I think there's been very little evolutionary pressure to increase lifespan in creatures like fruit flies since despite their short lifespan few of them die from age related causes.
I would assume it's pretty easy to increase the lifetime of short-lived creatures in a protected environment, and pretty unlikely that the methods which accomplish this would also extend the lives of long-lived creatures.
Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
11–20 of 47 posts
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#12I think there's been very little evolutionary pressure to increase lifespan in creatures like fruit flies since despite their short lifespan few of them die from age related causes. I would assume it's pretty easy to increase the lifetime of short-lived creatures in a protected environment, and pretty unlikely that the methods which accomplish this would also extend the lives of long-lived creatures.
[deleted]
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#13I think there's been very little evolutionary pressure to increase lifespan in creatures like fruit flies since despite their short lifespan few of them die from age related causes. I would assume it's pretty easy to increase the lifetime of short-lived creatures in a protected environment, and pretty unlikely that the methods which accomplish this would also extend the lives of long-lived creatures.
What do fruit flies usually die from?
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#14In a few years we might look back at this period and think: oh, it was at the time when we thought gut bacteria was the solution to every health problem known to mankind. Remember when it was vitamin D?
The gut bacteria findings go against the previously held view that antibiotics were the solution to every health problem known to mankind.
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#15Wait, it's an internet law that every article that asks if " may be the solution to " it is never the solution.
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#16I'm a believer in the importance of the microbiome, but this study seems fishy: * the authors have already started a company and pursued a patent on their ayurvedic-derived formulation * the figure 1(a) in their paper ( https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-25382-z#Fig1 ) doesn't show a big difference from plain probiotics to their formulation, but does show some oddities in the Y-axis where, for the control gro…
I'm glad someone else shares my skepticism. Looks like they may be guilty of P-hacking in those graphs.
I think this paper has value, in that it basically replicates the SCFA diet results others have seen. But the qPCR graphs are kinda hopeless.
>the authors have already started a company and pursued a patent on their ayurvedic-derived formulation
The fruit fly microbiome is exactly 2 organisms. The human microbiome is somewhat more complex - several hundred genera at least. It's pretty hard to draw a connection between the microbiomes of these two animals.
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#17In a few years we might look back at this period and think: oh, it was at the time when we thought gut bacteria was the solution to every health problem known to mankind. Remember when it was vitamin D?
The gut bacteria findings go against the previously held view that antibiotics were the solution to every health problem known to mankind.
It turns out antibiotics are actually pretty awful - they wreak havoc on your microbiome, they modulate your immune system in weird ways, they cause some weird allergies.
But they are still way better than the diseases they cure, and definitely better than death!
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
The gut bacteria findings go against the previously held view that antibiotics were the solution to every health problem known to mankind.
It turns out antibiotics are actually pretty awful - they wreak havoc on your microbiome, they modulate your immune system in weird ways, they cause some weird allergies. But they are still way better than the diseases they cure, and definitely better than death!
Except that they get prescribed a lot, almost as an insurance.
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#19Wait, it's an internet law that every article that asks if " may be the solution to " it is never the solution.
Clickbait's Law
Re: Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut
#20In a few years we might look back at this period and think: oh, it was at the time when we thought gut bacteria was the solution to every health problem known to mankind. Remember when it was vitamin D?
We should already know better that there most likely is no "secret". That is, it's probably more than one special variable we have to look at. Somehow many scientists are having a hard time to let go of one dimensional thinking.