The Intestinal Microbiota: A Health Component That Evolves with Age

The article reviews recent research on the intestinal microbiota, a vast microbial community that coexists with its human host. It describes the development of culture-independent molecular tools, such as 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic analysis, which revealed the microbiota’s high diversity and functional potential. The paper details how the microbiota contributes to host physiology through nutrient breakdown, vitamin synthesis, and colonization resistance. It highlights the dominant bacterial phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and reports that microbial composition shifts during aging. Finally, it discusses correlations between microbiota changes and health markers, suggesting dietary modulation of the microbiota as a strategy to maintain elderly health.