A Healthy Gut May Be the Secret To a Longer, Healthier Life

The secret to a longer life may lie in your gut, say Scientists at Canada's McGill University.

Experiments on fruit flies showed increased lifespan after the addition of probiotics and the herbal supplement Triphala, leading to the theory that our microbiome -- the ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganisms living in each of our digestive tracts -- may affect our own lifespans.

The flies that were fed this combination of supplements reportedly lived 60 percent longer, or an average of 66 days -- about 26 more days than those that weren’t fed them.

While the authors warn that humans shouldn’t expect such dramatic results, Prakash says the results “definitely suggest that a diet specifically incorporating Triphala along with these probiotics will promote a long and healthy life,”

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.