Disclaimer: Readers should not take this story as medical advice. It’s best to consult with your GP before making any changes to your diet and taking probiotics.

It's no secret that probiotics are packed with bacteria that can give your gut health a much-needed boost.

It turns out that a daily dose may do way more: they are now being investigated as an answer to age-related cognitive impairment.

Nutritional Psychology Researcher Jessica Eastwood from the University of Reading in England established that probiotics could offer a shield from cognitive decline in old age, according to the ‘gut-brain axis.’

This ‘gut-brain axis’ is a network linking the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system, which contains a system of cells controlling the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Taking probiotics daily may protect you from dementia. Credit: Shutterstock

Eastwood said that anything that affects the brain can impact your gut as well. That explains why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you’re anxious.

However, how these two systems interact is still unknown. But it is the thought that our brains and gut are intimately linked—so if your gut health improves, your brain health will, too.

‘Understanding exactly how these bugs in your gut are affecting your brain is still somewhat unknown,’ Eastwood said.

In Australia, more than 400,000 people are living with dementia. Dementia is the second leading cause of death in the country.

Our insatiable appetite for understanding ways to stave off dementia and memory loss in old age has led us to probiotics.

Probiotics are considered ‘good bacteria’ in the digestive system that help eliminate bad bacteria, which can cause illnesses.

Good bacteria also help boost immune function, regulate weight and appetite, improve depression, and lower inflammation. On the other hand, bad bacteria can cause infections like throat, staph, and food poisoning.

These 'good bacteria' can be found naturally in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, soybeans, kimchi, kombucha, cottage cheese, miso, and buttermilk. They can also be found in supplements containing different strains that are sold over the counter.

But do they really work?

A landmark 2017 study uncovered a relationship between gut bacteria and the build-up of this toxic protein in mice. This research went one step further to see how gut bacteria may affect tau accumulation, the other major pathogenic sign of Alzheimer’s.

Another recent study presented at the American Society for Nutrition in July showed that older adults who took probiotics had enhanced cognitive function compared to those who consumed a placebo.

Eastwood and her team published a 2021 review, finding that if taken daily, probiotics could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults.

The researchers reviewed 30 papers with participants of different ages, from 27-week-old fetuses to 82-year-old seniors. Tests for attention, memory, and processing were used to measure cognition.

Eastwood said, ‘Taking a probiotic supplement might be particularly helpful in just helping to mitigate that natural decline and maintaining cognitive function for longer.’

The review also concluded that taking probiotics everyday may enhance cognitive function of older people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.

Eastwood added that probiotics would not affect younger people’s cognitive functioning as ‘they’re already performing at ceiling’.

But, if you’re stressed, probiotics could offer relief. Stress can drop a person’s cognitive performance, but Eastwood said ‘if you take probiotics, you get this sort of buffering effect—so it reduces that decline’.

Eastwood said most studies have looked at people consuming probiotics for one to six months daily.

One study released in 2019 found that women aged between 18 and 40 had better cognitive performance after taking a probiotic daily for 28 days than those taking a placebo on a stressful task.

Though the results are promising, researchers are yet to locate which specific strains of probiotics work best for cognitive purposes.

Eastwood recommended taking a multi-strain supplement with the most researched strains, like lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, or lactococcus species.

Still, she admits there’s a lot of ground left to cover when it comes to the link between gut health and age-related cognitive issues.

More in-depth trials are needed to investigate the exact links between the two, according to Eastwood.

Key Takeaways

• Probiotics, already known for helping with gut health and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, could also slow cognitive decline and dementia, according to Jessica Eastwood, a nutritional psychology researcher at the University of Reading.
• It's not entirely understood how improving gut health with probiotics boosts brain health, but it's thought they're closely linked.
• In a 2021 review, Eastwood and her team found that taking a daily probiotic could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults. However, there's a need for larger and more detailed studies to determine the exact association.
• It is suggested that stress could cause people's cognitive performance to decrease, and taking probiotics could have a buffering effect and reduce that decline.

Members, do you incorporate probiotics in your food? How do you add them to your daily meals? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Col@45]

Disclaimer: Readers should not take this story as medical advice. It’s best to consult with your GP before making any changes to your diet and taking probiotics.

It's no secret that probiotics are packed with bacteria that can give your gut health a much-needed boost.

