Daily exercise can help liver protect the brain and fight Alzheimer’s, confirms new study

Daily exercise does more than keeping the body fit, It also helps keep the brain’s defences strong, and that could mean better protection against Alzheimer’s disease (Image: Pexels)

• Exercise prompts the liver to release enzyme GPLD1
• GPLD1 helps protect the brain by reducing harmful TNAP protein
• Strengthening the blood-brain barrier may help fight Alzheimer's

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Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that steals memory, clouds thinking and gradually weakens independence. It is closely associated with inflammation in the brain and the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, a network of vessels that protects the brain by blocking harmful substances from entering.

As you age, that barrier weakens. However, in a recent discovery researchers have found that exercise doesn’t simply tone muscles or lift spirits, it may physically reinforce the brain against the damage of ageing and Alzheimer’s.

According to a study by the University of California, San Francisco, exercise prompts the liver to release an enzyme known as GPLD1. In the study, published in the journal Cell, scientists found that exercise triggers the liver to release an enzyme called GPLD1.

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An enzyme is a substance that helps chemical reactions happen in the body. Initially, researchers were confused because the GPLD1 levels increased with exercise, and memory improved, but the enzyme never entered the brain. Researchers now found out that the GPLD1 works outside the brain by removing a harmful protein called TNAP.

According to the study, as animals age, TNAP builds up in the cells that form the blood-brain barrier. This build-up weakens the barrier and makes it leaky. When TNAP increases, more harmful substances enter the brain, leading to inflammation and memory decline.

To test this, scientists increased TNAP in young mice. The result revealed that the young mice developed memory problems similar to those seen in older animals. The researchers then reduced TNAP levels in older mice, roughly equal to 70-year-old humans. The blood-brain barrier became stronger, inflammation decreased, and the mice performed better in memory tests. Even in old age, the damage could be partly reversed.

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This discovery is important because most Alzheimer’s research focuses only on the brain. The study shows that other parts of the body, especially the liver, also play a key role in brain health. Scientists believe future treatments might replicate the action of GPLD1 to repair the brain’s protective barrier. In simple terms, exercise may do more than keep the body fit. It may help keep the brain’s defences strong, and that could mean better protection against Alzheimer’s disease.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis