A New Way of Fighting Alzheimer’s…Why did the rat get fat and what’s that got to do about Alzheimer’s?

In a recent breakthrough study, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that rats consuming a Westernized fast food diet increased the likelihood of their obesity. Now, that should not be news to anyone in America. Of course, everyone knows that if you eat copious amounts of French fries and ketchup as your only source of vegetables you will get fat.

That may not seem like much of a breakthrough until we check out the rest of the story; what M. I. T. actually found caused the obesity. When the same rats were given probiotics in yogurt along with the Westernized fast food diet, it inhibited age-associated weight gain. M. I. T. then went on to test whether a bacteria found in yogurt alone may serve to lessen fat by using a purified form of a probiotic called Lactobacillus reuteri in drinking water. Surprisingly, they discovered that oral L. reuteri therapy alone was sufficient to prevent obesity. (1)

Warning: This information does not give every junk-food junkie license to go ‘hog wild’ and believe they can make up for their misguided decisions by taking a probiotic. My family and I gave up junk-food years ago for the devastating impact it would have on our bodies. Of course I still miss my daily dose of donuts and McMuffins, being a reformed J.F. J. Now, having normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and going off statins to control poor lab results have all made the missing ‘sugar bliss’ worth it — not to mention my improved waistline. And, G. I. balance is not just as simple as eating a cup of sugary Vanilla Custard Yoplait for lunch every day.

More interestingly, researchers are finding that not only does a healthier gut microbiome lessen obesity and improve sugar balance; it can also prevent Alzheimer’s. Scientists John Cryan and Timothy Dinan at the Neurogastric Endocrinology Center-University College Cork in Ireland are conducting tests revealing how variations and changes in the composition of the gut microbiota (there’s that word again) influence normal physiology and contribute to diseases ranging from mood disorders to Alzheimer’s. Accumulative data now indicates that our gut microbiota also communicates with the central nervous system, possibly through neural, endocrine and immune pathways — and thereby improves brain function and behavior. (2, 3)

More and more epidemiological studies from around the world give evidence that the better the microbiome (the good bacterial content of one’s gut), the less chance of developing Alzheimer’s.

The way it works is this: an improved gut microbiota improves the function in the hippocampus and cortex of the brain (the thinking centers).

What research has proven is that Microbial Reprogramming can:

• Inhibit Western diet associated obesity

• Balance the immune system

• Balance sugar metabolism and diabetes

• Fight Alzheimer’s

• Improve mood, behavior and brain function

Whew! Enough science — what does all this mean? This new medical research reported in these articles is exciting because of the hope it offers all of us in preventing and treating some of the most devastating human conditions: obesity, Alzheimer’s and mood disorders.

At The Renewal Point we have, for years, promoted the ‘gut-brain connection’ to good health. Specializing in Integrative Medicine and utilizing the best of both traditional and alternative medical pathways, we apply nutrition, hormone balancing, ‘gut’ health, body composition and lifestyle in every one of our patients’ medical plans. We find improving gut health requires the oversight of an Integrative Physician experienced in working with such modalities as: pH, digestive enzymes, food sensitivities, toxins, as well as balancing the gut microbiota, and repleting nutritional deficiencies.

We invite you to join us in this exciting approach of managing healthcare, and in your quest for a healthier more vibrant life.

References:

1. Division of Comparative Medicine, M.I.T., Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

2. Laboratory of Gastroenterology Alimentary P harmacology Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University.