It turns out that a daily dose may do way more: they are now being investigated as an answer to age-related cognitive impairment.

Nutritional Psychology Researcher Jessica Eastwood from the University of Reading in England established that probiotics could offer a shield from cognitive decline in old age, according to the ‘gut-brain axis.’

This ‘gut-brain axis’ is a network linking the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system, which contains a system of cells controlling the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

View attachment 35701

Taking probiotics daily may protect you from dementia. Credit: Shutterstock

Eastwood said that anything that affects the brain can impact your gut as well. That explains why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you’re anxious.

However, how these two systems interact is still unknown. But it is the thought that our brains and gut are intimately linked—so if your gut health improves, your brain health will, too.

‘Understanding exactly how these bugs in your gut are affecting your brain is still somewhat unknown,’ Eastwood said.

In Australia, more than 400,000 people are living with dementia. Dementia is the second leading cause of death in the country.

Our insatiable appetite for understanding ways to stave off dementia and memory loss in old age has led us to probiotics.

Probiotics are considered ‘good bacteria’ in the digestive system that help eliminate bad bacteria, which can cause illnesses.

Good bacteria also help boost immune function, regulate weight and appetite, improve depression, and lower inflammation. On the other hand, bad bacteria can cause infections like throat, staph, and food poisoning.

These 'good bacteria' can be found naturally in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, soybeans, kimchi, kombucha, cottage cheese, miso, and buttermilk. They can also be found in supplements containing different strains that are sold over the counter.

But do they really work?

A landmark 2017 study uncovered a relationship between gut bacteria and the build-up of this toxic protein in mice. This research went one step further to see how gut bacteria may affect tau accumulation, the other major pathogenic sign of Alzheimer’s.

Another recent study presented at the American Society for Nutrition in July showed that older adults who took probiotics had enhanced cognitive function compared to those who consumed a placebo.

Eastwood and her team published a 2021 review, finding that if taken daily, probiotics could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults.

The researchers reviewed 30 papers with participants of different ages, from 27-week-old fetuses to 82-year-old seniors. Tests for attention, memory, and processing were used to measure cognition.

Eastwood said, ‘Taking a probiotic supplement might be particularly helpful in just helping to mitigate that natural decline and maintaining cognitive function for longer.’

The review also concluded that taking probiotics everyday may enhance cognitive function of older people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.

Eastwood added that probiotics would not affect younger people’s cognitive functioning as ‘they’re already performing at ceiling’.

But, if you’re stressed, probiotics could offer relief. Stress can drop a person’s cognitive performance, but Eastwood said ‘if you take probiotics, you get this sort of buffering effect—so it reduces that decline’.

Eastwood said most studies have looked at people consuming probiotics for one to six months daily.

One study released in 2019 found that women aged between 18 and 40 had better cognitive performance after taking a probiotic daily for 28 days than those taking a placebo on a stressful task.

Though the results are promising, researchers are yet to locate which specific strains of probiotics work best for cognitive purposes.

Eastwood recommended taking a multi-strain supplement with the most researched strains, like lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, or lactococcus species.

Still, she admits there’s a lot of ground left to cover when it comes to the link between gut health and age-related cognitive issues.

More in-depth trials are needed to investigate the exact links between the two, according to Eastwood.

Key Takeaways

• Probiotics, already known for helping with gut health and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, could also slow cognitive decline and dementia, according to Jessica Eastwood, a nutritional psychology researcher at the University of Reading.
• It's not entirely understood how improving gut health with probiotics boosts brain health, but it's thought they're closely linked.
• In a 2021 review, Eastwood and her team found that taking a daily probiotic could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults. However, there's a need for larger and more detailed studies to determine the exact association.
• It is suggested that stress could cause people's cognitive performance to decrease, and taking probiotics could have a buffering effect and reduce that decline.

Members, do you incorporate probiotics in your food? How do you add them to your daily meals? Let us know in the comments below!

I would think just eating healthy foods would do the same thing??

 

[gamiry]

Disclaimer: Readers should not take this story as medical advice. It’s best to consult with your GP before making any changes to your diet and taking probiotics.

It's no secret that probiotics are packed with bacteria that can give your gut health a much-needed boost.

It turns out that a daily dose may do way more: they are now being investigated as an answer to age-related cognitive impairment.

