Category Archives: causes of Parkinson’s

What Causes Parkinsons?

Below I have posted a clip of my 2009 interview with Naturopath Daniel Newman ND who answers my question: what causes Parkinsons?

He offers the common sense observation that environmental toxins cause them. Nonetheless, the conventional treatment protocol focuses on putting new substances and medications into the body, not eliminating the toxins that have created the problem.

Do most medical professionals focus on detoxing their patients who experience Parkinson’s symptoms? You know that answer to this question!

Detoxing is typically not a benign process. If the detoxification process overwhelms the elimination organs (the liver, kidney, large intestine, skin) you can become very ill indeed. Some members of my global audience tell me they were rushed to intensive care at their local hospital because symptoms became so severe.

Before a detox program is undertaken, all the organs required for a successful detox regimen need to be supported and fully functional.

If your elimination organs are not equipped to process the excess of toxins a process of “re-distribution” takes place. A toxic substance residing in a harmless location (like for example your buttock) is mobilized into circulation. Where does it land?

The body does not deposit the circulating toxin in the heart or lungs. These organs are  critical to survival. No. The body wisely deposits the circulating toxin to the extremities – the hands, feet and guess what? The brain. What was originally a harmless toxin lodged in a harmless tissue becomes a toxin that does considerable harm.

Daniel Newman points like that a successful detox program is just like cooking a delicious soup. You need to right ingredients in the right amounts introduced at the right time. Slow cooking is preferred over microwave blasts!

Summary: Is detoxing important for a person experiencing Parkinsons symptoms? Of course! Do you want to get rid of the toxins quickly? Of course. Should you? Duh. No. Best to collaborate with a qualified health care practitioner skilled with successful detox protocols.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
Twenty Five Cent Wisdom
Olympia Washington

Food Can Fix Things that Drugs Cant

Click the arrow below to hear my interview with Bill McAnalley PhD who discusses why food can fix things that drugs can’t. His discussion focuses on explaining the causes of Parkinson’s and lists the foods needed to treat each cause.

Information about Dr. McAnballey’s company, is accessed by visiting  Aroga

Below are the talking points that Dr. McAnalley prepared for my  interview with him on Parkinsons Recovery Radio where he explains why food can fix things drugs cant  

Parkinson’s disease (PD), characterized with bradykinesia, static tremor, rigidity and disturbances in balance, is the second most common neuro-degenerative disorder.  Alzheimer disease is first.

With the global trends in aging, the incidence of PD has increased year by year and the prevalence rate is up to 1–2% among the elderly over the age of 65 years. So far, there is still no exact cure for PD due to its diversity of etiology and complexity of symptoms.

Currently, Parkinson’s disease is treated with Levodopa and maybe Monamine, Oxidase Inhibitors (MOAs) or Acetylcholine inhibitors. Levodopa makes more Dopamine available for the dopamine receptor, MOAs increase the amount norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin at their prospective receptors and acetylcholine inhibitors make more acetylcholine available to its receptor.

None of which address the physical cause of the disease.

The cause of PD has not been completely elucidated, but it has been generally acknowledged that the improvement of oxidative stress is one of the most important patho-physiological mechanisms.

Dr. Bill’s research has focused on stopping the causes of diseases like Parkinson’s by:

  • The inhibition of oxidative stress:

PD patients are in a state of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is caused by the increase of free radicals in the organism, while the ability to eliminate free radicals is decreased at the same time. A large amount of lipid peroxide, such as Malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroxyl, carbonyl, etc., will cause cell death, which leads to neuronal apoptosis ultimately.

The mitochondria is the “power plant” and “energy conversion station” of cells. It also regulates the process of gene expression and apoptosis. Recent reports have suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction is closely related to a variety of neuro-degenerative diseases including PD.

  • The reduction of toxic Excitatory Amino Acids (EAA): 

Glutamate (Glu), Also, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and enkephalin can can produce excitotoxicity effects on nerve cells. Glutamate creates an excitatory effect on nerve cells, and is toxic when Dopa Amine neurons are fully or partially degenerated.

  • The inhibition of neuroinflammation:

Neuroinflammation is a common and important pathological mechanism in nervous system diseases and different neurological diseases are involved in neuroinflammation at some stage. At present, it is believed that neuroinflammation was involved in an important cascade reaction in neuronal degeneration of PD.

When the central nervous system suffers from exogenous antigens stimulus, such as pathogenic microorganisms or foreign bodies, microglia will be rapidly activated. Then, the activated microglia cells can secrete various cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, etc. The cytokines cause neuroinflammation.

  • The inhibition of neuronal apoptosis:

Parkinson’s is caused by the premature death of dopaminergic neurons by abnormal apoptosis activation. Energy for normal activities of brain cells comes directly from aerobic energy, and there is little energy storage. However once brain damage occurs, it will cause nerve cell apoptosis or death.

