| [ Summary ] |
The average life expectancy in Japan in 2015 was 81 years for men and 87 years for women (July 27, 2016, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan), which is the highest ever recorded for both sexes. If a person eats three meals a day, during a lifetime they will have 92,000 meals. In this chapter, we will introduce how the content of these meals affects the intestinal bacterial flora, the characteristics of obese subjects with a high calorie intake, and how this translates in changes in healthy individuals and in patients with type 2 diabetes. We will also discuss how foods known to regulate the intraintestinal environment, such as high‒fiber foods, foods rich in oligosaccharides, and fermented foods (such as yogurt and pickled foods), affect the intestinal bacterial flora. Finally, we will focus on the inhabitants of the prefecture of Okinawa, famous for their longevity, and will discuss our research results on intestinal bacterial flora and long life. |