One of the Stanford study’s authors, microbiome scientist Xiaotao Shen, says the team’s work also builds on previous findings, “collectively demonstrating that aging is nonlinear.”
But these findings don’t have to make you dread hitting your 40s and 60s. Understanding how and when we age can help individuals and healthcare professionals take specific steps to prevent—or at least prepare for—some of the most undesirable outcomes of aging.
How changes at the molecular level affect you
For nearly two years, the Stanford scientists behind the research measured molecular activity by analyzing the microorganisms contained in blood, skin, nose, mouth, and gut samples that were taken every three to six months from 108 study participants of various ethnic backgrounds, whose ages ranged from 25 to 75.
The scientists used the samples to examine more than 135,000 different molecules and microbes including metabolites, lipids, proteins, and precursors to proteins (RNA molecules) that are known to be associated with immune health, cardiovascular function, metabolism, kidney function, and muscle and skin structure.
(It’s not your life span you need to worry about. It’s your health span.)
