Overview of reviews: diet, lifestyle and gut microbiota in healthy aging
This overview of reviews reports that Mediterranean and plant-based diets, calorie restriction and microbiota-targeted approaches were associated with shifts in gut bacteria, and these shifts were linked to aging-related outcomes. It is an abstract; the full text was not reviewed. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The overview describes age-related microbial shifts as contributing to chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, frailty and cognitive decline. [1]
Reviews published January 2023 to October 2025 on adults aged 18 or older were searched in PubMed and Scopus. [1]
The described dietary and microbiota-targeted approaches were associated with more short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria and fewer pro-inflammatory taxa. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Overview of reviews (abstract)
- Population / context
- Human adults aged 18 or older, as covered by the included reviews.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 17, 2026
Reviews on diet, lifestyle and gut microbiota in adults
The authors describe gut microbiota as playing a key role in aging, with age-related microbial shifts contributing to chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, frailty and cognitive decline. They note that an integrated synthesis of how diet and lifestyle changes influence gut microbiota is still limited. This overview of reviews therefore summarizes current evidence on how dietary and lifestyle interventions shape microbial composition and affect aging outcomes.
Supporting source [1]
Search of reviews from 2023 to 2025 in adults
Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors searched PubMed and Scopus for English-language reviews published from January 2023 to October 2025. Included reviews had to cover human adults aged 18 or older, evaluate dietary or lifestyle interventions, and report gut microbiota together with healthy-aging outcomes. Review quality was appraised with the SANRA tool. The abstract does not report how many reviews were included or how the findings were combined.
Supporting source [1]
Associated bacterial shifts and aging outcomes in the reviews
Mediterranean and plant-based diets, calorie restriction and microbiota-targeted approaches such as probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation were associated with increases in short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, including Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Akkermansia muciniphila, while pro-inflammatory taxa were reduced. These changes were linked to improved metabolic and immune function, reduced inflammaging, lower frailty and greater physical resilience. Reported cognitive benefits included decreased neuroinflammation and a lower risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. These are associations, not proof of cause; the abstract gives no effect sizes or numbers.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
This is an abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract does not report the number of included reviews, effect sizes, or how results were synthesized. Findings are associations from reviews of human studies, not evidence that these interventions cause healthier aging.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Todmal TG, Bibi R, Cangelosi G, Panella M, Masini A. · europepmc.org · August 17, 2026