Today, Parkinson’s proves be one the deadliest diseases out there. According to Mayo Clinic, it’s “a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects your movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while tremor may be the most well-known sign of Parkinson’s disease, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.“
Parkinson’s in the second most common neurodegenerative disorder (following Alzheimer’s) and is cause by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine. Men are more likely to develop the disease and 50,000 to 60,000 patients are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year. Unfortunately, there’s no cure. One celebrity diagnosed with PD is the ever-wonderful Michael J. Fox.
Recently, studies are beginning to measure the effects of the chemical nicotine on the disease.
In 2000 a study was conducted on the effects of nicotine on Parkinson’s disease and published in American Psychological Association. In the study, 15 men (mean age 66) diagnosed with early to moderate PD received a dose of nicotine followed by chronic nicotine (in the form of a patch) for two weeks. The men showed improvements ognative performance, particurally reaction time, central processing speed, and decreased tracking error; After chronic nicotine, improvements were seen in several motor measures, suggesting improved extrapyramidal functioning. This appeared to be sustained for up to 1 month after the drug.
Nicotine can also play a key role in prevention. That doesn’t mean start smoking, because nicotine can be found in “Solanaceae,” a flowering plant family (as well as peppers and tomatoes.) Eating these foods can help prevent Parkinson’s development and lower the risk for the disease. Though harmful in many ways, the chemical is “thought to have a neuroprotective effect upon dopaminergic neurons, providing a protective effect against the disease,” (Medical News Today).
Susan Searles Nielsen PhD conducted a study published in Annals of neurology consisting of 490 newly diagnosed PD and 644 patients without the disease (the control group) and examined whether PD was associated with self-reported typical frequency of consumption of peppers, tomatoes, tomato juice, and potatoes during adulthood, while adjusting for consumption of other vegetables, age, sex, race/ethnicity, tobacco use, and caffeine.
What she found that while eating vegetables had no effect, but eating vegetables in the Solanaceae family did; in fact it lowered their risk of 19% on average. And eating 2-4 Peppers weekly lowered risk by 30%.
Parkinson’s is an awful disease, and the best way to fight it is to be informed- and to eat your vegetables.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/parkinsons-disease/DS00295
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260354.php