Dear Subscriber,
I saw a client recently whom I hadn’t seen for a number of years. He told me that he had recently gone to see a neurologist complaining of a slight tremor. The neurologist told him that it was likely to be early Parkinson’s disease. However, it was actually phrased or intended by the neurologist, my client took this to be an actual diagnosis, and he and his wife were thrown into turmoil. He came to me for advice, or perhaps for comfort.
I make lifestyle recommendations for most of my clients, but in the case of this person, he was an incorrigible sugar addict. I’ve seen clients with whom giving up sugar was not negotiable, even people who have had hip replacements. I’m not a Puritan. I tell all of my clients that there is nothing wrong with consuming sugar, alcohol or junk food. Just don’t be addicted. Enjoy them on special occasions or use them in a measured way.
I tell my sugar addicts to supplement with B vitamins and, especially, with magnesium, and sometimes in large doses. Sugar and alcohol in excess rob the body of magnesium and B vitamins. I consider sugar to be a drug, but this consuming of the body’s resources is why some nutritionists call sugar an “antinutrient.” In the case of my client with the Parkinson’s scare, he was a confirmed sugar addict, but finally ready to listen. He had quit sugar even before he called me. He was shocked and pleased that after only about four days of abstention from sugar, the tremors had practically disappeared. He is now much less concerned about having Parkinson’s disease, although not completely free of anxiety. Tremors, twitches, muscle cramps and spasms are symptoms of magnesium deficiency. It is estimated that most Americans are deficient in magnesium. Sugar, alcohol and stress can all leach magnesium out of the system.
But let’s be clear that this is not at all to say that the cause of Parkinson’s disease is magnesium deficiency, although it should almost always be recommended.
Here are a few potentially causative factors:
· Statins increase the likelihood of onset of Parkinsonism in people who have an inherited tendency.
· People with type 2 diabetes have a 21 percent higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Here we find a potential sugar connection.
· Environmental causes. Exposure to farming chemicals, pesticides and herbicides like Paraquat, Vietnam-era exposure to Agent Orange; working with heavy metals, detergents and solvents have all been implicated and studied for a clearer link.
· Household mold: More dangerous than most people realize!
· Gluten: after three months of abstinence from gluten, a 75-year-old patient reported an almost complete remission of symptoms, subsequently confirmed by a neurological evaluation. Even 18 months later, he was reexamined and was found to have improved further. The research team, for good reasons, did not conclude that the gluten intolerance was the cause of Parkinson's disease in the patient, but rather that it exacerbated the Parkinsonism.
There are a lot of other lifestyle practices that can have a beneficial effect on Parkinson’s Disease and supplements that have been found helpful. Remission of symptoms have occurred, but a more realistic expectation is to arrest or slow the progression of the disease.
Diet: For men, the Mediterranean diet seems to have an impact, delaying the onset of Parkinson’s symptoms for an average of 8.4 years, according to one study. The most important dietary factor, of course, is to completely avoid sugar.
Supplements:
B vitamins: It’s important to do a blood test for homocysteine. Homocysteine levels should be decreased in order to prevent Parkinson’s, cardiovascular diseases, and bone loss in those taking l-dopa, a medication commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease, which tends to raise homocysteine levels. This can be achieved through supplementation of certain B vitamins with folate, which should be used ideally in conjunction with B-12 injections (B‑12 as hydroxocobalamin). In addition, vitamin B-6 may reduce the severity of l‑dopa-induced dyskinesias (involuntary movements) in Parkinson’s disease.
Velvet bean extract (Mucuna pruriens) has a long history of use for treating Parkinson’s because of its natural dopamine content. Tests revealed that this herb had better effects, including a longer relief from dyskinesia, than those taking l‑dopa. If you want to try it, it is wise to find the ready-made extract.
Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) has shown a neuroprotective effect in an experimental model of Parkinson’s disease. CoQ-10 protects neurons and slows the degenerative progress.
The ubiquinol form is better absorbed and utilized than the cheaper ubiquinone. (Source: Dr. Rowen’s office carries this or you can get at Life Extension Foundation)
Pregnenolone is a hormone. It stimulates brain stem cells and can help with the depression associated with Parkinsonism. (Source: Designs for Health)
N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is a compound that is used by the body to help the liver produce an antioxidant called glutathione; researchers report that it may improve dopamine function and ease Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The study, “N-Acetyl Cysteine Is Associated with Dopaminergic Improvement in Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. This is available at our office.
In a well-publicized case, glutathione was administered intravenously to a patient with Parkinson’s disease. If you do a search for “Glutathione” and for “Perlmutter” and watch the video, Dr. David Perlmutter gives intravenous glutathione to a gentleman with Parkinson’s and videos the patient both before and after. The results are obvious. This treatment has become increasingly popular among alternative physicians in the U.S. There are many cases of striking improvement, but of course, there are some people who are not helped at all. Low brain levels of glutathione are an early biochemical change in Parkinson’s, leading to oxidative stress (IV glutathione and sublingual liposomal glutathione available at our office).
Green Tea EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is an antioxidant that penetrates the blood-brain barrier and acts as a neuroprotector in Parkinsonism. Theanine, another component of green tea, may be able to prevent dopaminergic cell death typical of Parkinson’s.
Curcumin: Curcumin is anti-inflammatory and also shown to prevent Parkinsonism in test animals (Curcumin is available at our office).
Melatonin: This is a brain hormone, an antioxidant and helps with sleep, which is often a problem for people with Parkinson’s disease (Fast-dissolving sublingual form available at our office).
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Vitamin D: Vitamin D is a neurohormone with neuroprotective effects throughout life. It also prevents Parkinsonism in test animals and is known to be deficient in many patients with the disease. Oral capsules, without the added toxic fats that you often find in brands in the stores, and vitamin D in drops are available at our office.
Carnitine: Acetyl-l-carnitine prevented experimentally-induced Parkinsonism in monkeys. Nutritional scientists in Shanghai found that acetyl-l-carnitine combined with lipoic acid prevented pathological changes in cell cultures and that the combination was effective at concentrations 100 times lower.
Plasmalogens: The importance of plasmalogens for the organization and stability of membranes involved in cellular signaling was mentioned in the previous newsletter on Alzheimer’s disease.Plasmalogen deficiency has been discovered in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. They are fatty substances important to both structure and function of the brain. This oral product is available at our office.
The most recent breakthrough that shows considerable promise in treating Parkinson’s disease and many other disorders, not only of the nervous system, is Photobiotherapy using red and near-infrared light. Animal studies have shown that light therapy offers neuroprotection and improvements in motor function. Numerous clinicians have reported dramatic clinical results, which have sparked interest in performing more controlled clinical trials. I plan to present more information about Photobiotherapy soon, but in summary, some of its benefits include:
• Increased Vascularity and Enhanced Circulation
• Stimulation Collagen and Fibrin Production
• Increased ATP Production and Release
• Increased RNA and DNA Synthesis
• Enhanced Lymphatic Drainage
• Stimulation of Fibroblastic Activity
• Increased Phagocytosis
• Reduced Excitability of Nervous Tissue
• Increased Production of Nitric Oxide (NO)
Individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease should also check with Dr. Su about the appropriateness of ozone treatment or intravenous therapies for this condition.
Wishing you the best in health and vitality,
Dan Kenner
Robert Rowen, in absentia
Thank you. Mucuna Puriens, by the way, is an Ayurvedic remedy.
Good article. Thank you. Glad tou mentioned light therapy. I am finding it to Be very helpful. I have a product that pulses the light using Nozier frequencies. The pulsing is a powerful addition.