Dementia Epidemic May be Caused by Algae Toxin in Freshwater Lakes

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A poisonous algae found across Britain's freshwater lakes have been found to cause the rise in dementia in the United Kingdom. For the first time, researchers are close to establish a concrete link between the toxin and the devastating neurological condition.

Reports from Daily Mail UK revealed that a chemical produced by algae is being linked to a range of neurological conditions that include Alzheimer's and Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Scientists fear that this could have caused the epidemic in almost one million people.

The new research, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, identified the toxin as beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). The toxin is found as a by-product of the common blue-green algal bloom that is present in seafood and plants. Scientists fear that this is how the toxin enters the food chain however evidence is yet to be established.

To determine how the algae affect neurological responses, monkeys were fed with bananas infused with BMAA. Researchers noted that within 140 days or just over four months, the monkeys developed abnormal brain structures called plaques and tangles. The same was found in Guam islanders who also suffered from a neurodegenerative illness similar to Alzheimer's.

The Sun reports that cycad trees in Guam were first found to contain BMAA in 1967.

More so, scientists in the U.S. and France have found a rare MND among those who live around lakes and lagoons which are contaminated with the algae. One in four locals, who were found to eat flour obtained from contaminated cycad plants as well as BMAA-ridden bats, gets the rare MND.

More so, MND rates were found to be 25 times higher than expected in people living in contaminated lakes and lagoons according to researchers.

According to one of the researchers, Professor Paul Cox, the poisonous toxin could just be a "third factor" behind the increasing number of Alzheimer cases.

"We know the single biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is age, and as our population ages, people will get it more. Secondly, we are getting better at diagnosing and finding Alzheimer's cases", he told The Daily Mail on Sunday.

If scientists will be successful in establishing the link, BMAA could the first key environmental factor that could cause the increasing rates of dementia.

Until now, the biggest factor for developing Alzheimer has been old age. Genetics may also be involved as well as a person's lifestyle. However, to determine why a particular person develops the disease remains a mystery.

Alarmingly so, BMAA is commonly found in British inland waters. Samples from 12 fresh water lakes and reservoirs in England, Scotland and Wales tested positive of the blue-green algae. As previously mentioned, a link is yet to be established to the food chain. Some of the seafood such as French mussels, oysters and Portuguese cockles grown in estuaries were found to contain BMAA.

To know more about dementia, watch the video below: