Does the fountain of youth live in your gut?
Because previous studies have shown a link between gastrointestinal microbiota – trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive tract – and brain health, researchers from University College Cork in Ireland decided to investigate whether this compound may have an effect on an aging brain.
Professors performed fecal microbiotate transplantation (using the “good” gut bacteria) from either young (3 to 4 months of age) or old (19 to 20 months) mice to old mice. After performing brain scans and tests (such as the classic rodent labyrinth), the authors found that the mice given the “teen” microbiome showed fewer signs of anxiety – a classic symptom of Alzheimer’s disease – along with improved memory and cognitive function.
RELATED: This is Diet # 1 to Improve Your Memory, says the study
In fact, the scans revealed that their brains contained certain molecules and gene patterns that mimicked the brain of a young mouse. These latest findings were published in the journal The aging of nature.
“This new research is a potential game changer, as we have determined that the microbiome can be used to reverse age-related brain impairment,” said John F. Cryan, professor and vice president of research and innovation at University College Cork, in a press release.
While adding that this discovery is still in its “early days”, a colleague and head of the research center said, “The study opens up opportunities in the future to modulate intestinal microbiota as a therapeutic target to affect brain health.”
According to Alzheimer’s Association, more than six million Americans suffer from this progressive brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning. The number of adults living with Alzheimer’s, which is the most common type of dementia, doubles every five years after the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The [this current study from Ireland] adds evidence that there are significant interactions between the intestinal microbiome and the brain probably mediated by our immune system, says Douglas Scharre, MD, a neurologist and head of the Department of Cognitive Neurology at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “I agree that much more research is needed.”
Sunitha Posina, MD, a board-certified internist from New York City, believes the latest research sounds promising. “It would be groundbreaking if this could be replicated in humans,” she continues. “This is very good news.”
She agrees with Scharre, as well as the investigators, that “larger studies and more longitudinal studies” must be carried out in order to establish a direct relationship. “Regardless, I see no harm in improving our gut microbiome through diet and lifestyle because they are beneficial to our well-being and not just the brain,” says Posina.
A number of foods contain probiotics or live bacterial cultures that benefit the gastrointestinal tract. Two types of living microorganisms, Lactobacillus or Streptococcus, are added to pasteurized milk to make yogurt, making it one of the most popular probiotic-rich, fermented foods, according to National Institutes of Health. Other members of the gut flora-friendly and fermented foods family include pickles, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, kefir, kimchi, sourdough bread and apple cider vinegar.
You can also feed your gut flora by throwing away more prebiotically rich foods-foods that have been shown to increase the “probiotic effect” in the small intestine and colon, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients– on the plate, such as tomatoes, artichokes, bananas, asparagus, berries, garlic, onions, chicory, green vegetables, legumes, oats, flax seeds, barley and wheat.
Be sure to read One Major Effect Eating Tomatoes and Olive Oil Has on Your Heart, says Study. Then sign up for our newsletter to get healthy tips delivered straight to your inbox!
The post A fantastic effect that eating yogurt can have on your brain, New study first suggests.
