Rachel Woods

THE WRITER IS A SENIOR LECTURER IN PHYSIOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN IN THE UK

While we cannot choose our genes, we can support our gut microbes. Simple steps include eating fermented foods, such as live yogurts, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut, as well as fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, which supply the prebiotics that healthy microbes need.

A supercentenarian’s dietary secrets to longevity

What the gut microbiome of the world’s oldest person can tell us about ageing