Study Links Oral Microbiome Diversity to Cognitive Processing Speed in Healthy Adults
A new study in PLOS ONE suggests that specific bacteria on the tongue may correlate with how quickly healthy adults process information. Researchers found that higher levels of Prevotella histicola were associated with faster cognitive responses in both UK and Belgian participants. The study highlights the role of oral bacteria in converting dietary nitrates into nitric oxide, a molecule that supports blood vessel dilation. While age remained the strongest predictor of cognitive decline, these microbial associations offer a potential new avenue for understanding brain health.