As microbiologist Ed Yong recounts in his book I Contain Multitudes (Debate), the popular imagination still tends to associate the word “microbe” with disease or infection, but in reality only a tiny fraction of the billions of microscopic creatures that colonize us – our microbiome or microbiota – are potentially pathogenic . A new study carried out by scientists at McGill University, in Montreal (Canada), reaffirms the importance for our well-being of this inner zoo, based above all in the digestive system.
The results of the research, published in the journal Scientific Reports , are overwhelming: fruit flies ( Drosophila melanogaster ) that were fed by MacGill experts with a cocktail of probiotics –healthy bacteria– and a herbaceous supplement of Indian origin called triphala lived up to 60% longer than their congeners and were better protected against chronic diseases.
Specifically, the life expectancy of the insects on a diet of microorganisms and plants was 66 days, while the rest of the flies that participated in the experiment died, on average, at 40 days of age. In addition, the former showed fewer characteristic signs of aging , such as insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress.
“Probiotics drastically change the architecture of the intestinal microbiota, not only in its composition, but also in the way the food we eat is metabolized. That explains why a simple recipe like the one in our study affects so many different biological markers, ”says Satya Prakash, Professor of Biochemical Engineering at McGill University. According to Prakash, 70% of the biochemical mechanisms present in Drosophila melanogaster coincide with those of humans , which is why its very positive reaction to the triphala and probiotics diet is very encouraging.
The “gut-brain” axis
The research authors also argue that their work supports findings in recent years linking the bacterial flora of the gut to mental health . Although the influence of an altered microbiota in conditions of nervous origin such as irritable bowel syndrome, neurodegenerative disorders or depression was already suspected, until now the efficacy of a treatment like that of the experiment by Prakash and his colleagues has almost never been demonstrated .
In fact, the idea of using triphala , made from the fruits of Indian gooseberry ( Emblica officinalis ), bibhitaki ( Terminalia belerica ) and haritaki ( Terminalia chebula ), arose because this typical preparation of Ayurveda or traditional Indian medicine seemed effective against neurodegenerative diseases .
“We were confident that the combination of triphala and probiotics would have more positive effects than administering them separately, but we certainly did not expect this result,” said Susan Westfall, a former doctoral student at McGill University and lead author of the work. Scientists hope that their commercial patent pending formula can be applied to treat a wide range of human diseases , including diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative disorders, chronic inflammation, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and some types Of cancer.
Más información: Susan Westfall, Nikita Lomis, Satya Prakash.”Longevity extension in Drosophila through gut-brain communication”. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1) DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-25382-z
