We've written before about the gut-brain axis, that mysterious communications system between the microbes in your gut and your brain. Somehow, they support each other, and an unhealthy gut can mean an unhealthy brain. So we do what we can to support a healthy gut. Which means eating right and avoiding chemicals that kill gut microbes, like artificial sweeteners and animal products that might contain antibiotics.
Neurologists like to say that "what's good for the heart is good for the brain." We might add to that, "What's good for the gut is good for the brain."
Therefore, we might want to consume products with probiotic bacteria, like yogurt. However, these microbes are often destroyed in the digestive process and don't always make it out of your stomach. So there are supplements that can help with that. And then there are the benefits of prebiotics, "fermentable soluble food fiber," which help supply the needs of the gut microbes. A a high fiber diet is good for the gut ... which is good for the brain.
The research on the benefits of probiotics and prebiotics continues, and there's some amazing news. There was a recent study published in Nature Communications using twins to study the effects of consuming prebiotic supplements on memory and cognition. The results were pretty remarkable, even over a relatively short period of time.
The supplements were inulin, a dietary fiber in the fructan class, and fructooligosaccharide (FOS), a plant carbohydrate sometimes used as a natural low calorie sweetener. Looking at a box of Costco nut bars, I see a form of inulin listed as an ingredient. But asparagus is a great source for both inulin and FOS. For this study, subjects were given supplements, either with both prebiotics or with a placebo.
The study was conducted by Kings College, London, and it used 36 pairs of twins over the age of 60. One twin was given a daily prebiotic in a protein powder and the other was given a daily placebo in a protein powder. After only twelve weeks, there was measurable improvement in cognition. Using some of the same tests used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, the prebiotic test subjects showed a significant improvement in a cognitive score compared to subjects who took the placebo.
Moral of the story? Eat your vegetables, especially the leafy greens in the MIND diet! And it wouldn't hurt to take inulin and FOS supplements. They're known to be cheap.
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