Another surprising intervention that may help reduce systemic inflammation, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease risk, is brushing and flossing one’s teeth. (You heard me: Floss.) There is a growing body of research linking oral health, particularly the state of one’s gum tissue, with overall health. Researchers have found that one pathogen in particular, a microbe called P. gingivalis that commonly causes gum disease, is responsible for large increases in levels of inflammatory markers such as IL-6.
