Posted on 08/16/2021 7:12:24 AM PDT by Red Badger
CORK, Ireland — As of 2021, a whopping 6.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and this number is projected to rise 22% by 2025. Globally, the number of people with dementia is predicted to triple to around 150 million by 2050 because of aging populations. While there’s no cure for the Alzheimer’s, new research indicates that the bacteria in our gut could stave off the disease.
In a recent study, memory problems were reversed after old mice were given “friendly” bacteria. This research suggests gut-boosting yogurts could help to ward off Alzheimer’s disease, which opens the door to the development of probiotics that treat or even prevent dementia.
“It’s a potential game-changer. We’ve now established the microbiome can be harnessed to reverse age-related brain deterioration. We also see evidence of improved learning ability and cognitive function,” says corresponding author Professor John Cryan, of University College Cork in Ireland, per South West News Service.
A staggering 100 trillion microorganisms live in the human gut – both good and bad. The immune system is impacted by the balance. The research team from Ireland showed that lab rodents experienced increased memory and cognitive function by introducing specific species.
Aging-associated changes in the immune system were reversed with fecal transplants from younger mice, including quicker deciphering of maze patterns and better memory afterward. They were also less prone to anxiety, another common symptom of dementia. Scans later showed their brains had been rejuvenated, containing metabolites and patterns of gene regulation resembling those of adolescents.
“It should be said we are not advocating fecal transplants for people who want to rejuvenate their brain. Instead, these studies point towards a future where there will be a focus on microbiota-targeted dietary or bacterial-based interventions. They will promote optimum gut health and immunity in order to keep the brain young and healthy,” explains Cryan.
The study suggests such therapies could combat cognitive decline. It adds to evidence that probiotics sold in supermarkets as diet supplements boost concentration, decision-making, and understanding.
“Microorganisms that live on and in the human body have an impact on health and vary with age. Friendly bacteria have beneficial effects on the metabolic and immune systems. They can be gradually replaced with bacteria that drive chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and disease,” notes Cryan. “Much work is needed to translate the findings for clinical use in humans. We know that microorganisms in the gut shape local immunity, but can also affect brain aging and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Now, there is a growing appreciation of the importance of the microbes in the gut on all aspects of physiology and medicine.”
Previous research has found that a daily dose of probiotics over 12 weeks can produce significant improvement in elderly patients.
“This research further demonstrates the importance of the gut microbiome in many aspects of health – and particularly across the brain/gut axis where brain functioning can be positively influenced. The study opens up possibilities in the future to modulate gut microbiota as a therapeutic target to influence brain health,” concludes Professor Paul Ross, director of APC Microbiome Ireland at the university.
This study is published in Nature Aging.
South West News Service writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.
I eat Budwig diet every day:
plain yogart
T of ground flaxseed
T of flaxseed oil
3T of sunflower seeds
I have come to love it. Been eating it for three yrs. One thing I noticed after eating it for year: my hair is THICK and abundant.
Doctor: “Are you bothered by voices in your head?”
Me: “No, I enjoy them a lot.”
I enjoy mine as well, except when they are doing Gregorian Chants.................
This article reminded me of Dr Mercola who was recently threatened into silence
https://freerepublic.com/tag/mercola/index?tab=articles
I eat yoghurt.
I’m bald as a billiard ball....................
That’s not hair — it’s a garden.
...green shoots better than no roots.
“A staggering 100 trillion microorganisms live in the human gut...”
How do they count that high?
I eat Budwig diet every day:
plain yogart
T of ground flaxseed
T of flaxseed oil
3T of sunflower seeds
MMMMM. TASTY. AND ALL THAT OXALATE FROM SEEDS TO RUIN YOUR KIDNEY.
really? good to know about your hair.
The key is yogurt with probiotics. So much yogurt out there is just sugary milk. Probiotic yogurt will specify the bacteria present in the product and the volume.
Diet and gut health are coming up more and more often in studies on everything from Alzheimers to weight management, and I suspect long term we’re going to (finally) see a shift from the outdated and dangerous “food pyramid” to a diet more akin to what our forebears ate where wheat and grains in general are lacking.
Dominion Counting Machines.................
l
The primary reason for an unhealthy gut is lack of variety in people’s diets. The best example of this in this forum are people who refuse to eat just about anything with any form of carbohydrates. It does not make a bit of difference how many probiotics pills that you choke down if you do not eat the kinds of foods that will support the bacteria in your gut they will not do a thing for you.
The most unhealthy people I know intentionally restrict themselves from vast swaths of the various food groups. They typically live on a combination of meats, bacon and hamburger tend to be their favorites, along with soy and dairy based protein bars and powders that they make shakes out of. They definitely won’t touch anything with wheat or most other grains. They cannot be described as salad eaters. They can sometimes be found looking over the high protein section of the freezer section at the grocery store in front of the Atkin’s frozen dinners etc... Potatoes and bread are dirty words for them.
It used to be that vegetarians were the ones with failing health, but the high protein, high fat, no carbohydrate crowd has definitely got them beat these days.
Life Extension Magazine has published research on this subject with the same (potential) conclusions.
Great episode!
LOL.
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