Minimally invasive treatments

In 2020, Botox (4.4 million), soft tissue fillers (3.4 million) and laser skin resurfacing (997,245) were the top minimally invasive, anti-aging treatments performed in the U.S. Seems everyone wants to roll back the clock — often from the outside.

It’s more effective if you reverse the effects of aging from the inside. What you eat, drink, inhale (or don’t inhale) and pop (from supplements to illegal drugs) can keep you young or age you. But there’s an even more “inside” treatment that reverses aging: fecal transplants. At least in mice.

Research published in Microbiome found that when gut microbes were transferred from aged mice into healthy young mice, the young mice ended up with leaky gut, which poked at their immune system and revved up inflammation in their brain and eyes. In contrast, the older mice perked right up when they had a fecal transplant from a youngster. It reversed their agerelated problems in the gut, brain and eyes.

While that old-to-young switcheroo isn’t here for us humans, starting today, you can make sure you have a microbiome that stays younger than your years.

— Do eat fiber, which protects the integrity of your gut lining. Enjoy seven servings daily of fruits (berries) and vegetables (kale, red cabbage), and two to three servings of whole grains.

— Don’t eat simple and added sugars, simple carbs and red meats (including processed). Within a week, each of those foods amps up inflammatory gut microbes that age you prematurely.

— Do exercise; it increases the number and diversity of beneficial microbes, and encourages a gut-brain dialogue that protects cognition.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow.” Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@ GreatAgeReboot.com.