Women’s Health, Gut Microbiome, and Aging in the Netherlands: Advancing Longevity and Healthy Aging

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    Women's Health in the Gut Microbiome & Aging: Pathways to Longevity & Healthy Aging

    Women’s Health, Gut Microbiome, and Aging in the Netherlands: Advancing Longevity and Healthy Aging

    Introduction to Gut Health and Aging

    The intersection of women’s health and the gut microbiome is reshaping how researchers and clinicians approach aging and long-term wellbeing. In the Netherlands, growing investment in population studies and clinical trials is revealing how gut composition influences hormonal changes, immune resilience, and metabolic health—key drivers of longevity and healthy aging for Dutch women across life stages.

    Why the Dutch Context Matters

    The Netherlands offers a unique setting for translating microbiome research into public health gains: high-quality registries, diverse dietary patterns, and integrated healthcare systems accelerate discovery and implementation. Focusing on the Dutch population highlights actionable links between lifestyle, diet, gut health, and sex-specific aging trajectories, making the Netherlands a leader in strategies to promote gut health and extend healthspan.

    Paths to Longer, Healthier Lives

    Emerging interventions—personalized nutrition, targeted probiotics, and preventive screening—aim to modulate the gut microbiome to support resilience against age-related decline in women. By aligning clinical research, community programs, and policy in the Netherlands, stakeholders can drive measurable improvements in women’s health, reduce age-related disease burden, and advance scalable solutions for sustained longevity and healthy aging.

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    Translating Microbiome Science into Women’s Health Solutions in the Netherlands

    Clinical, Nutritional, and Policy Strategies to Promote Healthy Aging

    Building on national cohorts and integrated registries, Dutch researchers are prioritizing longitudinal studies that map how the gut microbiome shifts across reproductive milestones and the menopause transition. These efforts aim to identify microbial signatures tied to hormonal changes, metabolic dysregulation, and immune decline—key predictors of aging trajectories in Dutch women. By combining high-resolution sequencing with clinical phenotyping and electronic health records, the Netherlands can accelerate discovery of biomarkers that inform personalized prevention strategies for women’s health and extended longevity.

    Actionable interventions emerging from this work include targeted dietary guidance, personalized nutrition plans, and novel probiotic formulations designed to restore microbial balance and metabolic resilience. Emphasizing traditional and contemporary Dutch dietary patterns—fermented foods, fiber-rich meals, and Mediterranean-influenced choices—creates opportunities to translate microbiome science into everyday practices that support gut health. Paired with lifestyle modification (exercise, sleep, reduced polypharmacy), these approaches can reduce inflammation and improve markers of cardiometabolic risk that drive age-related disease.

    Implementation within the Netherlands’ integrated healthcare system can make microbiome-informed care scalable and equitable. Embedding preventive screening and microbiome assessment into primary care pathways, developing clinical decision support tools, and training clinicians on sex-specific microbiome influences will help move findings from bench to bedside. Health economic analyses and pilot community programs can demonstrate cost-effectiveness, supporting policy adoption that prioritizes healthy aging and reduced disease burden among older women.

    To maximize impact, future research and public health strategies must center diversity and accessibility—ensuring representation of women across socioeconomic, ethnic, and regional groups in the Netherlands. Clear communication campaigns, partnerships between researchers and municipal health services, and evidence-based guidelines will be essential to translate microbiome discoveries into measurable gains in population healthspan. With coordinated investment, the Netherlands is well-positioned to lead on pragmatic, sex-aware solutions that harness the gut microbiome to promote resilience, longevity, and thriving in women as they age.

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    Get started with Longevity & Healthy Aging in 7 easy steps!

    • 1. Purchase a kit & create an account.

      Do not forget to buy the personalized nutrition advice and the 3-month Noory subscription to get maximum benefit for Longevity & Healthy Aging.

    • 2. Fill in 3 day food diary & survey

      In the survey select "Longevity & Healthy Aging" as your preferred target group. One FREE target group is included with every testkit.

    • 3. Take a stool sample

      And send it back in the return envelope with a prepaid return label. The return logistics and the laboratory process will generally take 3 to 4 weeks.

    • 4. View your results

      Once your results are uploaded and ready, you will receive an email. Login your dashboard to view all analysis results and recommendations. If you also included the nutrition advice and/or the 3-month Noory subscription in your purchase, these will also be available in your dashboard.

    • food recipe platform

      5. Noory platform

      If you bought the 3-month Noory subscription, you will receive direct access to personalized food recipes and meal plans on the Noory platform which AUTOMATICALLY take into account your gut microbiome nutrition advice, your allergies, intolerances and nutritional targets.

      Have ultimate real-time flexibility to choose the food recipes that you prefer to cook and eat. Accessible through desktop or mobile device.

    • health professional

      6. Link your Healthcare Professional (HCP) (optional)

      Both InnerBuddies and Noory are able to provide FREE access to the platform to your healthcare professional. But we need your EXPLICIT consent to do so given all privacy and health regulations. In the InnerBuddies platform you can also download all report sections in PDF format for sharing.

      Noory can also provide HCP access through NooryMed, a remote monitoring platform built for HCP's that allows sharing symptoms, food tracking and also takes into account Food - Drug interactions.

