A new review suggests that the probiotic-rich drink kefir could help improve some Alzhimer’s symptoms.
- Scientists in Brazil recently conducted a review to see how the
probiotic kefir affects Alzheimer’s disease.
- Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, and since
there is no cure available, researchers are interested in finding new ways
to prevent and fight the disease.
- The scientists included seven studies in their review, including one
that involved human participants.
- While the study pool was limited, the scientists learned that kefir
can potentially improve symptoms.
As researchers learn more about how
to combat Alzheimer’s disease, more evidence piles up to support the notion that gut health
may play an important role in brain health, including helping prevent and
reduce characteristics of dementia.
With that in mind, Brazilian
researchers recently reviewed several studies to see whether kefir could be
beneficial as a supplement for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Since
probiotics support gut health,
which is suspected to impact brain health, the scientists wanted to look into kefir
specifically since it has a “unique microbial composition.”
While the scientists were limited in the number of studies they included
in their review, they still found the results promising. One study in humans
showed that supplementing kefir improved cognitive functioning and memory
tests.
The findings appear in the
journal Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative.
Can kefir improve cognitive functioning?
An estimated 7 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease,
and this number is projected to almost double within 25 years. Considering the
physical, emotional, and financial toll that Alzheimer’s disease takes,
scientists regularly look for ways to reduce the impact.
Some research has examined whether
probiotics are helpful to people with Alzheimer’s disease, and the scientists
in the present review wanted to see whether the probiotic kefir has the
potential to be beneficial.
Probiotics are
important to gut health and can increase the amount of good bacteria in the
microbiome, which can benefit the immune system, heart, and other parts of the
body. Foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut have probiotics, and probiotics are
also available in drink form, including the fermented milk beverage kefir.
Kefir comes from fermenting kefir
grains with milk (both dairy and non-dairy). According to the review authors,
kefir stood out because it includes “both bacteria and yeast in a symbiotic
relationship.”
The scientists looked through
multiple databases to find studies on kefir and neurodegenerative diseases.
After narrowing down their search results, they were left with seven studies –
one study involved humans, four studies involved rodents, and the other two
studies involved flies.
The researchers were interested in
howkefir possibly impacts cognitive functioning, neuroinflammation, and
oxidative stress. According to the 2016 review,
oxidative stress is “a process increased in the brain with aging” and can
contribute to dementia.
After analyzing the different models,
the review authors determined what impact kefir could have as an adjunct
treatment to Alzheimer’s disease.
Kefir study on humans shows jump in cognitive functioning
The study on humans lasted for 90
days and assessed people with Alzheimer’s disease; there were 13 participants
in the study. The participants took a daily supplementation of kefir at a dose
of 2 mL per kilogram of body weight.
Before beginning the kefir
supplementation, the scientists gathered baseline data on cognitive functioning through the Mini-Mental State
Examination (MMSE) and memory. They also gathered information on inflammatory
biomarkers and oxidative stress.
Overall, the participants had a 28% improvement in their baseline MMSE
scores after 90 days of kefir supplementation. They also experienced a 66%
improvement in memory tests.
Additionally, these participants
showed improvement in their inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. While
this seems promising, the authors of the review noted that an older study did
not yield the same cognitive results, so they believe further research in
humans is needed.
Animal studies show potential for kefir supplementation
The animal studies also showed that
kefir may have potential cognitive benefits. Both the rodent and fly studies
demonstrated this.
One of the rodent studies delved into
how kefir impacts the gut
microbiota and the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway. This is
significant as the TLR4 pathway is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.
This study showed that kefir contributed to a “significant downregulation
in the expression of TLR4.” This led to a reduction in neuroinflammation,
thereby protecting brain tissue and improving cognitive functioning.
Another rodent study looked at how
kefir works when added to a stem cell therapy treatment for Alzheimer’s
disease; this resulted in lowered neuroinflammation as well.
The other two rodent studies analyzed
kefir with either pioglitazone (an anti-diabetic medication) or simvastatin (a
cholesterol-lowering medication). Both of these offered protective benefits.
One of the fly studies analyzed how
kefir impacts amyloid buildup, and both of the fly studies looked at how kefir
impacts motor skills.
Beta-amyloid plaques are
a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The fly study showed a reduction in amyloid
buildup, which suggests that kefir could serve as a complementary treatment.
Both fly models showed an improvement
in motor skills with kefir supplementation. Since people with Alzheimer’s
disease experience a decrease in motor skills over time, this has the potential
to be beneficial for them.
The research is promising but “preliminary”
Peter Gliebus, MD director of cognitive and behavioral
neurology at Marcus Neuroscience Institute, a part of Baptist Health South
Florida, spoke with Medical News Today about the study.
“Kefir may support brain health by
helping to restore a balanced gut microbiome, reducing systemic inflammation,
and strengthening the gut barrier, which can limit neuroinflammation,” Dr.
Gliebus said when explaining how kefir may be helpful.
“[Kefir’s] bioactive compounds
have antioxidant properties that could potentially protect
neurons from oxidative stress. This protection can help preserve synaptic and
mitochondrial function, potentially slowing down neurodegeneration.”— Peter
Gliebus, MD
While Gliebus explained the mechanisms by which kefir could potentially
be helpful, he noted further research is needed on the probiotic and
Alzheimer’s disease.
“The review positions kefir as a
promising adjunct therapy due to its modulation of neuroinflammation and
oxidative stress via the gut-brain axis, but current evidence is still very
preliminary,” Gliebus emphasized. “While the biological rationale is strong,
more robust clinical studies are necessary before recommending kefir as a routine
component of [Alzheimer’s] management.”
Neurologist Joel Salinas,
MD, MBA, MSc, FAAN, the co-founder and chief medical officer of Isaac Health,
also spoke with MNT about the review.
“While early studies – mostly in
animals and lab settings – suggest that kefir may help reduce inflammation and
oxidative stress in the brain, we are still in the early stages of
understanding how this might translate to people with Alzheimer’s. It’s promising,
but more clinical research is needed before we can make definitive
recommendations.”— Joel Salinas, MD, MBA, MSc, FAAN
Salinas also noted that focusing on
lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, could be helpful.
“Dietary interventions like kefir may complement these treatments by
supporting brain health and overall well-being,” explained Salinas. “A holistic
approach – including a balanced diet, physical activity, cognitive stimulation,
and social engagement – may provide the most benefit for individuals at risk or
in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.”
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