Research shows that, to remain healthy, we need to consume, every day, the following essential nutrients:

            60 minerals

            16 vitamins

            12 amino acids

            2 essential fatty acids

They’re considered essential nutrients because, acting together, they perform hundreds of vital roles in the body. They help maintain strength and density of bones, heal wounds, and support our immune system. They also help to convert food into energy, and to repair cell level damage. We become vulnerable to chronic conditions, eg Parkinson’s, when we are deficient in these nutrients.

Soils depleted of minerals and modern methods of rearing livestock means that, even with the optimal diet, we’re going to be left seriously nutrient deficient. By the time the stresses of modern life and exposure to environmental toxins extract further toll, our store of nutrients is virtually empty and we’re running on fumes.

This is the point where Parkinson’s (and other chronic diseases) enter our lives.

Numerous studies cite low cholesterol levels as being associated with Parkinson’s Disease.

One study, from the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, published in 2006 in the American Journal of Epidemiology said this:

“Higher serum levels of total cholesterol were associated with a significantly decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease.”

Other studies link low cholesterol levels to low cognition, poor memory function and depression, too. These are all symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.

Cholesterol is vital to health.

Cholesterol is vital to the human body. If you had no cholesterol in your body you would be dead. No cells, no bone structure, no muscles, no hormones, no sex, no reproductive system, no digestion, no brain function, no memory, no nerve endings, no movement, no human life – nothing without cholesterol. It is utterly vital and we die instantly without it.

Fake Science Behind the Low Fat Diet

Research shows that cholesterol levels have no impact upon heart disease, and that a lowering of cholesterol levels does not reduce the likelihood of heart attacks.

Adopting a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, as recommended by healthcare professionals, is shown to have an injurious impact upon health. Just witness the rising rates of chronic illness since this advice was first imparted. The incidence of obesity, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s etc have all soared.

Our brains are made of cholesterol, and many of us are restricting our brain’s access to vital cholesterol. It’s no wonder that so many of us are now being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, at increasingly younger ages, too.

And the fake science? This website tells you how our health has been hijacked by business interests.

Environmental pollutants, smoke, toxins, chemicals in processed foods, fried foods etc all cause the creation of free radicals in our bodies.

Free radicals are oxygen atoms which aren’t paired with a stabilising electron. These free radicals then adhere to other cells causing damage ie inflammation. 

Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance between the production of these free radicals and the inability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants.

Research shows that people with Parkinson’s suffer greater levels of oxidative stress and also have lower levels of antioxidants to deal with it.

Uncontrolled inflammation is considered to be one of the leading causes of most chronic illnesses. Nowadays, our bodies are riddled with inflammation. These illnesses include Parkinson’s, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s etc.

Dietary imbalance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids

The inflammation appears to be caused by a major shift in our diets, which are changing faster than our bodies are able to cope.

Man’s original diet created a 1:1 ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) in our bodies. Our cells’ structure evolved to operate at this ratio. Omega-6 is pro-inflammatory, whilst Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory.

200,000 years ago, mankind existed on a diet of pure natural, organic foods rich in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 EFAs (wild lean meat, fish, green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, and honey). This is the vitamin and mineral rich diet with perfectly balanced essential fatty acids to which our body is most suited. Some call it the Paleo diet.

Nowadays, our diets are heavily inclined towards pro-inflammatory Omega-6 EFAs where food additives, sugars, carbohydrates, processed seed and vegetable oils all feature highly in today’s processed foods. They’re cheap, poor in nutrients and they’re leading us all inexorably on a path towards ill-health.

Omega-6 consumption is out of control

With the start of agriculture, and the introduction of mass produced, intensively farmed cereal grains as staple food, we’ve seen a steady increase of omega-6 EFAs at the expense of omega-3 EFAs. This has accelerated hugely over the past 50 years with cattle being fed more grains.

Added to that, omega-6 fatty acids, which are found also in processed seed and vegetable oils, especially soybean oil, of which our consumption has increased 1,400% in the past 50 years. All of which creates a perfect storm.