The Bcl-2 family of proteins regulate apoptosis. It is divided into two categories: anti-apoptosis gene (such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bcl-w, Bcl-1, etc.) and pro-apoptosis gene (such as Bax, Bak, Bad, Bid, etc.). Their ratio regulates apoptosis.

  • The inhibition of abnormal protein aggregation:

Misfolded and aggregated proteins play a key role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease. Protein aggregates differ from disease to disease. This common characteristic shows that protein deposition is toxic to neurons.

Studies confirmed that the activity of the proteasome dropped substantially in substantia nigra of patients with PD, which weakened the ability of the substantia nigra to degrade α-syn and other proteins.

  • Targeting Nrf2 to Suppress Ferroptosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegeneration:

Nrf2 is a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein that regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins that protect against oxidative damage triggered by injury and inflammation. Several drugs that stimulate the NFE2L2 pathway are being studied for treatment of diseases that are caused by oxidative stress.

Listing of Core Food Ingredients that Address the Structure and Functional Causes of the Disease

  1. The inhibition of oxidative stress:

Brahmi, Bacopa monnieri

Maca root powder, Lepidium meyenii (Walp.)

Tongkat Ali (Longjack), Eurycoma Longifolia

Turmeric root powder, Curcuma longa

  1. The reduction of toxic Excitatory Amino Acids EAA:

Brahmi, Bacopa monnieri

  1. The inhibition of neuroinflammation:

Turmeric root powder, Curcuma longa

Wild Yam root, Dioscorea villosa

  1. The inhibition of neuronal apoptosis:

Noni Fruit, Morinda citrifolia

  1. The inhibition of abnormal protein aggregation:

Amia powder, Emblica officinalis

Turmeric root powder, Curcuma longa

  1. Targeting Nrf2 to Suppress Ferroptosis and

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegeneration.

Chaga Mushroom, Inonotus Obliquus

Milk Thistle Seed Extract, Silybum marianum.

Tongkat Ali (Longjack), Eurycoma Longifolia

Aroga

Dr. Bill offered suggestions on the products he recommended for persons diagnosed with Parkinson’s.  He recommended three
Aroga products: (1) the Core (2) the Plus Brain and Nerve and (3) the Bone, Joint and Endocrine (which supports hormones). At a minimum. the Core would take top priority.

Information about these products and the opportunity to order is available at:

https://arogalife.com/parkinsons-recovery

Sadly, Aroga products can only be shipped to locations in the United States.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
https://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

References:

Front Pharmacol. 2017; 8: 634. The Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine Underlying the Prevention and Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.

Front Neurosci. 2018 Jul 10;12:466. Targeting Nrf2 to Suppress Ferroptosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegeneration.

What is Wrong with Me?

I recently aired a radio show with guest Ivy Faber, ND, who discussed her approach for ascertaining and treating the cause of chronic illness. Dr. Faber has been my doctor for the past decade, so I am partial to her approach. Why? I have succeeded in reversing whatever symptoms I have experienced over the past 10 years.

Dr. Faber uses a computerized testing approach known as a Bioenergetic Assessment which analyzes a sample of the patient’s saliva. Bioenergetic assessments differ from standard medical testing for many reasons, so I decided to write a book which outlines the differences. The assessment was originally conceived 50 years ago so it is anything but new. Yet, many people are not familiar with this approach to figuring out possible causes of symptoms. Sp, I decided to write a book which explains the assessment approach which has been so beneficial to me and my family.

After months of research and writing. my book, titled What is Wrong with Me: Holistic Health at Its Best, is finally published. Hooray for me!

Order the paperback from Amazon, Kindle or get a download.

Click Here to order the paperback

Click Here to order the download

Click Here to order the Kindle version

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons Recovery

Robin Williams, Depression and Parkinson’s Disease

The wife of Robin Williams revealed today that he had Parkinson’s disease. The news of a Parkinson’s diagnosis sends most people into a tail spin. Engaging a willingness to live
when confronted with this type of news is a herculean task for most people.

Robin Williams was already prone to depression. He had struggled with drug addiction issues his entire life. Hearing the news that he had Parkinson’s disease may have struck the final blow to his interest in living on this earth.

I have interviewed hundreds and hundreds of persons who have just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Without exception, everyone is devastated. They fear the worst. They foresee no hope of healing. Most people quickly hear that the condition is “degenerative” and prospects for recovery are nill.

No wonder people get so depressed with the news of a Parkinson’s diagnosis! No wonder
such news might well have been the final blow for Robin Williams.

I am immensely saddened if my speculation above is true about the trigger for his Robin
william’s death. Why? My research on Parkinson’s over the past decade reveals that Parkinson’s symptoms are indeed reversible. The condition is not “degenerative” or “progressive.”

This is what most people believe. My research shows it is not true.

