by Can the bacteria in your mouth predict whether you run the risk of dementia?
Upcoming research suggests that the bacteria that live on your tongue and gums can influence how the brain works and how it changes as we get older. In turn, this can affect whether someone normally gets older or develops dementia.
Scientists discover surprising connections between the oral microbiome, which is the bustling ecosystem of bacteria in our mouths and the health of the brain.
A new study that my colleagues and I have conducted suggest that certain bacteria can help memory and thinking skills, while others can be early warning signals of a decrease in brain function.
This evokes the possibility that diet and treatments that change our oral bacteria can play a role in a day to help the health of the brain as we get older.
For our research we have analyzed saliva samples from 115 adults older than 50 years old. Among these people, 52 percent had a healthy brain function, and the other 48 percent had early signs of deterioration in memory and other brain functions.
We investigated the bacteria in these samples and showed that people with a large numbers called two groups of bacteria Neisseria And Hemophilus Better performed in brain health tests. In particular, with these bacteria, people had a better memory and a better ability to pay attention and perform complex tasks.
These people also had higher levels of the ionsnitriet in their mouths. Nitrite is made by bacteria when they break down nitrate, which is a natural part of a green -ride diet.
Bacteria can also break down nitrite to produce nitrogen oxide, which improves blood circulation, including blood flow to the brain. This suggests that eating many nitrate -rich vegetables, such as leaf -green spinach and rocket, could stimulate the levels of healthy bacteria and help improve the health of the brain, which can be especially important as people get older.
We are now investigating whether nitrate -rich beet juice can improve brain function in older adults by hitting bacteria in the mouth.
On the other hand, another group of bacteria can cause more harm than good. Our study found two groups of bacteria that may be linked to poorer brain health.
A group called Porphyromonaswhich is often associated with gum disorders, was more common in people with memory problems than people who were healthy.
A second group called Prevotella Was linked to low nitrite, which in turn could mean a poorer brain health. Prevotella Was also more often for people who wear the Apoe4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
These findings suggest that some bacteria can play an adverse role in changes in the health of the brain as people get older. It also raises the question of whether routine tests to measure the levels of these bacteria can be used to detect very early signs of decreasing brain health as part of dental checks in the future.
In -depth implications
The implications of this study are in -depth. If certain bacteria support the health of the brain, while others contribute to decrease, treatments to change the balance of bacteria into the mouth can be part of a solution to prevent dementia.
Encourage the growth of nitrite -producing bacteria such as Neisseriawhile it takes Prevotella And PorphyromonasCould help maintain brain function as we get older. This can be achieved through food changes, probiotics, routines for oral hygiene or even targeted treatments that reform the microbiome.
Although we are still in the early stages of understanding the complicated connections between the mouth bacteria and the brain, our findings offer a strong reason for further research.
If future studies confirm that the oral microbiome plays a role in maintaining a healthy brain, then we can unlock new possibilities for detecting and possibly delay dementia by paying more attention to the bacteria in our mouths.
In the meantime, the best advice to keep your teeth clean, to view the dentist regularly and eat food with a lot of nitrate, such as leaf -green vegetables, to continue to feed the good bacteria in your mouth.
Joanna l’Heureux, postdoctoral researcher, Public Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter.
This article is re -published from the conversation under a license for Creative Commons. Read the original article.
