Take a probiotic
Scientists are just beginning to understand how the collection of good bacteria in your GI tract, known as the gut microbiome, influences your brain. “Feedback signals from the gut tell the brain about gastric and intestinal motility, gut hormone secretion, and gut inflammation,” says Linda Rinaman, PhD, a psychology professor at Florida State University who’s studied the gut-brain connection. Much of the research on the “gut-brain axis” in relation to the development of Alzheimer’s has been observed in rodents. But new studies in humans are also revealing a connection between the type of bacteria in the gut and the likelihood of Alzheimer’s. Although probiotics, which aim to balance your gut bacteria, haven’t yet been proven to protect brain health, it’s may be worth giving them a try—or eating probiotic foods like yogurt or sauerkraut—just in case.