Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging
ObjectivesStrategies to improve the gut microbiome through consuming an improved diet, including adopting the Mediterranean Diet (MD), may promote healthy aging. We explored older adults’ and healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives of the MD, gut health, and microbiome for their role in health...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1104238/full |
| _version_ | 1811176939448172544 |
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| author | Lauren O’Mahony Emma O’Shea Eibhlís M. O’Connor Eibhlís M. O’Connor Eibhlís M. O’Connor Audrey Tierney Audrey Tierney Mary Harkin Janas Harrington Sharon Kennelly Elke Arendt Paul W. O’Toole Paul W. O’Toole Suzanne Timmons Suzanne Timmons |
| author_facet | Lauren O’Mahony Emma O’Shea Eibhlís M. O’Connor Eibhlís M. O’Connor Eibhlís M. O’Connor Audrey Tierney Audrey Tierney Mary Harkin Janas Harrington Sharon Kennelly Elke Arendt Paul W. O’Toole Paul W. O’Toole Suzanne Timmons Suzanne Timmons |
| author_sort | Lauren O’Mahony |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectivesStrategies to improve the gut microbiome through consuming an improved diet, including adopting the Mediterranean Diet (MD), may promote healthy aging. We explored older adults’ and healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives of the MD, gut health, and microbiome for their role in healthy aging.DesignPhenomenological qualitative.SettingCommunity-dwelling older adults and HCPs in primary and secondary care in Ireland.ParticipantsOlder adults (aged 55 + years), recruited through social, retirement and disease-support groups. HCPs recruited through researcher networks and professional associations.MeasurementsSemi-structured 1:1 interviews and focus groups (FGs) conducted remotely with older adults and HCPs separately. Interviews/FGs were recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsForty-seven older adults were recruited (50% male; 49% aged 60–69 years; 28% 70 +), and 26 HCPs including dietitians (n = 8); geriatricians (n = 6); clinical therapists (n = 4); nurses, pharmacists, catering managers, and meal-delivery service coordinators (n = 2 each). Older adults considered the MD “a nice way to enjoy food,” good for cardiovascular health and longevity, but with accessibility and acceptability challenges (increased salads/fish, different food environments, socio-cultural differences). HCPs felt the MD is included in healthy eating advice, but not overtly, mostly through the promotion of mixed-fiber intake. Older adults considered “live” yogurt and probiotics, and to a lesser extent fiber, to maintain a “healthy gut,” suggesting the gut has “something to do with” cognitive and digestive health. Overall, microbiota-health effects were considered “not common knowledge” among most older adults, but becoming more topical among both professionals and the public with advancing scientific communication.ConclusionWhile “gut health” was considered important, specific effects of the MD on gut microbiota, and the significance of this for healthy aging, was under-recognized. Future efforts should explain the importance to older adults of maintaining the gut microbiota through diet, while appreciating perspectives of probiotic products and supplements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:01:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-24dbd8d48a144741accec9cf5bd211fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:01:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-24dbd8d48a144741accec9cf5bd211fe2023-01-27T05:19:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2023-01-011010.3389/fnut.2023.11042381104238Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy agingLauren O’Mahony0Emma O’Shea1Eibhlís M. O’Connor2Eibhlís M. O’Connor3Eibhlís M. O’Connor4Audrey Tierney5Audrey Tierney6Mary Harkin7Janas Harrington8Sharon Kennelly9Elke Arendt10Paul W. O’Toole11Paul W. O’Toole12Suzanne Timmons13Suzanne Timmons14Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandCentre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, IrelandHealth Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, IrelandAPC Microbiome Ireland, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandSchool of Allied Health, University of Limerick, Limerick, IrelandHealth Implementation Science and Technology Research Cluster, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, IrelandAge and Opportunity, Dublin, IrelandSchool of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandNational Primary Care Strategy and Planning, Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland0School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandAPC Microbiome Ireland, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland1School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandCentre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandAPC Microbiome Ireland, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandObjectivesStrategies to improve the gut microbiome through consuming an improved diet, including adopting the Mediterranean Diet (MD), may promote healthy aging. We explored older adults’ and healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives of the MD, gut health, and microbiome for their role in healthy aging.DesignPhenomenological qualitative.SettingCommunity-dwelling older adults and HCPs in primary and secondary care in Ireland.ParticipantsOlder adults (aged 55 + years), recruited through social, retirement and disease-support groups. HCPs recruited through researcher networks and professional associations.MeasurementsSemi-structured 1:1 interviews and focus groups (FGs) conducted remotely with older adults and HCPs separately. Interviews/FGs were recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsForty-seven older adults were recruited (50% male; 49% aged 60–69 years; 28% 70 +), and 26 HCPs including dietitians (n = 8); geriatricians (n = 6); clinical therapists (n = 4); nurses, pharmacists, catering managers, and meal-delivery service coordinators (n = 2 each). Older adults considered the MD “a nice way to enjoy food,” good for cardiovascular health and longevity, but with accessibility and acceptability challenges (increased salads/fish, different food environments, socio-cultural differences). HCPs felt the MD is included in healthy eating advice, but not overtly, mostly through the promotion of mixed-fiber intake. Older adults considered “live” yogurt and probiotics, and to a lesser extent fiber, to maintain a “healthy gut,” suggesting the gut has “something to do with” cognitive and digestive health. Overall, microbiota-health effects were considered “not common knowledge” among most older adults, but becoming more topical among both professionals and the public with advancing scientific communication.ConclusionWhile “gut health” was considered important, specific effects of the MD on gut microbiota, and the significance of this for healthy aging, was under-recognized. Future efforts should explain the importance to older adults of maintaining the gut microbiota through diet, while appreciating perspectives of probiotic products and supplements.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1104238/fullgut microbiotaMediterranean diethealthcare professionalsolder adultshealthy agingaging |
| spellingShingle | Lauren O’Mahony Emma O’Shea Eibhlís M. O’Connor Eibhlís M. O’Connor Eibhlís M. O’Connor Audrey Tierney Audrey Tierney Mary Harkin Janas Harrington Sharon Kennelly Elke Arendt Paul W. O’Toole Paul W. O’Toole Suzanne Timmons Suzanne Timmons Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging Frontiers in Nutrition gut microbiota Mediterranean diet healthcare professionals older adults healthy aging aging |
| title | Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging |
| title_full | Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging |
| title_fullStr | Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging |
| title_short | Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging |
| title_sort | older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging |
| topic | gut microbiota Mediterranean diet healthcare professionals older adults healthy aging aging |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1104238/full |
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