In just 12 weeks, daily fiber supplements improved brain function. Twins over 65 years old. Do the microorganisms in our gut hold the key to preventing cognitive decline in an aging society?
Research my colleagues and I conducted showed that this simple, inexpensive nutritional supplement can improve performance on memory tests used to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
As the world’s population continues to age, the prevalence of age-related conditions such as decline in brain and muscle function increases, requiring innovative ways to slow and prevent this.
A number of studies of the gut microbiome increased exponentially Over the past 15 years. Researchers recognize great potential in this unexplored aspect of human health. We know that the gut microbiome can be influenced and changed externally, for example by using prebiotic supplements.
Prebiotics are simple fibers that encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. They are already widely available for purchase.
This new study shows that targeting the microbiome, the diverse community of microorganisms that reside in our gut, using two inexpensive commercially available plant fiber supplements, inulin and FOS, may improve brain function and improve brain function. We sought to understand how it affects both muscle health.
The study consisted of 36 pairs of twins, with one pair randomly assigned to receive a placebo and the other pair randomly assigned to receive a prebiotic fiber supplement. The treatments (prebiotics or placebo) were given daily for three months, and none of the participants knew which one they were receiving. In other words, the study was “blinded.”
To improve muscle function, all participants also performed resistance exercise and took daily protein supplements.
We remotely monitored participants via video calls, online questionnaires, and online tests of memory and thinking skills.
beneficial bacteria
When they tested the participants’ stool samples, they found that the fiber supplement caused significant changes in the participants’ gut microbiome composition. In particular, an increase in beneficial bacteria was observed. Bifidobacterium.
Although there was no significant difference in muscle strength between the groups, the group that took fiber supplements performed better on tests assessing memory and thinking, such as the Paired Associates Learning Test.This test can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The group given the prebiotic made half as many errors on this test compared to the group given the placebo.
This positive result in just 12 weeks holds great promise for improving brain health and memory in an aging population.
We hope that by further understanding the relationship between the gut and the brain, we can derive new approaches to help people live longer, healthier lives. For example, to prevent or delay frailty and ultimately keep an aging population independent and healthy for as long as possible.
innovative attempt
Another novel aspect of this study is its remote design, which increases the feasibility of conducting clinical trials in older adults that do not require extensive travel or hospital visits and can be conducted in many settings around the world. It has been shown.
Such trial designs aim to improve the representation of older adults in research. We recognize that challenges exist with this type of research design, such as access to the internet and computers, and aim to address these in future large-scale projects. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of aging populations around the world.
The cost of taking this type of supplement is estimated at 15p per day. It is safe and easy to consume. These could benefit large groups of people, and the research team also plans to test whether these results persist over longer periods of time and in larger groups.
Our findings demonstrate that targeting gut bacteria with simple interventions can have profound effects on human functioning. So how else can we target these microbes to increase wellbeing as our population ages? We will conduct further experiments and explore the huge potential of this important question. intend to do something.
This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License.read Original work.
