How to Avoid Parkinsons Disease

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http://www.mercola.com/2003/aug/16/avoid_parkinsons.htm How to Avoid Parkinson’s Disease By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder in whichneurons in a region of the brain that controls movementdeteriorate. The deterioration of the neurons results in ashortage of dopamine, a brain-signaling chemical, whichcauses problems with movement. It's bad enough that we are using medications to controlParkinson's, now those who use them need to be concernedabout gambling their life savings away in a real althoughrare side effect reported in the current issue of Neurology.PD affects close to 1 million Americans. Symptoms, whichtypically progress over time, include tremor (trembling orshaking), slow movement, rigid limbs, stooped posture, aninability to move, reduced facial expressions and ashuffling gait. The condition can also cause depression,dementia, speech impairments, personality changes and sexualdifficulties. Most patients with PD are treated with drugs that can resultin a range of side effects including:Nausea Vomiting Low blood pressure Jerky movements Paranoia Hallucinations Confusion An inability to sleep Dry mouth Constipation Memory loss Blurred vision Skin rash About five to 10 percent of patients with PD are prescribedantimuscarinic drugs to help control tremors, bladderproblems and depression. According to one study, patientswho had been on these drugs for more than two years hadtwice the level of brain protein clumps and tangles, whichare characteristic of Alzheimer’s patients, as patients nottaking the drugs. The finding has raised concern amongscientists that antimuscarinic drugs could increase the riskof Alzheimer’s disease. Prevention is clearly the best option with Parkinson’sdisease. There are several steps you can take to minimizeyour chances of developing the disease. Eat Fresh, Raw Vegetables Studies have found that inadequate amounts of the B vitaminfolate, known as folic acid, may raise the risk ofParkinson's disease. Fresh, raw vegetables are an excellentsource of folic acid, and it’s easy to incorporate plenty ofveggies into your diet if you try vegetable juicing. Avoid Pesticides and Petrochemical Solvents Exposure to pesticides, insecticides and herbicides have allbeen linked to Parkinson’s disease, along with exposure tocommon petroleum-based hydrocarbon solvents such as paintsand glues. If you live in an area that is conductingmosquito fogging for West Nile Virus, be sure to stayindoors to avoid getting a massive dose of pesticides. When painting rooms in your house, use low-volatile paintsand be sure you keep the windows open and have properventilation. Avoid Excess Iron Eating a diet too high in iron puts you at an increased riskof developing Parkinson’s disease. While iron is a necessarypart of staying healthy, too much iron can be devastating.Aside from the excess iron that can result from taking ironsupplements, iron overload, or hemochromatosis, is actuallythe most common inherited disease. Iron can contribute to oxidative stress, which results whencells release toxic substances known as free radicals.Oxidative stress can contribute to the degeneration of braincells found in Parkinson’s disease. Measuring iron levels is a very important part of optimizingyour health, especially for men and postmenopausal womensince excess iron is most common among these groups.However, simply measuring serum iron is a poor way to dothis because frequently the serum iron will be normal. Themost useful of the indirect measures of iron status in thebody is through a measure of the serum ferritin level inconjunction with a total iron binding level. Please read myarticle “How to Diagnose Iron Overload” for moreinformation. Avoid Excess Manganese Manganese is similar to iron in that it can be harmful atexcessive levels and can contribute to oxidative stress inthe body. High amounts of manganese down-regulates serotoninand dopamine and high levels of manganese are often found inlearning disabled or violent individuals. Although it hasthe potential to create major problems, the medicalcommunity pays very little attention to manganese toxicity. As I said earlier, prevention is key with Parkinson’s. Bythe time someone comes down with the disease, treatment canbecome more difficult. While I am not a fan of usingsupplements, it appears that CoQ10 may be useful for peoplewith this disease. ================================================================see also: http://www.safe2use.com/health/parkinsons.htmIn-Home Pesticide Exposure Increases Parkinson’s Risk FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAN DIEGO, CA – Pesticide use and exposure in the home andgarden increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,according to a study of almost 500 people newly diagnosedwith the disease. Researchers announced their findings at apresentation at the American Academy of Neurology’s 52ndannual meeting in San Diego, CA, April 29 – May 6, 2000. "This study is the largest yet of newly diagnosedindividuals with Parkinson's disease and it is the firststudy to show a significant association between homepesticide use and the risk of developing Parkinson's disease," said study lead author Lorene Nelson,PhD, a neuroepidemiologist at Stanford University School ofMedicine. The preliminary results from this study mirrorwhat is already known about the increased risk ofParkinson's disease associated with occupational exposure topesticides. The researchers questioned 496 people who had been diagnosedwith Parkinson's disease about past use of pesticides. Eachpatient was asked if they had used or been exposed toinsecticides in the home or garden, herbicides or weedkillers in the garden, or fungicides to control mold ormildew in the home or garden. Researchers asked detailedquestions about past pesticide use including first exposuresand frequency of pesticide contact. The Parkinson’s patients’ lifetime histories were thencompared to 541 people without the disease. Researchersfound that people who had been exposed to pesticides wereapproximately two times more likely to develop Parkinson'sdisease than people not exposed to pesticides. In-home exposure to insecticides carried the highest risk ofdeveloping the disease. Parkinson’s patients were more thantwice as likely to have been exposed to insecticides in thehome than those without the disease. Past exposure toherbicides was also associated with the disease, whereasexposure to insecticides in the garden and fungicides werenot found to be risk factors. Damage to nerve cells in a part of the brain called thesubstantia nigra leads to the movement difficultiescharacteristic of Parkinson's disease. Therefore, peopleexposed to chemicals that have a particular affinity forthis region of the brain may be at particular risk fordeveloping the disease. "Certain chemicals that an individual is exposed to in theenvironment may cause selective death of brain cells orneurons," stated Nelson. "If we could understand why theseneurons are being killed in certain circumstances, we canthen try and prevent it." But Nelson cautioned that more studies are needed before anyconclusive statements can be made about the causes ofParkinson's disease, including any genetic influence on aperson's probability of developing the disease. Nelson also stressed that the results of the study must beinterpreted with caution. "No specific guidelines regardingavoidance of pesticides can be given at this time but, ingeneral, this is an area of public health importance thatneeds to be pursued," said Nelson. Parkinson’s disease is a slowly progressive,neurodegenerative disease that affects more than 500,000people in the United States. Parkinson’s causes the loss ofdopamine, a chemical in the brain, which results in musclestiffness and rigidity, slowness in movement and tremor ofthe arms and legs. The National Institutes of Health provided funding for thestudy. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of morethan 16,500 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, isdedicated to improving patient care through education andresearch. For more information about the American Academy ofNeurology, visit its Web site at http://www.aan.com. Foronline neurological health and wellness information, visitNeuroVista at http://www.aan.com/neurovista. Original Story found at: http://www.aan.com/