Abstract :
Human beings have been recently reviewed as “metaorganisms” as a result of a close symbotic relationship with the intestinal microbial ecosystem. The healthy human intestinal microbiota is metabolically active and act as a crucial defence mechanism for our body. Age-related physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, and the host immune system, as well as age -related modifications in nutritional behaviour, inevitably affect the gut functions. Diet is one of the main factors contributing to the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota. In the last decade, there have been several studies evaluating the potential of probiotics and prebiotics to improve the health of elderly by modulating the gut microbiota. Optimization of nutrition is one of the first and easiest and cheapest strategies that can be employed to preserve health during aging. The development of ‘elderly-specific’ functional foods, containing probiotics and/or prebiotics, may help in preventing the age-related disruption of the gut function
