Study Says This Common Supplement Could Have An Unexpected Effect On Your Memory

Holding onto your cognitive abilities as long as possible allows you to recall fond memories, make informed decisions, and even learn new skills well into your golden years. After all, it's a myth that neuroplasticity vanishes as you age. As long as your brain remains healthy, you can continuously feed it information to grow your knowledge (via Mayo Clinic).

Accordingly, you may want to talk with your doctor about ways to support your cognitive powers. And one way may be to pamper your gut with a widely available substance called bifidobacterium.

As its moniker suggests, bifidobacterium is a type of bacteria. However, it's a "good" bacteria versus a "bad" bacteria that could make you sick. Specifically, it's a naturally occurring bacteria that's found in the human intestinal tract. Bifidobacteria act as probiotics, helping with digestion and potentially assisting your body in warding off medical issues like cardiovascular disease (it's wise to do what you can do to lower your risk of heart disease) and obesity. And bifidobacteria may also play a role in keeping your mind functioning at optimal levels.

The possible connection between bifidobacteria, mental sharpness, and unexpected memory effects was displayed in a 2024 study in Nature Communications. The study explored the effects of taking a bifidobacterium and protein powder supplement for 12 weeks on older individuals without known cognition ailments. Each individual who was given the supplement was a twin whose sibling was given a placebo over the same timeframe.

By the end of the study, the individuals who had taken bifidobacterium supplements scored higher on cognition tests than their twin siblings. Additionally, they had higher amounts of bifidobacteria in their gut microbiome. Therefore, the study concluded that bifidobacteria impacted the health-affecting gut microbiome in a way that produced a positive mental outcome.

This study wasn't the first clinical experiment to show evidence in support of bifidobacteria within the context of the belly-brain relationship. A 2022 trial in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease explored the effects of taking a daily bifidobacterium supplement on adult subjects with likely mild cognitive issues. After 24 weeks, the subjects' brains showed less atrophy than would be expected. Consequently, the trial recommended that bifidobacteria could be used as a therapeutic treatment for people with mild cognitive impairment.

It's worth noting that consuming bifidobacteria in supplemental or food form (e.g., kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt) might boost your mood, not just your memory. A 2015 trial in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity looked at whether or not consuming a probiotic supplement containing bifidobacteria and other substances would help reduce negative thinking in people with mood disorders. Over four weeks, 20 subjects participated in an intervention that included probiotic doses. By the end of the intervention, the subjects collectively experienced less aggression and worry related to sadness.