Parkinson's disease
From The Nutritional Health Bible by Linda Lazarides (1997). This free database is provided for interest only. Linda's later writings refer to more up-to-date research.
Some causative factors- Deficiency of antioxidant nutrients
- Pesticide exposure
- Toxic overload particularly heavy metals (including mercury from silver tooth fillings), and manganese excess
- Solvent abuse.
42 Parkinsonian patients were compared with controls in terms of environmental factors. A lower risk of the disease was found to be associated with residence in rural areas. A higher risk of contracting the disease seemed to be associated with occupational exposure to manganese, iron and aluminium. Pesticide handling and farm work did not seem to be associated with Parkinson's disease. Zayed J et al: Environmental factors in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (in French). Can J Neurol Sci 17(3):286-91, 1990.
Possible disease-causing factors were assessed in 130 cases of Parkinson's disease. A family history of the disease was the strongest predictor of risk, followed by head trauma then occupational use of herbicides (week-killers). Semchuk KM et al: Parkinson's disease: a test of the multifactorial etiologic hypothesis. Neurology 43(6):1173-80, 1993.
Rates of death from Parkinson's disease (PD) in Michigan were compared with exposure to heavy metals. Areas with a paper, chemical, iron or copper-related industry showed significantly higher death rates from PD than areas without these industries. The investigators suggest that there is a geographical association between PD mortality and the industrial use of heavy metals. Rybicki BA et al: Parkinson's disease mortality and the industrial use of heavy metals in Michigan. Mov Disord 8(1):87-92, 1993.
Permanent Parkinson's disease developed in a 37-year old man two years after chronic exposure to the fungicide maneb, containing the two neurotoxins manganese and dithiocarbamate. Meco G et al: Parkinsonism after chronic exposure to the fungicide maneb (manganese ethylene-bis-dithiocarbamate). Scand J Work Environ Health 20(4):301-5,1994.
Data on environmental and other factors, including pesticide exposure, heavy metals, general anaethesia and head trauma, were collected from 380 parkinsonian patients and compared with controls. Factors which appeared to increase the risk of parkinsonism included cigarette smoking, pesticide use, amalgam (silver) tooth fillings, exposure to wood preservatives, general anaesthesia, head injury, and the presence of parkinsonism in other family members. Seidler A et al: Possible environmental, occupational and other etiologic factors for Parkinson's disease: a case-control study in Germany. Neurology 46(5):1275-84, 1996.
A patient who abused solvents developed Parkinson's disease and responded to the treatment usually given for parkinsonism, levodopa. Uitti RJ et al: Parkinsonism induced by solvent abuse. Ann Neurol 35(5):616-9, 1994.
A study of 500 people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease found that of all the factors they had in common, exposure to fly spray and other pesticides used in the home was the strongest link between them. Those who had been exposed to pesticides were twice as likely to develop the disease then those who had not. Nelson LM et a, 52nd Annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, San Diego, Californig, USA, April 29-May6, 2000.