Your body goes through a series of changes as you age; particularly gut changes. For one thing, your stomach loses its ability to produce bile and other acidic secretions.
On top of that things like a weak immune system, ongoing medications, lack of exercise, changes in taste bud and appetite, and poor dentition can further take a toll on your digestive health.
In this post, we look at how aging can impact your gut health, gut flora along with ways to offset/mitigate those negative and often uncomfortable changes. Let’s take a look…
What is Your Gut Microbiome?
The large intestine is a major part of the human digestive tract as it houses a pocket of cecum – commonly known as the ‘microbiome’. Think of it like a city made for trillions of microbiota.
This population includes fungi, viruses, parasites, and bacteria – all essential for maintaining immune health, synthesizing nutrients, breaking down food, and also keeping toxic food particles at bay.
In this city lives both bad and good bacteria that have to mutually coexist. When there’s a balance of these good and bad bacteria; you don’t face any digestive issues. However, due to myriad factors, this microbiome can change or become disrupted.
This is more common with advancing age. Age can take a toll on gut health leading to all kinds of chronic illnesses and infections including yeast and c. Albicans. As a result, people go on all kinds of diets such as candida diet, weight loss diet, juicing, etc.
How Does Age Change the Microbiome Shape?
Growing old means lesser bone density and weaker muscles. Movement becomes difficult and the joints also start to ache.
Your teeth are not as strong and may need replacement with dentures. When you combine all these factors – it can affect what you can eat; thus limiting your options.
On top of that, things like chopping, moving, and preparing a healthy meal can become difficult. Things like potatoes, bread, and other easy-to-chew palatable things may seem like an easier option to eat. But, we know that they are not the healthiest options on the shelf.
Needless to say, such poor diet choices and eating habits eventually deplete the diversity of good bacteria in the gut.
How Diet Shapes Your Gut Microbes?
Studies tell us that our gut loves fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, etc. We also know, based on research, that people who consume more fiber-rich foods (Mediterranean diet, for instance) tend to have a greater microbiome diversity. In general, their health is also better.
Likewise, individuals who stick with the Western diet that is big on processed/red meats, greasy dairy products, sweetened beverages, potatoes, and friend stuff tend to have poorer gut health.
Adhering to a healthy diet such as a Mediterranean diet could bring down the risk of frailty dramatically during later years of life.
People who lack enough fiber and nutrition (such as those on a western-style diet) tend to run higher risks of depression, bone damage, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and all kinds of age-related issues that lead to fragility during old age.
How Aging Affects the Digestive System
Poor Diet
As we mentioned, with age, it can get difficult to maintain a healthy diet owing to myriad reasons. For one thing, it’s not easy to go to the grocery store every day. Cooking, preparing, and chopping becomes a lot harder. Regular foods may be more difficult to chew. When it’s easy to chew processed meals; there’s no reason why your gut should not take the brunt of it.
Inactivity
With age, physical activity also declines. It’s a lot harder to get moving. There’s less freedom to move about freely whenever you please. This lack of mobility also leads to the depletion of essential microbiomes. This depletion is intrinsically tied with chronic inflammation and myriad other health issues.
Weak Immunity
With age, the immune system starts to decline naturally. This, in turn, affects gut health negatively. When your immunity is strong, it helps the gut to fight off foreign and potentially dangerous pathogens.
But with age, your immune system’s ability to stay on guard declines. It’s less able to defend against harmful viruses and bacteria. The gut is not as effectively able to flush out toxins as it could before.
Medications
Painkillers and over-the-counter drugs for osteoporosis, blood pressure, heart problems, etc. can damage gut bacteria. That’s how antibiotics work.
They work by killing off the gut microbiome (both good and bad). If you’re on an ongoing medication for some illness, that’s another major reason for poor gut health.
Ways to Keep Your Gut Healthy
Eat a Diverse, well-balanced Diet
Shoot for plenty of vegetables, proteins, fruits, healthy fats like olive oil, and whole grains to feed the good microbiota in your stomach. You could start with a Candida cleanse to give yourself a kick start if you’re struggling with a yeast infection. You could also switch to the Mediterranean diet. It’s big on fiber and one of the best diets for maintaining microbial diversity.
Exercise Regularly
There’s no need to go for draining exercises. A simple 30-minute walk a day is sufficient for older folks to keep their digestive juices moving. Moderate-intensity aerobic and stretching exercises are other great options.
Include Probiotics in your Diet
These are live bacteria enzymes that increase the overall gut bacterial population. Fermented foods like pickled cabbage and carrots and also miso, yogurt, tempeh, kombucha, sauerkraut, are all the choicest probiotic foods. You could even opt for a quality supplement.
Supplements help with nutrients that you don’t usually get from your diet or aid in processes that promote your overall well-being. Glutamine is an amino acid that your body naturally produces, which helps in digestion and the healthy functioning of the immune system.
However, as you grow older, your body may find it difficult to produce enough glutamine, especially when you are stressed or injured. You may take L-Glutamine supplements to help your body produce enough of these amino acids. However, you shouldn’t solely rely on supplements, you still need an active lifestyle and a balanced diet to be healthy.
Cut Back on Sugar and Processed Stuff
Processed meats, junk food, and sugary beverages are all bad; no matter your age. Replace those with healthy fats, proteinous foods, and a plant-based diet.
Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics
If you’re on some medication that’s leading to poor gut health, talk to your doctor. See if you can get a more natural/holistic option that is not as heavy on the stomach as antibiotics.
In Conclusion
Movement, diet, medication, illnesses – all these are important factors that control the gut microbiome right from birth. However, with healthy choices, a balanced routine, and a quality diet, you can take control of your gut health even in old age.
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva
