Dr Michael Mosley has revealed the secret to living a long, healthy life may be to harbour the right viruses in your stomach. A recent study of centenarians (people who have lived to 100) in Japan and Sardinia, has uncovered remarkable findings which the health expert says you can implement in your own life.
Writing his column in the Daily Mail, Dr Mosley explained the findings of a recent study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University in the United States.
Analysing participants' stool samples, Dr Mosley says: "The scientists used these to analyse the participants' gut microbiomes — the community of trillions of microbes that live in our guts and have profound effects on our health — for clues to their longevity.
"What they found was that, compared to people in their 60s, the centenarians had both a greater range of 'good' bacteria — and more 'good' viruses."
Though it might come as a surprise that there are 'good' viruses in your body, they may be a crucial factor to being able to live longer. This is because some viruses can attack and kill 'bad' bacteria which can cause nasty infections.
Dr Mosley added: "These particular viruses, known as bacteriophages, are very common and are increasingly being used in medical settings as an alternative to antibiotics, particularly when it comes to treating drug-resistant skin and gut infections."
Good gut health also means you are more likely to produce hydrogen sulphide. He continues: "Studies have shown that it plays an important role in preserving the health of our brain, heart, liver and other organs."
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Gut boosting foods
To boost your microbiome with 'anti-ageing' foods, Dr Mosley suggests introducing a largely plant-based, fibre-rich diet, making sure you eat lots of 'different-coloured fruit and veg'. The more colours on your plate, the better.
The doctor says the best way to boost gut levels of Bacteroidetes and other 'good' bacteria is to eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir and kimchi daily.
