For the first time, scientists have discovered that bacteria, which causes bleeding gums, can travel from the mouth into the brain. Signs of this gum disease bacterium were found in the brains of 51 out of 53 people with Alzheimers disease. According to the Daily Mail, the findings suggest that people who brush their teeth properly could lower their risk of dementia. A study found that Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major cause of gum disease, is able to reach the brains of mice after just six weeks. The damage found in the brain memory centers of these mice could explain previous evidence that people with long-term gum disease are 70 percent more likely to get dementia. Scientists now believe the bacteria could trigger Alzheimers in humans, having found the toxic enzymes it produces in the brains, spinal fluid and saliva of people diagnosed with the disease. The study was led by US Company Coretxyme, which says P. ginigivalis plays a "central role" in the development of Alzheimers disease. Chief executive Casey Lynch said: “This study is an important breakthrough in understanding how Alzheimers disease can be triggered and a new path to treatment." Gum disease, which causes bad breath and bleeding gums, has been linked to chronic health problems, including heart disease. It had been suspected bacteria from the mouth can travel through the bloodstream, breaching cells supposed to protect the brain and spreading through it over several years. Scientists have now shown that P. gingivalis can indeed move from the mouth to the brain in mice. Once infected with gum disease, these animals showed damage to brain cells in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain important for memory. The mice also showed a build-up of beta amyloid, one of the harmful proteins in the brain thought to cause dementia. Dr. David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimers Research UK, said: "We know diseases like Alzheimers are complex and have several different causes. But strong genetic evidence indicates that factors other than bacterial infections are central to the development of Alzheimers, so these new findings need to be taken in the context of this existing research."
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