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A UCLA study found that adults whose brains appeared older than their chronological age tended to score worse on working-memory and executive-function tests and report more depressive symptoms. In one of the three study groups, brain-age measures were also associated with particular gut bacteria and metabolic compounds; the findings do not show that gut microbes cause brain aging.
A UCLA Health study of nearly 1,500 adults found that people whose brains appeared older than their actual age tended to perform worse on tests of memory and executive function and report more depressive symptoms. In one of the study’s three groups, researchers also linked brain-age estimates with specific gut bacteria and chemical byproducts, suggesting a possible connection—not proof that gut microbes cause changes in the brain.
The researchers used resting-state brain scans to measure how different brain areas communicated. A computer model estimated each participant’s age from those patterns; the difference between that estimate and the person’s chronological age was called the Brain Aging Index. The team analyzed participants across three separate groups, allowing them to examine whether patterns appeared across more than one sample.
Across the groups, a higher Brain Aging Index was generally associated with poorer performance on tests of working memory and executive function, skills used to retain information, focus, plan and organize. Participants with higher scores also reported more symptoms of depression. The reported patterns involved regions associated with memory and self-related thought.
For one group, the team also analyzed stool samples. Higher Brain Aging Index scores were associated with particular gut bacteria and several metabolic byproducts, including certain fat molecules, a cholesterol-related compound and lower levels of the hormone estetrol. The researchers identified biological pathways related to immune activity, blood-vessel function, communication between brain cells and cellular energy production. These are associations in the study, not evidence that changing the microbiome would alter brain aging.
Why the Gut-Brain Link Matters
The findings extend research on brain-age estimates beyond older adults and people already living with neurological conditions. They suggest that measurable differences in brain communication patterns may correspond with cognitive and mood measures among adults who are not necessarily being studied because of a diagnosed disorder. That could give researchers a way to investigate biological changes earlier in life.
The gut findings offer another set of signals for scientists to study alongside brain scans and behavioral tests. If future research confirms and clarifies these links, they could help researchers identify which biological processes track with brain health and when they appear. But the study does not establish a screening test, predict an individual’s future health, or show that changing diet, supplements or gut bacteria can prevent cognitive or mood-related decline.
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How Researchers Estimated Brain Age
Brain age is an estimate based on features of the brain, not a person’s calendar age or a clinical diagnosis. In this study, the model used patterns of communication between brain regions while participants were at rest. Researchers compared each estimate with chronological age and used the difference as their Brain Aging Index.
Earlier work had associated an older-appearing brain with poorer memory, thinking skills and mood, but much of that research focused on older people or those with neurological conditions, according to the source report. The UCLA team examined three adult groups and included stool-sample analysis in one of them, adding an exploratory look at possible links with the gut microbiome.
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What the Study Cannot Establish
The reported results do not show whether gut bacteria or their byproducts contribute to brain changes, whether brain-related processes influence the gut, or whether both are linked to other factors. Because stool samples were examined in one of the three groups, the microbiome associations also need to be tested in additional participants and settings.
The source report does not provide enough detail to assess the size of each association, the participants’ full demographic profile, or how well the brain-age model performs for individuals outside the study. It is also unclear whether the linked bacteria and metabolites predict later changes in cognition or mood. The study reports group-level patterns; it does not establish that a particular person’s brain is aging unusually quickly or that a gut test can determine that.
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Testing the Links Over Time
The next step is to see whether the gut-related associations hold up in larger and more varied groups, and whether they remain when researchers account for other influences on brain and microbiome measures. Long-term studies could test whether the signals are associated with later cognitive or mood changes, rather than reflecting a single point in time.
Researchers would also need to establish whether any gut-related intervention changes brain-age measures or meaningful health outcomes before such an approach could be recommended. For now, the study provides research leads, not clinical guidance: no intervention or screening test was shown to slow brain aging.
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Key Questions
What did the UCLA study find?
Across three groups, higher Brain Aging Index scores were generally associated with poorer working-memory and executive-function test results and more reported depressive symptoms. In one group, the scores were also associated with specific gut bacteria and metabolites.
Does the study prove gut bacteria cause brain aging?
No. The findings describe associations. They do not establish cause and effect or show whether gut changes precede, follow or share causes with brain-age differences.
What is the Brain Aging Index?
It is the difference between a computer model’s estimate of a person’s age from resting-state brain communication patterns and that person’s chronological age. It is a research measure, not by itself a diagnosis.
Can a gut test show how fast my brain is aging?
The study did not validate a gut test for individuals or establish that stool samples can predict a person’s future cognitive health. The microbiome analysis was conducted in one of the three study groups.
Does the research show that improving gut health protects the brain?
No. The researchers said gut health could be explored in future work, but this study did not test a diet, supplement or other intervention for brain aging.
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