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Figure 1. A comparison of gut microbiota, intestinal epithelium, and systemic health in healthy versus obese or aged individuals. A balanced gut microbiome maintains host health homeostasis, while a dysbiotic gut leads to an impaired intestinal barrier and harmful systemic consequences, as evident in obesity and aging. The downstream effects of gut dysbiosis, such as inflammation, adipose tissue dysfunction, and muscular atrophy, promote obese and aging phenotypes. TJs: Tight junctions; GBA: gut-brain axis.