New research suggests that changes in your brain function as you age may be linked to the bacteria in your mouth and on your tongue. It was found that certain bacteria is actually linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. The study was led by the University of Exeter , and also revealed that some bacteria found in your mouth can be associated with having better memory and attention. But how does this bacteria have an impact on your brain health?
One way that researchers found was that harmful bacteria could directly enter the bloodstream, in turn causing potential damage to the brain. Another option is that an imbalance of beneficial and harmful bacteria could reduce the conversion of nitrite in the body to nitric oxide.
This could be a cause of concern as nitric oxide is crucial to brain communication and memory formation. The study found that people who had large numbers of Neisseria and Haemophilus bacteria groups in their mouths had better attention, memory and ability to do complex tasks.
These people also had higher levels of nitrite in their mouths. Nitrite is plentiful in diets that are rich with vegetables. On the flip side, higher levels of Porphyromonas bacteria were more common in people who had memory problems, while Prevotella was more common in people who carry the Alzheimer Disease risk gene - APOE4.
This bacteria group was linked to low nitrite, which researchers believe could mean poorer brain health. While your memory and brain functions generally decline as you age, some people experience greater mental deteriorations than is expected at their age. This is called Mild Cognitive impairment, and it affects approximately 15 per cent of older adults.
