Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes shaking, stiffness, and difficulties with walking, balance and coordination, affects more than 10 million people worldwide. In the U.S. alone, nearly one million people are living with Parkinson’s, and approximately 60,000 more are diagnosed with the disease each year.

In a new book entitled “Ending Parkinson’s Disease,” researchers highlight the link between toxic chemicals in the environment and Parkinson’s disease.

Link to toxins means Parkinson’s is “a man-made pandemic”

Authors Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist at the University of Rochester; Todd Sherer, a neuroscientist at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; Dr. Michael S. Okun, a neurologist at the University of Florida; and Dr. Bastiaan R. Bloem, a neurologist at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands laid out extensive evidence linking environmental pollutants and other dangerous toxins to Parkinson’s. This link has led them to label Parkinson’s as “a man-made pandemic.”

According to the authors, the prevalence of Parkinson’s has paralleled the growth of industrialization and has increased dramatically with the use of pesticides, industrial solvents, degreasing agents and other industrial chemicals in many countries around the world.

“Over the last 25 years, the prevalence rates for Parkinson’s, adjusted for age, increased by 22 percent for the world, by 30 percent for India, and by 116 percent for China,” they wrote.

One specific chemical that the authors pointed out is trichloroethylene (TCE). They noted that the use of TCE is so widespread that nearly every American has been exposed to it. TCE is not only present in roughly 30 percent of the country’s drinking water, but it is also present in the air, largely due to its highly volatile nature.

Other toxins mentioned by the authors include chlorpyrifos, an insecticide widely used on crops and golf courses, and paraquat, a chemical herbicide widely used in American agricultural fields despite reports that it increases the risk of Parkinson’s by 150 percent.

What you eat can help lower your risk of Parkinson’s

While environmental toxins from rapid industrialization and pesticide use has increased your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, choosing the right foods to eat can help stave off the disease. In particular, following the Mediterranean diet has been shown to help lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

A Swiss study, published in the journal Movement Disorders, evaluated the dietary habits of 47,128 women who had previously participated in a long-running lifestyle and health study. The study found that women who followed a Mediterranean diet in their 30s and 40s had a 46 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson’s later in life.

The researchers also reported that this reduced risk was even notable among participants aged 65 years or older. In fact, they found that older women who adhered strongly to a Mediterranean diet had a 57 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson’s.

Beyond a Mediterranean diet, studies show that regularly drinking coffee can also help lower your risk of Parkinson’s.

A report by Elisabet Rothenberg, a registered dietitian with Kristianstad University in Sweden, detailed how the regular consumption of coffee could reduce your risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. It also reported that regular consumption of coffee could help reduce the symptoms of the disease.

Regular coffee consumption, albeit in moderate amounts, confers other health benefits, such as better short-term memory and a healthier heart.

Parkinson’s is a serious brain disease that affects millions of people around the globe due to the world’s rapid industrialization. That said, there are ways for you to lower your risk of getting this dreaded disease that affects brain function.

If you wish to avoid developing Parkinson’s as you grow older, switch to a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet and adopt healthy habits like drinking coffee. These can go a long way toward lowering your risk of Parkinson’s and other brain diseases.

Sources:

Parkinson.org

NYTimes.com

MovementDisorders.OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com

CoffeeHealth.org^[PDF]

OneMedical.com