The secret to longevity might not just be in your genes, it maybe in your gut.

Genetics only account for ~20 - 25% of longevity. The rest is influenced by lifestyle, environment, and your microbiome.

Researchers studying centenarians around the world have found that even despite having different diets and lifestyles, many of them share one thing in common, a remarkably similar gut microbiome.

These long-living individuals often have high levels of beneficial bacteria that:

• Reduce inflammation

• Support immune function

• Maintain gut lining integrity

• Help regulate metabolism and even brain health

Your gut microbiome isn’t just about digestion, it’s a key player in how you age. An imbalanced microbiome has been linked to everything from insulin resistance to cognitive decline.

The four probiotic bacteria I currently cycle (I do not take them all the time):

• Lactobacillus Plantarum - can help cholesterol balance + gut barrier
  Can help break down bile acids, lowering LDL cholesterol and easing inflammation in the gut.

• Lactobacillus Gasseri - can help regulate weight and abdominal fat
  Shown in studies to reduce visceral fat and support lipid metabolism and healthy cholesterol ratios.

• Bifidobacterium Longum - can improve digestion + reduce inflammation
  Ferments fibers into short-chain fatty acids that lower gut and systemic inflammation, supporting heart and brain health.

• Akkermansia muciniphila - can strengthen gut lining + supports metabolic health
  Improves insulin sensitivity, and helps regulate cholesterol and inflammation.

• Lactobacillus Reuteri - can help boost immunity

1. Akkermansia muciniphila

• Supplement: Yes.

• Strengthens the gut lining, reduces inflammation, improves metabolic health

• Often declines with age in most people, but remains high in centenarians

2. Christensenellaceae

• Supplement: Not commercially available as a probiotic yet

• Associated with lean body mass, reduced inflammation, and longer lifespan

• Considered one of the most longevity-associated microbial families

3. Bifidobacterium longum

• Supplement: I use this Bifidobacterium longum

• Produces short-chain fatty acids (like acetate), supports immunity and brain health

• More abundant in healthy older adults and centenarians

4. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

• Supplement: Not available directly as a probiotic due to oxygen sensitivity

• A powerful anti-inflammatory bacterium, produces butyrate

• Often depleted in metabolic and inflammatory diseases

5. Lactobacillus species

• Supplement: I use these

  • Lactobacillus plantarum - well know for lowering total and LDL cholesterol

  • Lactobacillus reuteri - known for boosting oxytocin and promoting social bonding

  • Lactobacillus gasseri - known for improving metabolic health and reducing visceral fat

6. Odoribacter and Alistipes

• Supplement: Not commercially available

• Emerging as key bacteria in aged but healthy individuals; involved in anti-inflammatory pathways