Imbalance of Omega-3 to Omega-6

Our bodies are being ravaged by the imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3. Our diets have taken us from approximately 1:1, to a ratio of 16:1, or much worse. The consequences of this to our health are dire.

Gluten sensitivity can go undetected for years – but it damages the brain!

This is the conclusion of a Gluten Sensitivity research study published in 2009 in the journal, Medical Hypotheses:

‘The fundamental problem with gluten is its interference with the body’s neural networks……gluten is linked to neurological harm in patients, both with and without evidence of celiac disease. Evidence points to the nervous system as the prime site of gluten damage’

There are other studies, too, which highlight the damage that gluten does to the brain. Gluten sensitivity can go undetected for years in many of us until Parkinson’s or some other neurological disease strikes.

Beware gluten is everywhere!

Aside from the obvious grain-based foods – bread, pasta, cakes etc – gluten is a widely-used ingredient in far too many processed foods, but to our body it is a toxin. It’s in the flour used to thicken soups and sauces. It’s used as a stabilizer and thickener in many condiments, ketchup, mustard, pasta sauce, tomato paste, BBQ sauce etc.

Processed meats such as sausages, hot dogs, deli- and luncheon meats are  filled with flour (gluten) for texture, as a filler and for thickening purposes.

Gluten is literally everywhere; the list of gluten containing foods is endless. It’s a very inexpensive and convenient way for food manufacturers to enhance the taste and palatability of their products.

High blood sugars harm the brain

In his book, Grain Brain, Dr Perlmutter states:

‘Neurotransmitters are our main mood and brain regulators, and when blood sugar increases there is an immediate depletion of the neurotransmitters serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, GABA and dopamine. Simultaneously, B-complex vitamins, which are needed to make those neurotransmitters, get used up. Magnesium levels also diminish, and this handicaps both our nervous system and liver.’

Trigger brain tangles

High blood sugars trigger a reaction called ‘glycation’ which means that glucose, proteins, and certain fats become tangled together causing tissues and cells to become stiff and inflexible, including those in brain.

Sugar molecules and brain proteins combine to create deadly new structures (amyloid plaques). These contribute more than any other factor to the degeneration of the brain and it’s functioning.

High blood sugars and gluten together are even worse

The brain is tremendously vulnerable to the glycating ravages of glucose, and this is made worse when powerful antigens like gluten accelerate the damage.

Sugar intake has soared

The sugar content of our diets have soared in recent decades and with it has come such a big increase in neurological diseases.

So called “healthy’ muesli is packed with hidden sugar, as is just about every other boxed breakfast cereal.

High blood sugar can come from the most unlikely sources. Sugars are found in a wide range of processed foods simply because it’s cheap and scientists know that it makes these foods taste much more appealing to us. Even bread scores more highly on the Glycemic Index scale than a Snickers bar!  

The combination of a body which is overburdened with toxins and whose detoxification pathways are compromised and ill-equipped to cope, is the perfect recipe for chronic disease.

Retained toxins compromise bodily functions and even bind to neurotransmitters and nerve cells.

We are exposed to toxins on a scale never before seen by man. Chemicals and metals are routinely used in the production of everything with which we come into contact . We breathe, swallow or absorb thousands of toxic compounds every day – unless we take action to reduce the load.

Here is a list, which is by no means comprehensive, of the areas where we are exposed to toxins.

Foods

Processed foods use thousands of chemicals and other compounds, including metals, widely in their actual composition and during their production processes. Artificial flavorings, preservatives, thickeners, thinners, masking agents etc make up a considerable percentage of what manufacturers euphemistically call ‘food’.

Non-organic vegetables and fruit are grown in chemical fertilisers and exposed to chemical pesticides.

Intensively farmed animals are treated with growth hormones and antibiotics, which get into the food chain. Their produce (ie eggs, milk etc) can be contaminated, too.

