The Medical Advisor

Diet (1) and exercise (2) are effective natural strategies to help protect your brain against neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia. But did you know that your oral microbiome, composed of different bacterial strains living in your mouth, also plays a role in protecting your brain? Oral Bacteria — The Missing Link for Dementia? A study published in PNAS Nexus investigated how specific bacteria in the mouth influence cognitive function and dementia risk. Specifically, researchers focused on the connection between the oral microbiome, nitric oxide (NO) production and cognitive performance, particularly in individuals with the APOE4 gene, a gene associated with heightened risk of Alzheimer’s disease (more on this later). 3 • Framework of the study —  The study involved 115 participants over 50 years old from the PROTECT study, an online cohort created to track the cognitive function of older adults across the United Kingdom. 4  Saliva samples were collected from the partic...

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) rose from 33.5 million to nearly 60 million. 1   AFib is a type of cardiac arrhythmia that affects the upper chambers of the heart, disrupting the normal heartbeat and increasing the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular complications. 2 Age, high blood pressure, and metabolic issues are well-known risk factors, but the steady rise in cases suggests that traditional risk models could be missing an important piece of the puzzle. One such piece lies well outside the boundaries of the heart itself — specifically, in the mouth. A recent study published in the journal Circulation found a direct connection between periodontal infection and atrial fibrillation, implicating oral bacteria in the development of cardiac fibrosis and electrical dysfunction. This raises pressing questions about how a routine dental checkup might influence your cardiovascular health. 3 How Gum Disease Triggers AFib and ...

About Dr. Weston A. Price In the early 1930s, a Cleveland dentist named Weston A. Price (1870-1948) began a series of unique investigations.  For over ten years, he traveled to isolated parts of the globe to study the health of populations untouched by western civilization. His goal was to discover the factors responsible for good dental health. His studies revealed that dental caries and deformed dental arches resulting in crowded, crooked teeth are the result of nutritional deficiencies, not inherited genetic defects. The groups Price studied included remote villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides, indigenous peoples of North and South America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders, African tribes, Australian Aborigines and New Zealand Maori. Wherever he went, Dr. Price found that beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, good physiques, resistance to disease and fine characters were typical of native groups on their traditional diets, rich i...