Gut Hormone Found to Play Critical Role in Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

[Kia17]

Ghrelin is a hormone produced by enteroendocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach, and is often called a “hunger hormone” because it increases food intake. Blood levels of ghrelin are highest before meals when hungry, returning to lower levels after mealtimes. Now ghrelin may have insights into neurological disorders such as dementia in PD. A Swansea-led research team says they have discovered that the gut hormone is a key regulator of new nerve cells in the adult brain.

genengnews.com/news/gut-hor...

[pdkid]

Just read through the article. Really interesting, thanks for sharing! What is our main take away... try our best to keep maintaining gut health? Try to keep a healthy weight?

[Kia17 in reply to pdkid]

I think it’s too early to conclude but like you said keeping the gut healthy is of paramount importance.

[rhyspeace12]

Very interesting about the weight loss. My PD husband lost 60 pounds and did develop dementia.

[LAJ12345]

My husband wants to eat all the time and has lost weight recently and has been feeling worse. I’m not sure if that is hunger or habit, browsing the pantry🤣. No sign of dementia. His memory is better than mine although I think sometimes his logical thought processing and organisation is lacking.

I have a theory on weight loss based on a sample size of 1. I think symptoms seem to worsen with weight loss and I wonder if that is toxic fat cells releasing stores of heavy metals, pesticides , mycotoxins etc into the bloodstream making him feel sick. They might aid dementia? Thoughts?

[NRyan]

I've copied, cut and pasted. The points in this study I am trying to emphasize are the effects of exercise and fasting on brain health.

"The birth and maturation of new neurons in the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is essential for spatial pattern separation memory, which is the ability to separate highly similar components of memories into distinct memory representations. This process is impaired in neurodegeneration and dementia but is enhanced by lifestyle factors, such as exercise and calorie restriction. Indeed, neurogenic impairments observed in the familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) model, 5xFAD, are rescued by exercise.

We recently showed that calorie restriction increased AHN and hippocampal-dependent memory in a mechanism dependent on signaling via the stomach hormone, acyl-ghrelin. Indeed, acyl-ghrelin, which is elevated during calorie restriction, crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) within the hippocampus and improves spatial memory."

Great to have more support that exercise and fasting can potentially help PwP.

[bstover]

Thanks for the info. Where can one get the testing for this marker?

[Kia17 in reply to bstover]

Since that is related to the gut, a Gastroenterologist can request and interpret the test more efficiently. Even within a multidisciplinary approach with a Gastroenterologist , Neurologist , Endocrinologists and a dietitian.