Why the brain’s microbiome could hold the key to curing Alzheimer’s

[Lance]

from NewScientist.com Feb 19, 2024

 

The surprising discovery that your brain has its own microbiome is raising an intriguing possibility – that some dementias might be reversible

It SEEMED like a classic case of Alzheimer’s disease. For three years, a man in his 70s had experienced serious cognitive decline: he frequently forgot the names of family members and was no longer able to drive or leave home by himself. Further deterioration seemed inevitable. But then his doctors checked a sample of his cerebrospinal fluid and noticed a fungus called Cryptococcus neoformans. When they put him on a course of antifungal medication, the results were startling. Within two years, he had regained his driving licence and returned to work as a gardener.

Neuroscientists have long suspected that certain infections can increase the risk of dementia. For instance, both Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacteria behind gum disease, and the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, have been linked with Alzheimer’s. But cases of “reversible dementia” are starting to inspire enormous interest in the idea that our brains are teeming with microorganisms – and that an imbalance in this “brain microbiome” may predispose people to neurodegenerative disease.

 

Read more

We may finally know how cognitive reserve protects against Alzheimer's

 

Until recently, the brain was thought to be devoid of microbes, not least because of the blood-brain barrier, a specialised membrane that keeps pathogens and toxins in the blood out of the brain. So the idea of a brain microbiome was controversial. However, a new study seems to clinch the case. Richard Lathe at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and his colleagues analysed data from post-mortem brains stored in four brain banks in the UK and US. They found a wide variety of microbes, with different types and amounts in different brain regions. Lathe estimates that this brain microbiome contains some 100,000 species, comprising a subset of around one-fifth the gut microbiome. Roughly 1000 “core” species make up 90 per cent of the population.

The researchers also found that, in people with Alzheimer’s disease, certain microbes were over-represented. These included species of Cryptococcusand Candida fungi, Streptococcus and Bacillusbacteria, as well as a currently unidentified alga. Although the study hasn’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, it chimes with research by Jeffrey Lapides and his colleagues at Drexel University College of Medicine in Pennsylvania. They examined post-mortem brain tissue from 32 individuals and found three distinctive microbial species that were associated with the development of Alzheimer’s.

Such findings are intriguing, but there are many unanswered questions. Is a healthy microbiome essential for a healthy brain, as is the case in the gut? Do particular microbes cause neural degeneration or are they a consequence of it? And, if they are to blame, how: do certain species cause harm, is it the overall balance of species that tips someone into illness or do our brains suffer from the crossfire between two competing species, as Lapides suspects? “It could be that the chemical results of that fight are toxic,” he says. We don’t even know how microbes get into neural tissue, given the blood-brain barrier.

 

 

 

[Dages]

Interesting. So it would be good to get medication for a good brain microbiome like it is good for the gut, our second brain

[Mike047]

This research is very interesting, but just keeping the future paradise in mind is at least a temporary easing of problems.

[odl33]

Thanks for the information, it is very interesting. My mother has suffered from Alzheimer's for several years. Hopefully medical science advances on this issue, while we patiently wait for the definitive solution.

[chuck83]

I believe this and know it to be true, sorry for the long story but...

 

What most people don't realize is the gut microbiome  and brain microbiome are a gentle balance and it starts with your fork. You need to feed your gut pre+probiotics (symbiotic) with whole foods and must stop the ultra-processed foods even if they seems healthy even labeled vegan, gluten-free, low fat, low carb, etc. All "healthy" whole foods are the way to heal. They don't come in boxes or have preservatives and they spoil in less than 7 days. You have to eat more of that stuff. Here's why.

 

Prebiotics feed probiotics. Probiotics alone will not help you. You need fruit/vegetable fiber to feed the bacteria (probiotics or good bacteria.) You cannot eat McDonalds, Cheetos, Snickers, refined added white sugar, antibiotics, antacids/indigestion meds, Advil/Ibuprofen kill. They will make your gut bacteria imbalanced. So think like Dannon, Yoplait, and Chobani, these are the best yogurts but nobody will eat plain yogurt typically. Usually people consume the hyper-palatable yogurts with fake flavors. The better option is plain yogurt, greek yogurt, or kefir (raw or not) and mix real fruit with it. 

 

Added refined sugars kill the good bacteria in your mouth (think cavities)  and in your entire gut.  Your brain and your gut are linked closely. I learned from putting putting my bipolar in remission. I'm just about done with my bipolar medication with no episodes in over 2 years and I'm completely off my high blood pressure/PVC med.

 

I choose to eat whole foods that Jehovah has provided for a millennia's and I stopped eating the junk made in the last 120 years.

 

Google...

gut microbiome and sugar (not fructose/glucose found in fruit. white refined sugar.)

gut microbiome and mental health

gut microbiome and brain

gut microbiome and antibiotics

gut microbiome and "insert medication"

 

Finally, think of it this way. I've over simplified but this is what happens. You eat something super sweet or hyper-palatable. The sugar hits your tongue and instantly starts killing bacteria in your mouth all the while sending a dopamine signal to your brain. The sweet something you ate hits your stomach. Your gut microbiome tells your brain, "Hey there is sweetness but I don't see any nutrients or fiber to feel full!" This is because your body doesn't know the different between fruit and a candy bar. Eat more! BTW, in the meantime gut bacteria is being destroyed by the sugar and other junk in the food. If the products you eat have MSG, Yeast Extract, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, etc, which trigger savory tastes in your brain. You won't stop eating junk further ruining your biome over time. Finally, you've eaten enough junk to feel physically full but your body isn't happy for long because by lunch or dinner your hangry and feel like you have cravings. You do this over 5-20 years and you're essentially starving your body and it lack nutrients and start experiencing things over time. Diabetes and insulin issues, heart diseases of all kids, chronic kidney disease, thyroid issues, reproductive issues, gallbladder, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, mental health issues, and inflammation period.  90% of the diseases in the world are what we eat.

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/g201103/eat-wisely/ - This article saved my life. I treated it as Jehovah speaking to me. And again, my bipolar is in remission. I've lowered my Latuda from 60mg to 20mg and Lamotrigine from 150mg to 50mg. I got off Metropolol for high blood pressure and PVCs. I took me over a year to change my eating habits. IT IS HARD. Changing your eating style is like going from Christendom to being a JW. It's very hard because its your food and it's almost your identity. You have to undo what you've learned about food. You have to view food as, yes an enjoyable, but how it's going to fuel my mind and body. I'm not perfect in how I eat but I've learned a lot to heal.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24 by chuck83

[chuck83]

I also forgot to mention... fermented foods are an absolute good way to build gut bacteria to help brain biome. The new world way is using vinegar (acid) to pickle things. It's fast and cheap and can be mass produced to produce that sour pickled taste. The old world way is to ferment for 7+ weeks to achieve the sour taste in cabbage, pickles, peppers, etc., but it's better overall for your gut and brain. Honestly, fermented foods taste better than vinegar pickled foods in my opinion.