Effect of Prebiotics on Gut Microbiome, Muscle Function and Cognition in Elderly Twin Cohort
According to a study appearing in the journal Nature Communications, in a placebo controlled double blinded randomized controlled trial, 36 twin pairs (over age 60, average age 73) were randomized to receive either placebo or prebiotic (7.5g/day of inulin or FOS) daily for 12 weeks. The researchers observed some differences in cognitive performance ( a significantly lower number of errors in the prebiotic group compared to the placebo) and changes in microbiome composition (e.g., increased relative Bifidobacterium abundance, higher relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in the prebiotic group, including higher abundance from phylum level of Actinobacteria down to the genus level, smaller increases in the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and a decrease in the species Phocea massiliensis). In this study, the researchers noted no difference in muscle function measurements.