Personal Care

We ingest or absorb hundreds of chemicals from using manufactured personal care products. Toothpastes are a concoction of chemicals, as are deodorants, shower gels, shampoos etc.

The average woman, by the time she has washed, showered, dressed, and done her hair, has used 12 different products. This means she’s likely been exposed to 120 different chemicals – before breakfast! Typically, women add more than 200 chemicals to their skin daily, and more than 60% of these chemicals get absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

Household Cleaning

Just like personal care items, those attractively packaged, sweet smelling household products are rammed full of chemicals. These are absorbed through the skin or breathed in.

Environmental pollution

Every time we walk out of our homes we are exposed to a vast array of airborne pollutants.

Water

 The priority for water authorities is to deliver a water safe for human consumption and free of bacteria. To accomplish this objective, chemicals are used in water treatment plants and some chemical residue remains when it reaches the tap.

In many areas, fluoride, a known neurotoxin, is added to the water supply. You can read HERE about the perils of fluoride.

ElectroMagnetic Field Radiation

Our increasing addiction to devices which communicate continuously means that we are exposed unavoidably to artificially created pulsed, created  electromagnetic  fields which surround us invisibly everywhere.

WiFi routers, cordless phones, mobile phones, laptops & tablets, televisions, baby monitors, smart meters are just a few of the seemingly endless list.

We are surrounded by these invisible forces and no-one knows what impact they may be having upon our brains and bodies.

One scientist said, “Irradiation of the brain from mobile phones is the greatest experiment of humanity. We are drowning in a sea of radiation”.

Heavy Metals

Exposure to heavy metals and bodily contamination is an ever-present problem for people with Parkinson’s.

Concentrations of metals, which include lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminium, which I highlight below, are commonly present in Parkinson’s, impairing function and inducing Parkinson’s-like symptoms.

Recent studies have shown that even low concentrations of metals impair neurological function.

Take arsenic, for example. Rice, a staple of the global diet, is a leading dietary source of inorganic arsenic, both because of how commonly it’s consumed and because as rice plants grow, the plant and grain tend to absorb arsenic more readily than other food crops.

Arsenic and its compounds are used in the production of pesticides, treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides. The use of arsenic is now declining, though that’s not the issue right now.

Aluminumized baking powder is now being used in many foods that were formerly prepared without baking powder, such as pizza crust, raised doughnuts, pie crusts, cookies, waffles, prepared meats, and cheeses.

Water treatment facilities use aluminum sulphate as part of their treatment process.

Mercury is lethal in the tiniest amounts.  It is attracted to fats, and of course the most abundant source of fats is the brain and central nervous system. The most common, though not exclusive, source of mercury is amalgam fillings, which being in the mouth, is readily absorbed into the bloodstream.

The phrase, “mad as a hatter” derived from the 19^th century when workers used mercury in hat making and lost their mental faculties. The condition was characterized by slurred speech, tremors, stumbling, and, in extreme cases, hallucinations.

Other symptoms of mercury toxicity may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, poor coordination, trouble speaking. Sound familiar?

Lead is another contaminant commonly found in people with Parkinson’s. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems and tingling in hands and feet.

It should be a priority of everyone with Parkinson’s to establish whether or not heavy metals are present in their body. A test, using a sample of hair, will determine that and either rule it in or out.

Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to fear or stress as part of the fight or flight mechanism. Cortisol’s role is to mobilise the body for action and prepare it to deal with the oncoming threat. Once the threat has subsided, then cortisol returns to normal, and the heart, for example, returns to its regular beat.

Long-term stress and high, long-lasting anxiety, does not provide an outlet for cortisol. Damaging levels of cortisol, continuously pumped out by the adrenals, remain in the blood and wreak havoc on the body causing inflammation.

It’s been long recognized that high levels of stress lower immune function, increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease, depression, and so on. Now, though, we know why. Long term, elevated cortisol levels impairs methylation – the body’s term for biochemical processes!