Nutritional Psychology Researcher Jessica Eastwood from the University of Reading in England established that probiotics could offer a shield from cognitive decline in old age, according to the ‘gut-brain axis.’

This ‘gut-brain axis’ is a network linking the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system, which contains a system of cells controlling the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

View attachment 35701

Taking probiotics daily may protect you from dementia. Credit: Shutterstock

Eastwood said that anything that affects the brain can impact your gut as well. That explains why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you’re anxious.

However, how these two systems interact is still unknown. But it is the thought that our brains and gut are intimately linked—so if your gut health improves, your brain health will, too.

‘Understanding exactly how these bugs in your gut are affecting your brain is still somewhat unknown,’ Eastwood said.

In Australia, more than 400,000 people are living with dementia. Dementia is the second leading cause of death in the country.

Our insatiable appetite for understanding ways to stave off dementia and memory loss in old age has led us to probiotics.

Probiotics are considered ‘good bacteria’ in the digestive system that help eliminate bad bacteria, which can cause illnesses.

Good bacteria also help boost immune function, regulate weight and appetite, improve depression, and lower inflammation. On the other hand, bad bacteria can cause infections like throat, staph, and food poisoning.

These 'good bacteria' can be found naturally in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, soybeans, kimchi, kombucha, cottage cheese, miso, and buttermilk. They can also be found in supplements containing different strains that are sold over the counter.

But do they really work?

A landmark 2017 study uncovered a relationship between gut bacteria and the build-up of this toxic protein in mice. This research went one step further to see how gut bacteria may affect tau accumulation, the other major pathogenic sign of Alzheimer’s.

Another recent study presented at the American Society for Nutrition in July showed that older adults who took probiotics had enhanced cognitive function compared to those who consumed a placebo.

Eastwood and her team published a 2021 review, finding that if taken daily, probiotics could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults.

The researchers reviewed 30 papers with participants of different ages, from 27-week-old fetuses to 82-year-old seniors. Tests for attention, memory, and processing were used to measure cognition.

Eastwood said, ‘Taking a probiotic supplement might be particularly helpful in just helping to mitigate that natural decline and maintaining cognitive function for longer.’

The review also concluded that taking probiotics everyday may enhance cognitive function of older people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.

Eastwood added that probiotics would not affect younger people’s cognitive functioning as ‘they’re already performing at ceiling’.

But, if you’re stressed, probiotics could offer relief. Stress can drop a person’s cognitive performance, but Eastwood said ‘if you take probiotics, you get this sort of buffering effect—so it reduces that decline’.

Eastwood said most studies have looked at people consuming probiotics for one to six months daily.

One study released in 2019 found that women aged between 18 and 40 had better cognitive performance after taking a probiotic daily for 28 days than those taking a placebo on a stressful task.

Though the results are promising, researchers are yet to locate which specific strains of probiotics work best for cognitive purposes.

Eastwood recommended taking a multi-strain supplement with the most researched strains, like lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, or lactococcus species.

Still, she admits there’s a lot of ground left to cover when it comes to the link between gut health and age-related cognitive issues.

More in-depth trials are needed to investigate the exact links between the two, according to Eastwood.

Key Takeaways

• Probiotics, already known for helping with gut health and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, could also slow cognitive decline and dementia, according to Jessica Eastwood, a nutritional psychology researcher at the University of Reading.
• It's not entirely understood how improving gut health with probiotics boosts brain health, but it's thought they're closely linked.
• In a 2021 review, Eastwood and her team found that taking a daily probiotic could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults. However, there's a need for larger and more detailed studies to determine the exact association.
• It is suggested that stress could cause people's cognitive performance to decrease, and taking probiotics could have a buffering effect and reduce that decline.

Members, do you incorporate probiotics in your food? How do you add them to your daily meals? Let us know in the comments below!

NO definately not. With so much dementia in my family I make use of a couple of games on my computer, Bookworm for observation and memory, Mahjong for same, Bejewelled and solitiare mostly for fun. If you eat well as we did before takeaways etc you shouldn't need this stuff. I have no diabetes, heart disease or blood pressure problems.

 

[gamiry]

I would think just eating healthy foods would do the same thing??

