A recent study indicates that long-term supplementation with specific probiotic strains may improve gut health and reduce inflammation in elderly women with low bone mineral density, potentially having a positive impact on bone metabolism.
Over the course of one year, daily supplementation with Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 was found to increase gene diversity within the gut microbiota of elderly women and reduce inflammation. The probiotic was also associated with a decrease in E. coli bacteria and its biofilm formation in individuals who responded well to the treatment.
The study suggests that supplementation with L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 may promote bone formation by modulating the composition and function of the gut microbiota, which could be crucial in the development of new osteoporosis treatments.
Furthermore, this research adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of the gut microbiota in bone health, as highlighted in a 2019 review. The review stated that the gut microbiome plays a vital role in regulating bone health, impacting postnatal skeletal development and skeletal involution. Changes in microbiota composition and how the body responds to it can contribute to pathological bone loss, but these changes can potentially be reversed or prevented through nutritional supplements containing prebiotics and probiotics.
In this study, scientists in Sweden analyzed data from a group of elderly women who were either given probiotics or placebos for one year. The results revealed significant differences in preventing bone loss between those who responded well to the probiotics and those who did not. Women who responded positively showed higher bone mineral density and reduced inflammation in their blood.
Additionally, those who responded well to the treatment had higher levels of beneficial short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria in their guts. Conversely, those who responded poorly experienced detrimental changes in their gut bacteria composition.
Overall, the findings of this study suggest that supplementation with L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 has the potential to prevent deterioration of the gut microbiota and reduce inflammation in elderly women with low bone mineral density, which could have beneficial effects on bone metabolism.
