Dr. Jeffrey GladdenFounder & CEO of Gladden Longevity

The Hidden Organ Influencing Your Metabolism and Longevity 🧬

24 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment, Dr. Jeffrey Gladden argues that the gut microbiome should be regarded as an accessory organ—on par with the kidney, heart, or lung—because of its extensive metabolic and neurological effects on the body. He acknowledges critics who claim that losing specific bacterial strains is harmless, countering that such losses may eventually disrupt metabolic pathways and contribute to chronic diseases that can be fatal. Gladden’s core message is that the microbiome’s systemic influence warrants its classification as an organ, shaping how we study and treat health and longevity.

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I think we've always just looked at it as this bunch of bacteria living in our gut, and some of them are good and some of them are bad. But as we dig into the science and understand the metabolic influence and neurological influence that these microbes have, I personally think you need to look at it more as like an organ system, like an accessory organ system. I think you really need to look at the microbiome almost as a kidney or a heart or a lung because it has that level of influence in the body. Now, now the The critics might say, well, you know, you can live without this strain of bacteria. Yes, but how long before it starts affecting some metabolic category that then leads to a chronic disease that kills you? You know, so there's always a compensation. But if you have to, if I have to give you the little nugget, that's it. To me, it's an organ. It's an organ and we need to look at it that way.