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Regular brushing can be a key element in preventing the development of Alzheimer's disease, a new study concludes. Poor oral hygiene eventually leads to the development of gingivitis, a disease of the gums, in many people. Bacteria involved in gingivitis can cause memory problems and even Alzheimer's disease in people with this inflammatory disease.
Gingivitis is a fairly common condition involving swollen, red, and irritated gums. This condition results from the accumulation on the plate of a bacterium that produces toxins; these toxins, in turn, irritate the gums, causing problems associated with gingivitis. It is perhaps this same toxin-producing bacterium that is at the origin of the development of Alzheimer's disease.
The study comes from the University of Bergen, which revealed that the bacteria that causes gingivitis could enter the patient's brain. A protein produced by this bacterium eventually destroys nerve cells in the brain, resulting in slow memory loss and potentially the formation of Alzheimer's disease.
Although the bacteria alone is not likely to cause Alzheimer's disease, it can play a vital role in triggering this disease – and, according to the study, can accelerate its progression. Preventive steps are simple and common, but only require a few dollars and a few minutes of time: brushing and flossing.
This is not the first study to show that bacteria that cause gingivitis can pass from the mouth to the brain, where harmful enzymes are produced. This latest research, however, is the first to identify DNA evidence of this process in the human brain. Of the 53 Alzheimer's patients studied in this research, 96% of them were carriers of the harmful enzyme.
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