Your gut may be making a molecule that raises Alzheimer’s risk

Scientists have linked a gut bacterial compound called ImP to greater Alzheimer’s risk, harmful brain protein buildup, and faster cognitive decline. The finding raises the possibility that reducing ImP in the blood could one day help slow or prevent dementia. Your gut may be making a molecule that raises Alzheimer’s risk.

The finding could point scientists toward a potential treatment strategy aimed at lowering Alzheimer’s risk. Nearly a decade ago, a research team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison professors Barbara Bendlin and Federico Rey found that the mix of microorganisms living in the intestines differs between people with Alzheimer’s disease and healthy individuals. "Since then, we’ve been trying to figure out how this difference in the gut perhaps leads to changes in the brain," says Bendlin, a professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.

A Gut Molecule With Effects Beyond the Intestines In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, Bendlin, Rey and their collaborators focused on imidazole propionate (ImP), a compound produced by certain bacteria in the gut. Their findings suggest that ImP may contribute to brain changes involved in Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia. ImP production varies considerably from person to person.