This Substance May Help your Liver Mitigate Alzheimer's

Lots of literature show a connection between your gut and your brain. Some call your gut your ‘second brain’.

New studies are showing your liver may be as important for maintaining your brain health. Indeed, the liver is important for supporting your overall health.

The liver regulates every chemical in your blood. According to Johns Hopkins, the vital functions the liver performs include:

· Production of bile, which helps carry away waste and break down fats in the small intestine during digestion

· Production of certain proteins for blood plasma

· Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through the body

· Conversion of excess glucose into glycogen for storage (glycogen can later be converted back to glucose for energy) and to balance and make glucose as needed 

· Regulation of blood levels of amino acids, which form the building blocks of proteins

· Processing of hemoglobin for use of its iron content (the liver stores iron)

· Conversion of poisonous ammonia to urea (urea is an end product of protein metabolism and is excreted in the urine)

· Clearing the blood of drugs and other poisonous substances

· Regulating blood clotting

· Resisting infections by making immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream

· Clearance of bilirubin, also from red blood cells. If there is an accumulation of bilirubin, the skin and eyes turn yellow. 

One of the waste products the liver removes from the system is amyloid plaque. Sound familiar? The same amyloid plaques that scientists associate with Alzheimer’s.

When the liver becomes inflamed or not working so well, it loses some of its ability to break down these amyloid proteins. Couple that with a blood brain barrier that becomes more leaky with age. That can lead to these amyloid proteins and other toxic substances migrating up to the brain causing Alzheimer’s.

Since the liver secretes bile to removes these toxins from the blood, it makes sense to add more bile to help the liver.

One particular bile acid is known as TUDCA. TUDCA stands for tauroursodeoxycholic acid. It’s a bile acid you can buy over the counter in supplement form.

TUDCA has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. People used to kill bears to collect it. Fortunately, they have discovered how to create it synthetically so more bears can live.

Studies are showing TUDCA has numerous benefits for your health. It helps your:

· Digestion

· Nervous system

· Liver

· Gallbladder

· Eyes and vision

It also helps improve insulin resistance, thus lowering the risks of diabetes and helps dissolve gallstones.

Where I am really interested in TUDCA is for its neuroprotective effects. Especially for my assisted living residents. It can help stimulate mitochondria health and reduce the amyloid production in the brain.

TUDCA can also help with neurological conditions such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease.

It seems like the recommended dosage for TUDCA seems to be between 250mg-1500mg per day. It’s best to take it with meals.

As always it’s best to consult your physician before taking any supplements. Definitely don’t rely on me for medical advice!

We’re working with our physicians and A Mind for All Seasons to introduce TUDCA for some of our residents with dementia. If we see any progress I will definitely let you know.