They always told us that moving is good for you. To the heart, to the figure, to the mood. But today science adds a piece that changes perspective: physical exercise can protect the brain from Alzheimer’s by intervening on a precise biological mechanism.
It’s not a motivational slogan. This is what emerges from research from the University of California – San Francisco, published in the scientific journal Cell, which has identified a direct link between physical activity, liver and brain health. And the most interesting part is this: our body already has the tools to defend the mind. We just need to activate them.
There is a little-known but fundamental structure in our body: the blood-brain barrier. It is a sort of natural filter that separates the blood from the brain and prevents potentially harmful substances from reaching the neurons.
As we age, however, this barrier can become more fragile. It “looses”, it lets molecules pass that should not enter and this promotes a state of chronic inflammation in the brain. Inflammation, in turn, is closely linked to cognitive decline and the development of the disease. This is where exercise comes in.
How exercise strengthens the barrier that defends the brain
Researchers have discovered that when we move, the liver releases an enzyme called GPLD1 into the blood. This enzyme does not enter the brain directly, but acts on the blood vessels surrounding it. In particular, it intervenes on a protein – TNAP – which tends to accumulate with age in the cells of the blood-brain barrier, making it more permeable.
GPLD1 helps remove this excess protein, helping to “reseal” the barrier. The result is a reduction in inflammation and improved cognitive function. We are not talking about abstract theories: this is a measurable biological mechanism. Movement activates a concrete communication between the liver and the brain. A true internal alliance.
For years, Alzheimer’s research has focused almost exclusively on what happens inside the brain: plaques, abnormal proteins, deteriorating neurons. This study broadens the scope. It tells us that the brain is not an isolated organ. It’s part of a system. And the body can make a decisive contribution to its protection.
The discovery also opens up new therapeutic possibilities: in the future, drugs capable of modulating proteins such as TNAP could be developed to strengthen the blood-brain barrier even as age advances. But in the meantime there is a strategy accessible to all: move regularly.
You don’t need to become a marathon runner. Walk every day, cycle, swim, practice yoga or gentle gymnastics. The important thing is consistency. In a country like Italy, where life expectancy is among the highest in Europe and the aging of the population is a concrete reality, talking about prevention is not a detail: it is a collective responsibility.
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