While Parkinson's disease has no known cause or cure, a number of critical risk factors have been identified and advances have been made in alternative treatment options. Ultimately, increasing quality of life for those with Parkinson's disease is the goal

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, which means it kills neurons in the brain, affecting multiple body systems. An estimated 10 million people worldwide and 1 million in the U.S. suffer from PD.^[i] "Predominantly perceived as a motor disease, it … has debilitating non-motor features, which are frequently missed and not treated," researchers wrote in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.^[ii]

Key characteristics of PD include progressive loss of dopamine neurons in the middle brain and a dramatic reduction in dopamine levels in the frontal brain.^[iii] When cells that normally produce dopamine die, common symptoms of Parkinson's occur. These are different for each person and include:^[iv]

1. Motor symptoms: tremors, stiffness, rigidity, slow movement, impaired balance and difficulty walking

2. Non-motor symptoms: fatigue, soft speech, drooling, constipation, sleep disturbances, anxiety, dementia and depression^[v]

Critical Risk Factors

PD has no known identifiable causes. There are several risk factors for PD, however:

Environmental Toxins

Pesticides and herbicides including insecticides permethrin and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH), the herbicides paraquat and organophosphorus, organochlorines, phenoxyacetic acids and triazine compounds areassociated with PD risk.^[vi],[vii] Glyphosate, the active ingredient found in Roundup herbicide, is also linked to neurodegenerative conditions such as PD.^[viii]

Gut Dysfunction

Parkinson's disease may start in the gut and travels to the brain via the vagus nerve.^[ix] A link between gut bacteria called Helicobacter Pylori and PD has been uncovered.^[x]

Neuron Transmission Disruption

Toxins hinder a key step in the transmission of neuronal signals -- the recycling of waste proteins (empty vesicle lipid membranes surrounding a neuron) essential for higher brain functioning.^[xi],[xii] PD's earliest signs often display as sleep disorders, including a lower duration of sleep and deep sleep, which decrease recycling and restorative brain processes.^[xiii],[xiv]

Oxidative Stress

Inflammation caused by free-radical damage in the brain is closely associated with several degenerative neurologic disorders, including PD, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.^[xv]

Latest Medical Treatments

While there is no known cure for PD, current conventional treatments include many drugs and a last-resort surgery option to alleviate symptoms:^[xvi]

• Carbidopa-levodopa (CD/LD): Levodopa is a chemical that passes into your brain and converts to dopamine. Combined with carbidopa, it lessens one of the biggest side effects of Parkinson's drugs -- nausea. Other side effects include lightheadedness and, after prolonged use, patients may develop dyskinesia (involuntary movements) and wearing-off of the drug.
• Dopamine agonists: These mimic dopamine effects in your brain, last longer than CD/LD and are used for falling off periods. They cause many of thesame side effects as CD/LD but also may cause hallucinations, sleepiness and compulsive behaviors.
• MAO B inhibitors: These elp prevent the breakdown of brain dopamine by inhibiting the brain enzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAO B), which metabolizes brain dopamine. Side effects include nausea, insomnia and hallucinations if combined with CD/LD.
• Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors: Entacapone (Comtan) mildly prolongs the effect of levodopa therapy by blocking an enzyme that breaks down dopamine. Side effects include dyskinesia and diarrhea.
• Anticholinergics: These control PD tremors but present many side effects including impaired memory, confusion, hallucinations, constipation, dry mouth and impaired urination.
• Amantadine: Used for short-term relief of symptoms of mild, early-stage PD, amantadine may also be given with CD/LD drugs to control dyskinesia. Side effects include purple mottling of the skin, ankle swelling and hallucinations.
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS): For DBS, surgeons implant electrodes into your brain to decrease PD symptoms. Risks include infections, stroke and brain hemorrhage.

Latest Alternative Treatments

Alternative PD research is growing, and GreenMedInfo.com has compiled 497 abstracts related to PD research and enhancing quality of life for PD patients:

• Mucuna pruriens (MP), also known as velvet bean, is a naturally occurring L-Dopa plant. MP powder, called HP-200, was examined in PD diagnosed patients (46 male and14 female) and significantly reduced symptoms. The group mean dose for optimal control of symptoms was 6 +/- 3 sachets (7.5 grams) in water taken orally.^[xvii]

A blind clinical trial of eight PD patients showed faster action and longer time without an increase in dyskinesia, highlighting a distinct advantage over conventional CD/LD preparations. Similarly, MP performed better (i.e., was safer and more effective) in 16 PD patients when compared to L-dopa treatments.^[xviii]

• Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seed oil. Biochemical studies of black cumin seed oil revealed potential to control inflammation in the mix glial cells of rats, an important issue in PD.^[xix],[xx]
• Baicalein, a Chinese herbal medicine used for treating central nervous system diseases,^[xxi] has been found to have neural protective characteristics beneficial for PD symptoms, by inhibiting nitric oxide's (NO) and free radicals' microglia damage.^[xxii]
• Movement and the arts. Exercise lowers neuron degeneration and reduces inflammation in the brain, reducing symptoms in Alzheimer's and PD.^[xxiii] Music therapy, ^[xxiv] tai chi and qigong,^[xxv] yoga, relaxation, massage^{[xxvi],[xxvii],[xxviii]} and dancing^[xxix] also help decrease PD symptoms.
• Gingko biloba. Ginkgetin, a biflavonoid isolated from ginkgo biloba L. leaves, has many anti-inflammatory, anti-influenza virus and anti-fungal benefits, with mice research showing its significant neuroprotective ability.^[xxx]
• Coenzyme Q10. In 80 PD patients, the greatest benefit occurred in those taking 1,200 milligrams of CoQ10. The supplement proved to be both safe and effective in slowing PD function deterioration.^[xxxi]

CoQ10 prevented neurotoxic impact of the pesticide paraquat on rats.^[xxxii] Serum CoQ was associated with lower risk for dementia^[xxxiii] and greater protection for neurons.^[xxxiv] CoQ10 (ubiquitol 10 version) was very effective in helping with the falling off of CD/LD treatments for PD in rats.^[xxxv]

• Curcumin. Curcumin (and its compound metabolite tetrahydrocurcumin -- ThC) may help prevent neuron toxicity in PD-induced mice.^[xxxvi] Research shows antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of curcumin can highly benefit PD.^[xxxvii]
• Cannabis. Positive results were found for cannabis and cannabinoids on decreasing PD motor and non-motor symptoms.^{[xxxviii],[xxxix]}

Although PD currently has no cure and no agreed-upon cause, research is helping to understand the disease and find alternative treatment options that can increase the quality of life for those with PD.