As many of the regular readers of the Wellness Wave already know, I read everything I can on Alzheimer’s disease. Even so, the latest research on this dreaded disease took me by surprise. In Alzheimer’s plaque forms in the brain that deadens the signals between the nerves. Memory disappears because thought becomes impossible. According to a new study from Harvard, the protein that makes up the plaque beta amyloid [or A-beta for short] may be part of the immune system. It is nearly identical to one of the immune system proteins. In lab testing A-beta proved remarkably effective in killing bacteria. This property was unknown until now, but it makes perfect sense. Antibodies that circulate through the body cannot cross the all important blood brain barrier. So, if an infection does manifest in the brain, these proteins may become activated to kill off the intruder.
The idea that infection is the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s has been proposed before, but has not been accepted widely in the research community. If infection kicks off this downward spiral, my money is on the gut as the primary source. Digestion is one of the most important keys to health. An unhealthy digestive tract leads to an unhealthy body and maybe an unhealthy brain.
