Scientists have looked at the brain from every possible angle, searching for the spot where dementia begins.
Because if they can pinpoint precisely where Alzheimer’s starts, they figure maybe they could also figure out how to stop the nightmare from striking in the first place. And unfortunately, so far, they’ve had little success.
But one study may have found why even the world’s leading experts keep coming up empty. It turns out they might be looking in the wrong place.
Because a key potential trigger for dementia isn’t in the brain. It’s on your skin.
And when you spot this strange red flag early on, you can take steps to help head off Alzheimer’s long before it strikes.
The strange link between dry skin and dementia
As strange as it sounds, the softer your skin, the lower your Alzheimer’s risk is likely to be. While dry and rough skin can be a red flag that you’re in the dementia danger zone.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking. “What does dry skin have to do with dementia?” Well, it turns out a lot.
We often forget that our skin is actually an organ of its own. And none of our organs operate entirely independently. They all influence each other.
According to researchers, dry skin damage triggers the production of inflammatory proteins called cytokines. These proteins are supposed to help jumpstart tissue repairs.
But when your skin becomes super dry and damaged, cytokine production can kick into overdrive. Your body begins pumping out a ton of these proteins, which circulate throughout your body, kicking up inflammation everywhere they go.
That can lead to body-wide inflammation, including in your BRAIN. And, of course, brain inflammation is linked to the “plaques and tangles” that mark the slow onset of dementia.
Baby your skin for better brain health
So as farfetched as it may seem, the link between dry, damaged skin and dementia is quite simple. And breaking that link is equally as straightforward, as the study showed.
Researchers tested cytokine levels in groups of both older and younger volunteers. And they confirmed that the folks with drier skin had higher levels of the inflammatory proteins right out of the gate.
But then they gave some of the participants some moisturizer to help restore balance to their parched skin. And it didn’t just work. In the older volunteers, it was wildly successful.
The moisturizer essentially turned the clock back. As the senior’s dry skin softened, their cytokine levels took a nosedive. In fact, in the end, their cytokine levels had dropped to match those of folks half their age sending their dementia risk plummeting too.
They had significant drops in three of the worst offenders:
- tumor necrosis factor
- interleukin-1 beta
- interleukin-6
Excessive levels of these inflammatory proteins aren’t just linked to dementia either. They’re also associated with a higher risk for other chronic illnesses, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hardening of the arteries, and cancer.
So the bottom line? The easiest step you can take to reduce your dementia risk is to moisturize.
I happen to like the Atopalm moisturizing cream myself. It’s the same brand used in the study. You can find it online and in many retail stores. But any good quality paraben-free skin cream will work fine.
Latest posts by Alice Jacob (see all)
- BEFORE you pop that weight-loss pill read THIS - August 15, 2022
- Shut down “zombie cells” to slow aging to a crawl - August 14, 2022
- Diabetic? THIS number is key [NOT daily blood sugar] - August 13, 2022
