Restore brain microbiome to prevent Alzheimer’s

I’ve been fascinated by the gut microbiome for decades. [Click here](1770d7/ct0_0/1/ms?sid=TV2%3Ax0fsudEKT) to view this message in your browser | [Click here](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3Ax0fsudEKT) to stop receiving our messages [] [] Al Sears, MD 11905 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 [] July 22, 2024 [] Reader, I’ve been fascinated by the gut microbiome for decades. Researchers used to think that these microbes were there just to help you digest food and absorb nutrients. But over the past few years, scientists have begun to understand their extraordinary ability to prevent — and, in many cases, reverse — dozens of diseases, including Parkinson’s, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease. Your microbiome doesn’t just refer to your gut either... There are communities of microbes on your skin as well as in your mouth, lungs, bladder, kidneys, and other organs. And they interact with each other – as well as your cells – to keep your body functioning and healthy.1 Recently, another microbiome has been discovered…in your brain. And researchers believe that it could hold the key to curing Alzheimer’s disease. Until now, it was believed that the brain contained no microbes at all — because of the blood-brain barrier. But in two recent studies, researchers have turned that notion on its head. They discovered that brains contain a diverse microbiome with at least 100,000 species of microbes.2,3 This is an astonishing breakthrough. After studying data from four brain banks, the research team identified brain microbiomes containing a wide variety of fungi, bacteria, and even unidentified algae. And patients with Alzheimer’s disease had much higher concentrations. Where did these brain microbes come from? The answer is your gut microbiome, via the vagus nerve. It works as a kind of biochemical “telegraph system” that links your emotional and cognitive centers to your digestive and intestinal systems. Over the years, there have been important clues about a localized brain microbiome... Back in the mid-1990s, researchers identified a 70-year-old patient with a three-year history of worsening dementia who had the fungus Cryptococcus in his brain. This challenged the long-held belief that the brain is devoid of microbes because they are stopped by the protective blood-brain barrier.4 And in 2015, German scientists discovered that the so-called blood-brain barrier is not a barrier at all. Instead, it’s a blood-brain “interface” controlled by a localized microbiome in the central nervous system, through which selective substances and information are transferred between the bloodstream and the brain.5 Meanwhile, other studies reveal that certain gut microbes alter the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and brain immune cells. This can alter the delicate microbial balance of the brain’s own microbiome.6 They also observed that the level of these microbes was higher in brains that were compromised with tau tangles and amyloid-beta plaques, the classic hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. This emerging evidence suggests that a brain microbiome imbalance contributes to neurodegenerative conditions and the development of Alzheimer’s. For instance, the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores originates in the gut and is transported to the brain via the bloodstream or vagus nerve. And Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacteria behind gum disease, is carried to the gut in saliva. Both are linked with Alzheimer’s.7,8 At the same time, cases of “reversible dementia” are starting to inspire enormous interest in the idea that our brains are teeming with microorganisms — and that an imbalance might trigger neurodegenerative diseases. But it also suggests that a brain microbiome imbalance can be restored... Protect Your Brain’s Microbiome At the Sears Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine, I help patients heal their microbiome by recommending they incorporate brain-friendly foods in their daily diet. Foods rich in prebiotic fibers – like onions, garlic, and leeks – not only nourish your gut microbiome, but they support your brain’s bacterial allies. I also recommend a combination of prebiotics and probiotics, as well as dietary changes to restore patients’ microbial gut health. But you should be aware that most probiotics don’t work…unless they use an acid-proof delivery system. You see, probiotics are “live” bacteria — and they won’t do you any good unless they make it to your gut. That’s tougher than it sounds. Imagine if you had to swim across an ocean of battery acid. That’s the challenge bacteria face in your stomach. And even if they make it through your stomach, they have to survive all of the bile salts in your upper intestine. That’s why I ONLY recommend using probiotic supplements that can make it through your digestive tract. Here’s what I tell my patients: - Always check for gut survivability. The manufacturer should be using some form of “acid proof” technology that protects the organisms from your stomach acid. - Look for CFU, or “colony forming units.” This is the number of bacteria that are expected to reach, and then survive, your gut. The higher the number the better. A good target to shoot for is at least 30 billion CFU per capsule. - Choose a probiotic that uses mixed strains. Choose a supplement that provides both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. - Don’t skimp on price. You really do get what you pay for. If it doesn’t meet the qualifications above, don’t waste your time or money. And remember to take them regularly. After a “loading dose” of once a day, most brands can be taken every 2 or 3 days thereafter. But don’t lapse. Keep feeding your microbiome what it needs. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS --------------------------------------------------------------- References: - Turnbaugh PJ, et al. “The human microbiome project.” Nature. 2007 Oct 18;449(7164):804-10. - Lathe R, et a. “Establishment of a consensus protocol to explore the brain pathobiome in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: Research outline and call for collaboration. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Nov;19(11):5209-5231. - Hu X, et al. “The remarkable complexity of the brain microbiome in health and disease.” BioRxiv 2023.02.06.527297. - Ala TA, et al. “Reversible dementia: a case of cryptococcal meningitis masquerading as Alzheimer’s disease.” J Alzheimers Dis. 2004 Oct;6(5):503-8. - Schulz GB, et al. “Cerebral cavernous malformation-1 protein controls DLL4-notch3 signaling between the endothelium and pericytes.” Stroke. 2015;46(5):1337–1343. - Ramirez P, et al. “Pathogenic tau accelerates aging-associated activation of transposable elements in the mouse central nervous system.” Prog. Neurobiol. 2022;208. - Kanagasingam S, et al. “Porphyromonas gingivalis is a strong risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2020 Dec 14;4(1):501-511. - Itzhaki RF. “Overwhelming evidence for a major role for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) in Alzheimer’s- underwhelming evidence against.” Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Jun 21;9(6):679. --------------------------------------------------------------- alsearsmd@send.alsearsmd.com [Preferences | Unsubscribe](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3Ax0fsudEKT) 11905 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, United States