STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- The bacteria in your intestines may influence brain functioning and can even promote neurodegeneration
- In a study of 89 people, high blood levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate and valerate were associated with large amyloid deposits in the brain
- LPSs and SCFAs are markers of inflammation and proteins produced by intestinal bacteria
- High levels of butyrate — an SCFA produced when gut bacteria ferment fiber — were associated with less amyloid
- The study represents a continuation of prior research by the team, which found that the gut microbiota in people with Alzheimer’s disease differs from those without the condition; in those with Alzheimer’s, microbial diversity is reduced, with certain bacteria being overrepresented and other microbes decreased
- Optimizing your gut flora is a key strategy to preventing Alzheimer’s and a host of other chronic diseases
Read more: Link Between Alzheimer’s and Gut Is Confirmed
