to be functional. Maintaining these pathways through balanced nutrition is key to leveraging potential microbiome benefits.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The lifespan extending effects of many of these bacterial mutants disappeared in the host worms containing mutations that disable the IIS/TOR signaling pathways. This suggests that these bacterial mutants in the gut depend on the host IIS/TOR pathways for their lifespan extending effects.
Why this rating
Strong causal evidence in C. elegans using deletion mutants.
Source
The Gut Microbiota and Healthy Aging: A Mini-Review
Sangkyu Kim et al. · Gerontology · 2018
DOI 10.1159/000490615
narrative_reviewCited 438×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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