How your gums may be causing Alzheimer's! - Michelle Crone Naturopath

The bad bacteria under your gums may be doing more than causing bad breath and bleeding gums …studies reveal links with Altzheimers.

“…Evidence has been growing that the function of amyloid proteins which are an indication of current aetiology of Alzheimers, may be as a defence against bacteria, leading to a spate of recent studies looking at bacteria in Alzheimer’s, particularly those that cause gum disease, which is known to be a major risk factor for the condition.

Bacteria involved in gum disease and other illnesses have been found after death in the brains of people who had Alzheimer’s, but until now, it hasn’t been clear whether these bacteria caused the disease or simply got in via brain damage caused by the condition.” -New Scientist excerpt.

Before Naturopathy my career over 16 years was a dental health educator, preventive dental radiographer and assistant.

Over my careers I have built up an extensive knowledge not only how to suck spit, pack silver and resin fillings (filled with mercury and other ) and wipe down dental chairs, LOL but I was a preventive oral health consultant for patients and an expert consultant in dental practices all over the world.

Looking back this was a perfect stepping stone for me into natural medicine. I have always been fascinated by research into the gums and your gut health, now the research is really floating my boat. Especially with a family member having Altzheimers, personally having Hemochromatosis (Iron Overload Disorder) and my experience as a Dental Health Educator and now Naturopath. Dont’ think fo rone minute there is just ONE cause for Altzheimers however, many other links like Aluminium, alcohol, genetics, heavy metals and toxic stress may also be linked.

This is the start of a new era in the gut microbiome and how our INTERNAL MILLEAU makes a huge impact on our overall health. It is time to forget about junk food, sugar, preservatives and think healthy organic foods and water that FUELS our wellbeing.

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Fatigued, arthritis and long term chronic health issues? Join the Genetic Haemochromatosis complementary Medicine page here to learn more about this very common disorder of Iron Metabolism.

“The microbiome of our blood is the key to healthy cells and immune response and the gut is feeding the bloods’ microbiome one way or another, whether that be synergistic or dysbiotic growth. We really are what we eat, put on our skin, think and drink” -Michelle Crone 2019.

How then does periodontal / mouth bacteria cause Altzheimers?

In the case of the bacteria that live in the gums in an anaerobic ( no oxygen state) and thrive there and it’s linked to Alzheimer’s, scientists postulated how it might arrive there.

Firstly if we do not brush and floss regularly, eat junk food diets and have plaque forming, the normally healthy 1-3 mm pockets around the teeth, producing stable and happy flora in the mouth, becomes imbalanced and bacterial cultures remain under the gums and grow under the once small pockets that in a healthy state, range from 4-10mm in an unhealthy state in gum disease.

The higher the pocket depth, the larger the harbour for bad bacteria to form the more bone loss occurs.

Photo credit: centralpennperio.com/about-gum-disease

One of the bacteria that is linked to gum disease and Altzheimers in this study is P. gingivalis . Once this plaque builds up under the pockets, it causes inflammation (bleeding) and releases toxins into the bloodstream. Scientists believe this might cause dementia after it arrives in the brain, from entering the circulation and into the other organs, potentially over the blood-brain barrier.

They believe it may trigger the release of amyloid, the brain’s method of trying to contain the infection, and this may then kill neurons in the brain.

Another way is that P. gingivalis may directly damage the brain. Alzheimer’s involves inflammation, an excessive immune response that ends up killing neurons instead of protecting them. P. gingivalis is known to cause inflammation in gum tissue, and it may do so in the brain as well.

The blood-brain barrier should protect your brain from microbes, but P. gingivalis ahs been shown to invade white blood cells and the cells lining blood vessels. It may also invade cranial nerves near the mouth, then spread from cell to cell towards the brain over a period of years.

One mighty good reason to view your ORAL HEALTH as another orifice to keep clean! See your preventive dental team and have qualified Oral Hygienist measure each and every one of your gum pockets, record them, instruct how to get into those periodontal pockets and maintain this level of oral hygiene at home.

Photo credit: The Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteria that can cause gum disease
A. Dowsett, Public Health England/Science Photo Library

Bacteria inhabits all of our small crevices of the body, including in the gums, and it has many links to chronic health issues. Here’s one study I will be watching closely although there’s always natural ways to reduce gingivalis bacteria. FLOSS and or use Interdental brushes with some awesome antimicrobial herbal formulas specific to this area. Weleda and my own brand of herbal mixtures of Calendula, CloSysII are several I recommend and non-fluoridated toothpastes can be found here.

I invite you to take the challenge and start believing in the healthier version of yourself today.

Book a one hour initial consult to join your four week programme (called the SPECIAL OFFER ***4 WEEK BODY AND MIND WEIGHT PROGRAMME***) to reset your oral health, nourish your cells at a special rate of $150 per week.

Use the code MCNpromo to receive 10% off paid upfront when you book in February 2019 via my online booking app.