1. How does your gut microbiome change as you age?
In general, older individuals tend to have a less diverse gut microbiome compared to younger adults.

2.  Why does it happen?
As we age, our gut microbiome undergoes significant changes, influenced by various factors such as diet, lifestyle, medication, and overall health status.

3.  What is inflammaging exactly, please can you explain to our readers?

Inflammaging is a term used to describe a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state that becomes more prevalent as we age. Normally, inflammation is a crucial process our bodies use to fight off infections by clearing away damaged cell, and healing injuries. However, as we get older, the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses starts to shift due to a variety of factors such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle choices. As inflammation increases in our bodies it leads to various conditions and diseases.

4.  How is Inflammaging linked to the gut microbiome?
As we age, there is often a decrease in beneficial, or good bacteria and an increase in potentially harmful bacteria (known pathogens) in the gut microbiome.
This imbalance impacts on our immune function by promoting inflammation and disrupting the gut barrier that allows these harmful substances to enter the bloodstream and trigger immune responses.

5.      What’s problematic about it?
Chronic inflammation is involved in the disease process of many conditions, including:

• Autoimmune diseases, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
• Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
• Certain cancers.
• Gastrointestinal diseases, like Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease.
• Lung diseases, like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
• Metabolic diseases, like Type 2 diabetes.
• Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Together, inflammatory diseases account for more than half of all deaths globally.

6.      How you can keep your gut healthy as you age?
By establishing healthy eating habits, avoiding processed foods (which contain additives), exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, staying hydrated, managing stress and getting enough sleep.

The most important of these is eating nutrient dense foods rich in fibre (prebiotics) and probiotics to help promote good gut health.

Prebiotics are foods or food ingredients that the body does not digest. Instead, the bacteria ferment them and use them for food. So prebiotics are the food for good bacteria, while probiotics add beneficial bacteria to the gut.

Some healthful prebiotic foods include:

• garlic
• onions
• wheat
• soybeans
• oats
• artichoke
• asparagus
• leeks

Probiotics contain good bacteria. Some examples of probiotics include:

• cultured yogurt
• cultured cottage cheese and other milk products with bacteria cultures
• fermented foods, such as kimchi, tempeh, miso, and sauerkraut

You can also consider supplementing with a good pro + pre-biotic.

We recommend, PLUMP our antioxidant Berry Blend, that contains 2+ Billion CFU Probiotics, 5 Digestive Enzymes, Prebiotics and more to restore your gut, reduce inflammation and fight free radicals that cause disease and aging.

Lastly, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications that may affect gut health. They can provide personalized recommendations to help you maintain a healthy gut as you age.