I agree with you Col

 

[Face-to-face]

Disclaimer: Readers should not take this story as medical advice. It’s best to consult with your GP before making any changes to your diet and taking probiotics.

It's no secret that probiotics are packed with bacteria that can give your gut health a much-needed boost.

It turns out that a daily dose may do way more: they are now being investigated as an answer to age-related cognitive impairment.

Nutritional Psychology Researcher Jessica Eastwood from the University of Reading in England established that probiotics could offer a shield from cognitive decline in old age, according to the ‘gut-brain axis.’

This ‘gut-brain axis’ is a network linking the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system, which contains a system of cells controlling the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

View attachment 35701

Taking probiotics daily may protect you from dementia. Credit: Shutterstock

Eastwood said that anything that affects the brain can impact your gut as well. That explains why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you’re anxious.

However, how these two systems interact is still unknown. But it is the thought that our brains and gut are intimately linked—so if your gut health improves, your brain health will, too.

‘Understanding exactly how these bugs in your gut are affecting your brain is still somewhat unknown,’ Eastwood said.

In Australia, more than 400,000 people are living with dementia. Dementia is the second leading cause of death in the country.

Our insatiable appetite for understanding ways to stave off dementia and memory loss in old age has led us to probiotics.

Probiotics are considered ‘good bacteria’ in the digestive system that help eliminate bad bacteria, which can cause illnesses.

Good bacteria also help boost immune function, regulate weight and appetite, improve depression, and lower inflammation. On the other hand, bad bacteria can cause infections like throat, staph, and food poisoning.

These 'good bacteria' can be found naturally in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, soybeans, kimchi, kombucha, cottage cheese, miso, and buttermilk. They can also be found in supplements containing different strains that are sold over the counter.

But do they really work?

A landmark 2017 study uncovered a relationship between gut bacteria and the build-up of this toxic protein in mice. This research went one step further to see how gut bacteria may affect tau accumulation, the other major pathogenic sign of Alzheimer’s.

Another recent study presented at the American Society for Nutrition in July showed that older adults who took probiotics had enhanced cognitive function compared to those who consumed a placebo.

Eastwood and her team published a 2021 review, finding that if taken daily, probiotics could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults.

The researchers reviewed 30 papers with participants of different ages, from 27-week-old fetuses to 82-year-old seniors. Tests for attention, memory, and processing were used to measure cognition.

Eastwood said, ‘Taking a probiotic supplement might be particularly helpful in just helping to mitigate that natural decline and maintaining cognitive function for longer.’

The review also concluded that taking probiotics everyday may enhance cognitive function of older people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.

Eastwood added that probiotics would not affect younger people’s cognitive functioning as ‘they’re already performing at ceiling’.

But, if you’re stressed, probiotics could offer relief. Stress can drop a person’s cognitive performance, but Eastwood said ‘if you take probiotics, you get this sort of buffering effect—so it reduces that decline’.

Eastwood said most studies have looked at people consuming probiotics for one to six months daily.

One study released in 2019 found that women aged between 18 and 40 had better cognitive performance after taking a probiotic daily for 28 days than those taking a placebo on a stressful task.

Though the results are promising, researchers are yet to locate which specific strains of probiotics work best for cognitive purposes.

Eastwood recommended taking a multi-strain supplement with the most researched strains, like lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, or lactococcus species.

Still, she admits there’s a lot of ground left to cover when it comes to the link between gut health and age-related cognitive issues.

More in-depth trials are needed to investigate the exact links between the two, according to Eastwood.

Key Takeaways

• Probiotics, already known for helping with gut health and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, could also slow cognitive decline and dementia, according to Jessica Eastwood, a nutritional psychology researcher at the University of Reading.
• It's not entirely understood how improving gut health with probiotics boosts brain health, but it's thought they're closely linked.
• In a 2021 review, Eastwood and her team found that taking a daily probiotic could reduce cognitive decline in healthy older adults. However, there's a need for larger and more detailed studies to determine the exact association.
• It is suggested that stress could cause people's cognitive performance to decrease, and taking probiotics could have a buffering effect and reduce that decline.

Members, do you incorporate probiotics in your food? How do you add them to your daily meals? Let us know in the comments below!

My husband from the day we married he took a probiotic in the morning until his diagnosis of Early Onset Alzheimers Disease. For me personally it is not relevant.