The composition of microorganisms may affect life expectancy
According to a new study published in Scientific Reports, microbes found in the mouth and gut of humans can affect their lifespan [1].
The majority of microbes and bacteria are not the ones that cause disease. We have millions of microbes living in and around us. The majority are harmless and beneficial. This community is referred to by researchers as the microbiota.
Scientists had previously observed an association between longevity and microbiota [2]. The association between two things doesn’t mean that the one thing is the cause of the other. Researchers in this paper explored causal relationships between the composition of gut and mouth bacteria and lifespan in order to determine which compositions of microbiota lead to an increase or decrease in lifespan.
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