Probiotics may help prevent age-related decline in memory: Study

Taking probiotics may help prevent the decline in memory and thinking that can accompany ageing suggests a study that may pave the way for new noninvasive treatments that leverage the gut microbiome to mitigate cognitive decline in elderlyResearchers found that when people with mild cognitive impairment received the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG LGG for three months their cognitive scores increased This cognitive improvement was also associated with changes in their gut microbiomeldquoThe implication of this finding is quite exciting as it means that modifying the gut microbiome through probiotics could potentially be a strategy to improve cognitive performance particularly in individuals with mild cognitive impairmentrdquo said Mashael Aljumaah a microbiology doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State UniversityldquoThis adds a new layer to our understanding of the microbiome braingut connection and opens up new avenues for combating cognitive decline associated with ageingAljumaah noted that while studies usually focus on severe forms of cognitive diseases such as alzheimers and dementia the new study included people with mild cognitive impairment which can include problems with memory language or judgementldquoInterventions at this stage of cognitive impairment could slow down or prevent the progression to more severe forms of dementiardquo she saidThe study involved 169 participants between 52 and 75 years old who were divided into two groups depending on whether they had no neurological issues or mild cognitive impairmentWithin each group participants either received the LGG probiotic or a placebo in a doubleblind randomised clinical trial lasting three monthsThe researchers selected the LGG probiotic because prior research had shown its potential beneficial effects in animal modelsTo investigate the study participantsrsquo gut microbiomes the researchers used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify and compare bacteria present in stool samplesThey then used whole genome sequencing to gain insights into the functional roles of the bacteria identifiedThe analysis revealed that microbes in the genus Prevotella were present in a higher relative abundance in participants with mild cognitive impairment than those with no cognitive impairmentThis suggests that gut microbiome composition could serve as an early indicator for mild cognitive impairment offering opportunities for earlier interventions to slow cognitive declineFor study participants who had mild cognitive impairment and received the LGG probiotics the Prevotella relative abundance decreased This change coincided with improved cognitive scores suggesting that cognitive health in older adults could be improved by manipulating the gut microbiotaldquoBy identifying specific shifts in the gut microbiome associated with mild cognitive impairment were exploring a new frontier in preventive strategies in cognitive healthrdquo said Aljumaah ldquoIf these findings are replicated in future studies it suggests the feasibility of using gut microbiometargeted strategies as a novel approach to support cognitive healthrdquoThe study was presented at the ongoing NUTRITION 2023 the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held from July 2225 in BostonAlso Read Even moderate heat can affect human heart StudyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever