Nutrients, Vol. 17, Pages 1933: Effects of a Balanced Diet and Probiotics on Blood Biomarkers and Gut Microbiota in the Elderly: A Community-Based Intervention Study
Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu17111933
Authors:
Junghyun Park
You-Suk Lee
Do-Kyung Lee
Juyong Hong
Seon-Joo Park
Byung Wook Lee
Sang Min Park
Hae-Jeung Lee
Background/Objectives: Aging is characterized by dysregulation of the immune system. A balanced diet and probiotic intake can play significant roles in preventing aging-related chronic degenerative diseases and promoting immune function in the elderly. This community-based intervention study investigated the effects of an eight-week intervention involving a balanced diet with or without probiotics on nutritional parameters and gut microbiota composition in Korean elderly individuals. Methods: A total of 48 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups: 24 received a balanced diet alone, and 24 received a balanced diet combined with probiotics. Results: The balanced diet showed beneficial impacts on nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers, including fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), immunoglobulin E (IgE), and gut microbiota, such as the Bacteroidaceae family and the genera Prevotella and Faecalibacterium. Additionally, providing probiotics alongside a balanced diet influenced the taxonomic profile and abundance of intestinal microbiota. Conclusions: Overall, the combination of a balanced diet and probiotics has beneficial effects on nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers as well as gut microbiota composition in elderly individuals. Future meticulously designed randomized controlled trials are required to further understand the health benefits and underlying mechanisms of balanced diets and probiotics in the Korean elderly.
Background/Objectives: Aging is characterized by dysregulation of the immune system. A balanced diet and probiotic intake can play significant roles in preventing aging-related chronic degenerative diseases and promoting immune function in the elderly. This community-based intervention study investigated the effects of an eight-week intervention involving a balanced diet with or without probiotics on nutritional parameters and gut microbiota composition in Korean elderly individuals. Methods: A total of 48 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups: 24 received a balanced diet alone, and 24 received a balanced diet combined with probiotics. Results: The balanced diet showed beneficial impacts on nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers, including fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), immunoglobulin E (IgE), and gut microbiota, such as the Bacteroidaceae family and the genera Prevotella and Faecalibacterium. Additionally, providing probiotics alongside a balanced diet influenced the taxonomic profile and abundance of intestinal microbiota. Conclusions: Overall, the combination of a balanced diet and probiotics has beneficial effects on nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers as well as gut microbiota composition in elderly individuals. Future meticulously designed randomized controlled trials are required to further understand the health benefits and underlying mechanisms of balanced diets and probiotics in the Korean elderly. Read More