In this video‑blog, Dr. David Perlmutter reviews research connecting gut‑derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease, and explains how elevated LPS in aged laboratory mice reduces their capacity for neurogenesis (the growth of new brain cells). He highlights a key finding: when the mice are given access to a running wheel for voluntary aerobic exercise, the detrimental effect of LPS on neurogenesis is markedly lessened. Perlmutter interprets this as supporting evidence that aerobic exercise can offset inflammation‑driven brain damage, noting that LPS levels are higher in the bloodstream of Alzheimer’s patients and reflect both systemic inflammation and intestinal permeability. He cautions that the data are from animal models, but emphasizes the potential relevance for human health.
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Hello, I'm Dr. David Perlmutter. I've been posting over the past several years about the relationship of Alzheimer's disease to inflammation, the process of inflammation, and more recently we've seen information relating LPS, a chemical in the gut, also being related to inflammation and being seen to be elevated in Alzheimer's disease as well. The article that we are looking at in this video blog looks at the relationship of LPS to the process of neurogenesis. We see in laboratory animals that when LPS is elevated, those laboratory animals, elderly animals, are less able to grow new brain cells. That's the process of neurogenesis. But what is so intriguing about this report is that when these laboratory mice are given a wheel to exercise on, then LPS is less likely to compromise their ability to grow new brain cells. So for me, the take-home message is that this lends some support, again, to the importance of aerobic exercise, in this case, being able to offset the damage to the brain caused by inflammation as a result of higher levels of LPS in the bloodstream. We see LPS higher in the bloodstream of Alzheimer's patients. And again, LPS comes from what are called gram-negative bacteria that live within the intestines. So when we see blood markers of elevated LPS level, it's telling us 2 things. Number one, inflammation's been amped up. And number two, the gut has become somewhat leaky, allowing that intestinal chemical to make its way into the bloodstream. But how empowering it is to know that this may be offset by engaging in aerobic exercise. Now, again, it's a laboratory animal, and it may be seen as a leap to generalize to humans, but hey, that's my job, is to give you this information. So I hope you find this research intriguing, as did I. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter.