    • retest your gut health

      7. Retest your Gut Microbiome

      After your 3-month Noory subscription has ended, you can perform a new gut microbiome test and hopefully see the desired improvements in your test results. A new gut test will also update your nutrition recommendations and nutritional targets to the Noory platform so that you can start another 3-month improvement process. You can also select a new target group in the InnerBuddies platform if you want to set different objectives for the new 3-month period.

    The InnerBuddies module "Longevity & Healthy Aging" gives you insight in:

    • Gut Microbiome & Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

      SCFAs contribute to anti-inflammation, gut health, and metabolic regulation, all linked to longevity. SCFA's functions as the base mechanism for the other categories. Butyrate gets high weight because of its robust evidence base in inflammation control, gut barrier integrity, and mitochondrial health — all critical for longevity. Propionate pathways are also key, especially for metabolic aging. Acetate is more abundant but generally has broader and more moderate effects; still important, especially as a substrate and signaling molecule.

    • Anti-Inflammatory & Immune Modulation

      Chronic inflammation accelerates aging; these pathways reduce inflammatory markers. Bile acids are among the most potent microbial immunomodulators with systemic relevance (gut-liver-brain axis, mucosal immunity). Tryptophan-derived indoles are among the most potent microbial immunomodulators with systemic relevance (gut-liver-brain axis, mucosal immunity). Polyamines offer both immunomodulatory and cell-protective benefits, especially in aging tissue. LPS and ammonia detox are supportive pathways—critical but more indirect in their effects.

    • Energy Metabolism & Mitochondrial Health

      Efficient energy metabolism supports cellular function, reduces oxidative stress, and enhances lifespan. TCA cycle and ETC dominate due to their centrality in mitochondrial health, bioenergetics, and ROS control — all of which are strongly linked to aging processes. Fat oxidation (FAO) supports metabolic flexibility, ketogenesis, and fasting states — overlapping with caloric restriction benefits. BCAA metabolism is double-edged: essential for mitochondrial function but excessive levels may promote mTOR activation and insulin resistance — balance is critical.

    • Cellular Repair, DNA Protection & Autophagy

      These pathways regulate DNA repair, cellular stress resistance, and autophagy, essential for longevity. Methionine / glutathione gets top weight for direct protection against oxidative stress, a primary driver of DNA damage. NAD⁺ biosynthesis is central to sirtuin-driven longevity mechanisms and DNA repair. Folate supports DNA stability but has more indirect or cofactor-like effects compared to the above.

    • Caloric Restriction & Fasting Mimicry

      Certain pathways mimic the benefits of fasting and caloric restriction, which are linked to lifespan extension.

    Targeted Recommendations

    The module "Longevity & Healthy Aging" provides you with targeted nuttrition recommendations. Targeted not only on your unique gut microbiome but also targeted on the metabolic pathways that, according to the latest scientific publications, are important for Longevity & Healthy Aging.

    • Personalized on the DNA of your own Gut Microbiome

      Receive nutrition recommendations that according to our self-learning algorithms and our large customer database have the highest impact on your own unique gut microbiome.

    • Approved by our Dieticians

      We use Responsible A.I. techniques and built an algorithm that uses both our own proprietary databases but also the knowledge and experience of our strong dietician team.

    • Actionable

      Nutrition recommendations that you can just buy in your local supermarket. For your convenience, we also provide daily dosage recommendations.

    innerbuddies gut microbiome testing

    Focus on your Biological Age and support Longevity & Healthy Aging - Order the gut test that:

    • Provides a score between 0 and 100 of how your gut microbiome composition is optimized for Biological Age / Longevity / Healthy Aging
    • Provides detailed insight in how you rank for each of the microbial metabolic pathways that have been linked to Biological Age / Longevity / Healthy Aging according to the latest scientific publications
    • Uses a cutting-edge and science-based DNA technology
    • Provides you with nutritional and supplement recommendations based on your microbial results that are specifically optimized to lower your Biological Age and support Longevity & Healthy Aging
    • Is developed by an expert team of dieticians, specialists, and scientists to offer you the most accurate gut microbiome analysis
    Start your journey!

    How can InnerBuddies support in reducing your Biological Age and supporting Longevity & Healthy Aging?

    • Improved Digestive Health

      Optimizing the gut microbiome enhances digestion and nutrient absorption, ensuring the body gets vital vitamins and minerals necessary for cellular repair and maintenance, which supports overall health and slows biological aging.

    • Reduced Inflammation

      A balanced gut microbiome helps reduce chronic systemic inflammation—a major driver of aging and age-related diseases—thereby protecting tissues and organs and promoting healthy aging.

    • Enhanced Immune Function

      Gut health directly influences the immune system. Strengthening the microbiome boosts immunity, lowering the risk of infections and age-related immune decline, contributing to longevity.

    • Mental Health and Cognitive Function

      The gut-brain axis connects gut health with brain function. A healthy microbiome can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and support cognitive health, helping maintain mental sharpness with age.

    • Metabolic Health and Weight Management

      Microbiome-based nutrition helps regulate metabolism and blood sugar levels, reducing risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are linked to accelerated aging.

    • Antioxidant Support and Cellular Repair

      Supplements tailored to the gut microbiome can enhance antioxidant activity and promote cellular repair processes, protecting DNA from damage and slowing biological aging.