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Potential Parkinson’s prevention found in seaweed antioxidant
My father died at age 83 of Parkinson’s disease.
Dad’s progression from being slightly clumsy, to having tremors, a shuffling gait and the “mask face” that Parkinson’s stiff muscles can cause, took about ten years.
In 2008, shortly after dad passed, a flurry of research began into the true origins and causes of this devastating disease.
Today, that research continues…
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The neurology of Parkinson’s
Before we go on, it will be helpful if you understand what’s going on “behind the scenes” in the nervous system of someone with Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motor control and cognitive function.
In Parkinson’s disease, free radicals produced by excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules, damage the neurons that produce dopamine.
Environmental factors, such as neurotoxins, pesticides, insecticides, dopamine (DA) itself, and genetic mutations contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction which precedes the formation of these reactive oxygen species.
So it’s not surprising that pesticides have been linked to the onset of Parkinson’s. In 2006, a Harvard study found a 70 percent incidence of Parkinson’s among farm and non-farm workers exposed to pesticides. Studies in 2011 and 2014 came up with similarly disturbing results.
And in previous research involving Harvard, UCLA and Mt. Sinai Hospital, researchers saw that neurons that closely resembled dopaminergic neurons, when damaged by certain pesticides, resulted in the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s: the shuffling gait, uncontrollable tremors and rigid facial and body muscles.
This means that suppressing the creation of reactive oxygen species could be one way to prevent Parkinson’s, or at least slow its progression.
This is the line of research that a group of Japanese researchers have pursued, taking a close look at rotenone, an insecticide that inhibits the energy-producing mitochondria in our cells and is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. It’s also commonly used in home gardens and golf courses.
Seaweed antioxidants fight the effects of pesticides on nerves
Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa of Osaka Metropolitan University led a research group that has verified the physiological effect of Ecklonia cava polyphenols — seaweed antioxidants — on the prevention of Parkinson’s disease.
In this study, a group of mice with Parkinsons-like symptoms were fed seaweed antioxidants every day for a week. Then they were given rotenone.
Rotenone decreased motor function in the mice, but it was restored in the mice that had consumed the seaweed antioxidants.
Closer investigation showed that the antioxidants inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species that cause neuronal cell death.
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Other ways to fight Parkinsons
Although there is no true cure for Parkinson’s disease, research has given us important insights into steps we can take to reduce our risks.
The most obvious is to avoid environmental toxins linked to the disease. Exposure can happen anywhere grounds are maintained with pesticides or insecticides — think golf courses and public parks.
Supplementing resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant, could offer double the benefit in this situation. Not only can it fight free radicals, but it acts as a chelator to help remove some toxins from the body.
As far as food goes, there have been quite a few promising leads on how to eat (and drink) to ward off Parkinson’s:
- A few years ago, a large, long-term study was completed that provided evidence that drinking more coffee could be protective against Parkinson’s, to the tune of up to 70 percent!
- Another study found that sesamol, a naturally occurring chemical in the shells of sesame seeds, has the power to not only guard the body’s motor neurons but also help maintain elevated dopamine levels.
And here’s something interesting: the motor and cognitive skills involved in playing table tennis (ping pong) seem to improve many of the issues experienced by people with Parkinsons including facial expression, speed of movement, hand tremors, speech and walking.
It’s also possible to help protect your mitochondria against assault by free radicals. You can read more about that here.
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Sources:
Preventing Parkinson’s disease may lie in seaweed antioxidants — EurekAlert
Free radicals vs. reactive oxygen species: what’s the difference? — Cell Guidance Systems
New evidence that higher caffeine and urate levels are protective against Parkinson’s — EurekaAlert
By Joyce Hollman
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