How do we stop Parkinson’s Disease? What can we do to halt the progress of a disease that keeps taking pieces of me—making my hands shake, stealing my voice when I want to sing, turning a simple walk with the one I love into a challenge, ruining relaxing moments with my favorite drink, or causing agony as my muscles tighten and stiffen at the same time I try to get through the day?
Millions of people around the world may have similar thoughts to these as Parkinson’s Disease overtakes their lives, breaking them down a little bit each day. With estimates of 246 new cases diagnosed daily according to the Parkinson’s Foundation, the disease is slowly overtaking humanity. What started as a disease that affected so few of the planet’s population has gained momentum, spreading relentlessly as lifespans lengthen with risk factors rising, turning Parkinson’s into one of the fastest-growing neurological disorders of our time.
Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev created the framework for the modern Periodic Table in 1869; it’s from this that scientists and chemists worldwide have built the foundations of understanding the elements that make up everything we know, helping us to discover new medicines, advance technology, nuclear energy, fusion, space travel, and produce space-age materials that can only be possible today. What was not wholly factored in were the repercussions of the impacts on the human genome, as we started to create recipes from the chemical soups of life, showing that while chemistry has expanded what is possible, it has also opened the door to new risks. Parkinson’s arises from a complex mix of genetics, environmental exposures, and aging, however, our impact on the natural world, from industrial chemicals to pesticides, may be tipping the balance away from our favor by increasing the risk and the reach of the disease in ways we are only beginning to understand, making the spread of Parkinson’s Disease, something of our own making.
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Although reports of Parkinson’s were once less frequent, the number of people living with the disease has steadily increased. Today, cases have reached unprecedented levels, affecting more people than ever and suggesting that some of what we are doing is making it worse.
Many chemicals have been linked to Parkinson’s, like Trichloroethylene, a chemical used in degreasers, paint thinners, and certain cleaning products, and Perchloroethylene, used to make your dry-cleaning smell fresh. Additionally, recent data by the Parkinson’s Foundation suggests that pesticides used on golf courses may also play a role in the spread of the disease through inhalation, unprotected skin contact, and chemical residues, putting the groundskeepers and those who live near them at risk for the disease. Other chemicals linked to Parkinson’s disease are: Paraquat, Rotenone, Dieldrin & Organochlorines, Polychlorinated biphenyls, and particulate matter from traffic-related pollution from the air we breathe, making larger cities more of a target for Parkinson ‘s-related diagnosis.
So? What are we to do?
Dr. Ray Dorsey, MD, and Dr. Michael S. Okun, MD, authors of The Parkinson’s Plan, have outlined the “Parkinson’s 25” to help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s Disease caused by known factors researchers have identified as contributors to this disease. Parkinson’s is a disease that grows with you, over the years. Symptoms start small and get bigger as the disease progresses, slowly affecting movement, speech, and daily activities, reshaping the way you live and interact with the world. Not everyone will develop Parkinson’s, but for those who could, following these recommendations could help lessen the chances of developing it.
- Washing your food and changing your diet: These are two common-sense ways of eating right and staying healthy. Washing your produce (even the organic fruits and vegetables) may still have residue of pesticides that the farmer may have been using for other crops in an adjacent field.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables, as emphasized in the Mediterranean diet, has been shown to have many benefits to help lower cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These diets help lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and lower the risk of heart attacks.
- Swing by Starbucks or your favorite coffee shop for a cup of joe: Caffeine has been shown to have a decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s. While coffee can keep you up at night, caffeine is thought to block adenosine (a naturally occurring protein) receptors in the brain, which protect dopamine-producing neurons—the very cells that are lost in Parkinson’s.
- While most cities filter out contaminants in the water supply, using a carbon water filter can help remove what may have been missed. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals may still reside in the water supply.
These are just a few of the “Parkinson’s 25” recommendations the authors suggest for long-term actions to help lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. There is no cure for Parkinson’s right now, but researchers and doctors all around the world are working hard to develop new medicines, to improve the lives of those with the disease, and to one day find a cure.
The book is available now at www.pdplan.org
