Experts studied people who live to 100 - and discovered a simple diet change that could help us all be like them
Experts studied people who live to 100 - and discovered a simple diet change that could help us all be like them
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Bacteria found in human guts that a leading expert has called 'The Four Horseman of longevity' could help you live to 100. Doctor and Harvard University scientist Dr William Li recently appeared on a podcast to discuss how bacteria living in the digestive system could contribute to 'super-agers' — people who live to 100 and beyond.
![[The microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms like bacteria that live naturally in the digestive system and are involved in a range of bodily processes — from helping in digestion, to fighting off infection to stabilising mental health]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/12/39916644-14333039-The_microbiome_is_the_ecosystem_of_microorganisms_like_bacteria_-a-8_1738067262459.jpg)
He also revealed the types of food that cultivate these bacteria in the body — potentially providing anyone who eats them with a longevity boost. Speaking on the Dhru Purohit Show Dr Li highlighted a research in Italy that analysed gut bacteria in volunteers, the oldest of which had reached 114.
![[Dr Li said fruits like pomegranates, dried cranberries and grapes were a good way to cultivate the helpful bacteria Akkermansia]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/28/11/94592789-14333039-image-a-3_1738065011027.jpg)
These bacteria form part of the gut microbiome, an ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the digestive system and are vital for a range of bodily processes — from helping in digestion, to fighting off infection to stabilising mental health. Dr Li said researchers found four type of bacteria were particularly abundant in the guts of centenarians.
'These bacteria — Odoribacter, Oscillobacter, Christensenella and Akkermansia — are so high in these people there must be something going on,' he said. While bacteria aren't proven to be increasing people's lifespans, Dr Li said there were a number of ways they were known to help improve health generally.
