Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disease that impacts motor function and can sometimes begin to impact cognitive function. It has been increasing in prevalence in developed countries, including Canada. 

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease begins with essential nutrients for the nervous system – those needed for nerve cells to work well. Many of these nutrients overlap with the nutrients needed for optimal mitochondrial function (cellular energy production). Nerve cells have a very high energy demand. If energy is in short supply, as happens with age, then they become more vulnerable to impaired function, presenting as Parkinson’s-like symptoms or other neurological deficits.

In recent years, much has been learned about the origins of Parkinson’s Disease. Below is a brief description of the targets of therapy to remove potential causative factors.

Digestive System

A growing body of evidence is linking the development of Parkinson’s Disease to gut health. A recent demonstrated that people with Parkinson’s Disease are substantially more likely to have a Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) than controls (30% versus 8%). In fact, this study likely underestimates the presence of SIBO in both groups due to the nature of the test procedure used. SIBO is an example of an imbalanced digestive microbiome that will lead to Irritable Bowel Syndrome in many people, and “Leaky gut.” The presence of this type of gut dysbiosis can be significant enough to have an impact on the nervous system and the development of Parkinson’s Disease through complex mechanisms that are not yet fully understood.

Toxic Chemicals

The role of toxic chemicals in Parkinson’s Disease cannot be ignored. Why is the incidence of PD increasing? Could it be due to our continually increasing exposure to harmful toxic chemicals? Many researchers and doctors feel that is likely the case. The effect of many environmental chemicals on mitochondrial (cellular) energy production is well established, and as mentioned before, this increases the brain’s vulnerability to dysfunction.

Stealth Infections

Stealth infections like Mold (and mycotoxins), Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Toxoplasmosis, Epstein-Barr and other viruses may play a significant role in neurological decline. Like toxic chemicals, stealth infections affect the production of cellular energy and may impact the function of the nervous system itself through a variety of mechanisms. Clear evidence is difficult to ascertain here because of the difficulty in identifying stealth infections with standard testing, but with more advanced and comprehensive tests, evidence of infection can often be found. 

Conclusion

The links between digestive health, toxicity, and stealth infections (and other risk factors) with Parkinson’s Disease are becoming clearer as the body of research continues to develop. At this point investigation into these areas in all patients with Parkinson’s disease builds a framework for a treatment approach. 

Medications are helpful in the short term but do little over the long term. Instead of relying on medications alone, an assessment of these contributors, followed by the resolution of whatever problems are found, ought to be a priority.

Our approach is to do just that while also supporting the body and brain with strong neurological and mitochondrial nutrients to build resilience and stabilize the condition. 

As is common with complex diseases, multiple contributors fuel the problem. This applies to most cases of Parkinson’s Disease as well. 

References:

1. Gut microbiome and Parkinson’s disease: Perspective on pathogenesis and treatment. PMID 36332796.
2. The gastrointestinal tract and Parkinson’s disease. PMID 
3. Prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in Chinese patients with Parkinson’s disease. PMID 27589873.
4. Desulfovibria bacteria enhance alpha-synuclein aggregation in a Caenorhabiditis elegans model of Parkinson’s disease. PMID 37197200.
5. Trichloroethylene: An Invisible Cause of Parkinson’s Disease? PMID 36938742.
6. Association between Heavy Metal Exposure and Parkinson’s Disease: A Review of the Mechanisms Related to Oxidative Stress. PMID 36552676.
7. Parkinson’s Disease and the Environment. PMID 30941085.
8. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Neurodegenerative Disorders: The Role of Nutritional Supplementation. PMID: 36293457.
9. Infection and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease. PMID 33361610.