50+ Lifestyles

Aging Well from Within: How Nutrition and Gut Health Support Longevity

By Kaitlyn Milligan
Hy-Vee Registered Dietician
(515) 695-3291     Kaitlyn.Milligan@hy-vee.com

As we journey through life, our nutritional needs evolve. They’re shaped by changes in metabolism, lifestyle adjustments and age-related health conditions. Supporting our health becomes more complex and more important. Gut health is one key piece that often gets overlooked. Let’s explore the gut microbiome, how it changes with age and the role of fiber, prebiotics and probiotics.

What is the Gut Microbiome?

Your gut microbiome is like a bustling community of trillions of tiny organisms living in your digestive tract. While gut health is often associated solely with digestion, this microbial ecosystem plays a much broader role in overall health. It influences everything from immunity and inflammation to mood and brain function. Keeping your gut microbiome balanced and diverse through smart nutrition can really make a difference in how you feel as you age.

How the Gut Changes with Age

As we get older, the diversity and stability of our gut microbiome naturally declines. Factors such as a more limited diet, medications, reduced physical activity, and stress can all throw off that microbial balance. These shifts can lead to common age-related challenges like inflammation, slower digestion, and a weakened immune response.

Nutrition’s Role in a Healthy Gut

A gut-friendly diet doesn’t have to be complicated! One of the most effective ways to maintain a balanced and diverse gut microbiome at any age is by focusing on the food we eat. A gut-friendly diet typically emphasizes:

• Fiber: Found in fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains. Fiber feeds good gut bacteria and helps keep digestion moving smoothly.
• Probiotics: These are the “good” bacteria. You’ll find them in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso and sauerkraut, helping to replenish and maintain microbial balance.
• Prebiotics: Found in foods like garlic, onions, leeks, bananas, and oats, which serve as nourishment for probiotics, supporting their growth.
• Good Hydration: Drinking enough water helps every system in the body function more efficiently, including digestion and nutrient absorption.

The Role of Probiotics in Aging

Probiotics have been shown to improve digestive health by reducing issues such as bloating, gas, and constipation. They also help strengthen the immune system, which naturally becomes less efficient with age. By supporting the gut lining and influencing immune responses, probiotics can help lessen your chances of illness. In addition, they help lower chronic inflammation, a common factor in many age-related conditions. Recent research also suggests that probiotics may influence communication between the gut and brain, potentially boosting memory, mood and mental clarity.

Incorporating probiotic-rich foods into the diet is a simple and effective way to support gut health. Options include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. Activia Proactive Yogurt, for example, combines billions of live and active probiotics with prebiotic fiber that helps nourish these beneficial bacteria. Each serving of Activia Proactive Yogurt also provides protein to help keep you feeling satisfied, with zero added sugar to support a healthy, balanced diet.

Feel Your Best at Every Age with Balanced Nutrition

The aging process is challenging, but proactive nutrition habits can have a powerful influence on health and longevity. Supporting gut health through balanced nutrition is a powerful way to promote wellness from the inside out.

It’s important to personalize dietary choices based on your individual health status, medications and needs. Interested in learning how nutrition impacts aging? Connect with your local Hy-Vee dietitian to schedule a free 30-minute discovery session!

Kiwi Raspberry Breakfast Bowl

All you need:

• 1 cup Activia Proactive Yogurt
• ¾ cup raspberries
• 1 golden or green kiwi, sliced
• 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds

All you do:

1. Pour Activia Proactive Yogurt into the bottom of the bowl.
2. Add the sliced kiwi.
3. Add the raspberries.
4. Sprinkle with the ground flax seeds.

Recipe source: https://www.activia.ca/en/recipes/kiwi-raspberry-bowl/

The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

This content was made possible with the support of our sponsor Activia Proactive Yogurt.

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Kaitlyn Milligan is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee. She can be reached at (515) 695-3291 or at Kaitlyn.Milligan@hy-vee.com