There is someone in my life I would like to help with this, so have spent the last few days looking into causes & solutions. Some basic research tells me this disease relates to the malfunction of nerve cells in a certain area of the brain but there appears to be very little progress in the medical world (after how many years?) towards understanding the physical causation. Research is on-going they say, so please don't be in a hurry.
They do at least acknowledge "genetics is not solely responsible for Parkinson’s disease and there needs to be an environmental factor to trigger it in genetically susceptible people." source
I have never cared much for the theory of genetics. Much more powerful is the BELIEF in the theory of genetics and having someone in the family who died a particular way. Even subconsciously we can spend our entire lives expecting to die in the traditional family manner, not realising the Universe never fails to deliver on our expectations.
It is my belief there is no condition which cannot be corrected in a natural manner but unfortunately the world is designed around the idea of repeat business and the medical industry is leading the way in this field and therefore largely useless when seeking answers to such questions.
Better to look for those maverick research groups whose results challenge the status quo.
Environmental factors
The person I have in mind leads what I perceive to be a particularly healthy existence. His diet & lifestyle seem great, so there is something else.
There are clues to be found in the knowledge that it doesn't affect all people equally. Men for example are one-and-half times more likely to get Parkinson’s than women.
Looking specifically at England the ethnic group most likely to develop Parkinson’s is white people. Whereas rates are significantly lower amongst black and Asian people.
Toxins & heavy metals
It is very likely that exposure to toxins (harmful chemicals) is the trigger for this disease. These can slowly build up in our body over long periods of time, which is why Parkinson's normally arrives later in life.
There are a plethora of ways in which we can ingest these toxins, some more obvious than others. Stainless steel thermos flasks for example have been found to release heavy metals into our hot drinks. While aluminum and non-stick cookware are known to release carcinogenic nickel.
Tuna should be avoided due to its high mercury content.
Suncreams and other skin products with anything from this list should be avoided too.
Looking for the main sources of heavy metals today these three things came up a lot:
- Pesticides and herbicides used in farming
- Toxins released by industrial plants
- Air pollution related to road traffic
The person in question lives in the country, surrounded by agriculture, so it is possible he is being affected by pesticides.
Teeth
I haven't asked him about his dental history but I can see there is a connection being made between amalgam fillings and Parkinson's.
Parkinson’s disease has also been associated with toxic build-up of heavy metals in the body, especially mercury from dental amalgams. To slow the progression of Parkinson’s amalgam fillings should be replaced, followed by a detoxification program. source
Another reminder I need to get that done myself. My mouth is full of amalgam fillings! Quick side note here, one of my sisters used to have severe insomnia but since having her fillings removed, she sleeps better.
Coming back to the point about Asians & blacks experiencing fewer instances of parkinson's, my feeling is as follows:
Black people generally have great teeth, with fewer fillings. Therefore less heavy metal build-up over the course of their lives.
Asian people cook more with chilli peppers & turmeric. They also enjoy drinking ginseng. All of these things have been shown to have a preventative effect for Parkinson's, likely due to their detoxifying qualities.
The Solanaceae plant family
One study even made a connection between nicotine & lower risk of Parkinson's. That's right smokers, you finally have your reason! But did you know that tobacco is not the only plant to contain nicotine? Members of the Solanaceae plant family (peppers, tomatoes, potatoes,eggplant & petunias) all contain small amounts.
The more vegetables from the Solanaceae plant family that people ate, the lower their risk of Parkinson's disease. This association was strongest for peppers, according to the study, which was published May 9 in the journal Annals of Neurology. source
Click here to get to a full list of the Solanaceae plant family, some of which I would definitely not recommend eating.
Natural cleansing methods
Looking for information on how to clean these toxins out, all of the search results at the top of my google provided list took me to recommended drugs. Yep, there's that repeat business model I mentioned. Right down at the bottom of the search list I found the more useful stuff. Like this article 5 Herbal Remedies For Heavy Metal Poisoning which proposes the following items:
- Chlorella
- Cilantro (coriander)
- Garlic
- Milk Thistle
- Chlorophyll
It probably won't taste great but personally I would blend up a daily cocktail of goodies and gulp it down the hatch in one.
In conclusion
Living in this modern world it is almost impossible to avoid the slow build up of toxic heavy metals over time. So while there are many potential contributing factors behind any disease which results from this, the question of how detoxifying our daily habits are seems the more important issue here, especially as time goes on.
From my perspective it's like this:
Once all possible sources of heavy metals have been eliminated from a person's life, a thorough detox period must then be undertaken, after which one has a much better chance of enjoying the remainder of their life without becoming dependent on drugs which have a bunch of side effects, which require more drugs, which come with a bunch more side effects, which require more drugs etc... Behold the money making magic of modern medicine ;)
So, does anyone here have any further light to shed on this subject?
Please note I am not looking for horror stories but aspects of your experience which may offer wisdom & hope.
My love to you all from a very colourful looking home in the South of France.
Title image source here