  • First, a majority of persons who have been diagnosed with Parkinson”s disease probably have something else – toxins perhaps, bacteria perhaps, trauma perhaps – or perhaps a combination of all three.
  • Second, there are dozens of therapies and treatments that help people reverse  Parkinson’s symptoms. Once a person identifies the primary factor that causes the symptoms they can find a therapy that will help heal the condition.

The search for a cause is not simple. The pursuit of successful therapies does not promise a simple fix. But, a little patience, a great deal of focus and a clear determination
to heal are the magical combination that helps people reclaim their lives.

The world has lost a talent and a spirit that can never be replaced. To prevent such a tragedy from happening to others, please spread the word that Parkinson’s is not degenerative or progressive. It is only through thinking it is that the expectation becomes true.

The body really does know how to heal itself. I only wish Robin Williams had known this last week.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Parkinsons Recovery

Triggers of Parkinson’s

Apparently there exists two predominant theories about the triggers of Parkinson’s, 1). toxics in one’s history, and or 2), unacknowledged, (hence suppressed), psychological/physical/emotional abuse from youth. Comments?

Triggers of Parkinson’s

Click on the purple arrow below for my comments that address the triggers of Parkinson’s.


triggers-of-parkinsons

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
www.parkinsonsdisease.me

Sore Gums and Lock Jaw

My mum was diagnosed with Parkinsons about 2 years ago. She was using Sinemet but due to dizzy spells and feeling sick she weaned off it. She started to have sore gums so eventually took her teeth out, just upper teeth are dentures.

Slowly her jaw started to cease up. One morning all of her throat and mouth were swollen excessively. She was admitted to hospital sedated and incubated immediately. When the sedation was taken off she was very unresponsive giving the impression of ‘locked-in syndrome’ or ‘brainstem stroke’. 5 months on she is now out of hospital, she has had CT scan, MRI scan, DAT scan and x-rays, given botox into TMJ and treated for tetanus but there is no answer or reason for what happened. All scans came back clear and couldn’t see anything out of the norm for a brain of a PD sufferer and someone of her age 64. She still has lock-jaw and is very weak. She can weight bare but is immobile other than this.

Could you possibly offer any help or advise,

Nat

Response:

As a researcher and not a medical doctor, I am certainly not qualified to suggest and diagnose here.  Your Mum’s doctors are certainly working hard trying to figure out what in the world is going on here!

Speaking as a researcher, it looks to me like – speaking simply – there is something inside your Mum’s body that is causing significant inflammation or something that she continues to insert in her body. What is it?

It could be a variety of toxins. It could be an allergic reaction to something she is eating. At a minimum, you could modify her diet and see if there is any change. Something she has loved to eat for years may be the culprit here. It could be side effects of a medication she is taking. There are many possibilities which is why of course her doctors are having such a difficult time figuring out how to help her!

When stuck pursing one option, I think it is always smart to consider other options. Many are providing relief for persons with Parkinson’s. We are covering a wide number of options at the Parkinsons Recovery Summit. If people are interested in exploring other options that are helping people reverse their symptoms, the Summit is where the action is at this year!

http://www.summit.parkinsonsrecovery.com

The Summit will convene  in two weeks – June 22nd and 23rd – at the Garfield Suites Hotel in downtown Cincinnati,  Ohio. The listing of workshops offers you a snap shot idea of the range of possibilities that are offering people relief from symptoms.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Recovery
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

 

 

A Cure for Parkinson’s at the Forefront?

Question:

I have a question regarding the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

A close relative of mine is suffering from what it appears to be a symptom of Parkinson’s.  She is at the initial stages right now. E.G:

– resting tremors
– tremors get slightly worst in mid air (whether or not she’s holding onto something)

She is exercising regularly now which is a definitely a good thing, however, I have noticed that when she does alot of housework or work in general the tremors would get slightly worst…is that a regular symptom of Parkinson’s?

At this point, she is going to be taking the anti-tremor pills prescribed by the doctor which hopefully will reduce or eliminate the tremor for the time being.

She is also not quite receptive to the idea of having to change the hygienic needs (e.g. shampoo, soap etc) to the herbal ones as was suggested in the e-book.

Are there any other suggestions you can provide aside from drinking 8 cups of water a day and more exercise to reduce the tremors?  Acupuncture at this point did not seem to help very much…We haven’t tried massage or Bowen Therapy nor have we tried the Aqua therapy (simply coz we don’t know much about it)

Do you know whether there is a cure for the disease with the invention of a new pill at the forefront?

Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated.

Response:

You ask whether doing a lot of housework or work in general are regular symptoms of Parkinson’s? It is not the housework in itself or work in particular that fuels the symptoms. The issue turns primarily on the presence or absence of stress. When work – no matter the form – is stressful, symptoms will flare up. The more your relative can acknowledge the stress she is under and find ways to release it, less problematic will be her symptoms.

Is sounds like she has decided to medicate her symptoms. An alternative approach is to acknowledge her body is sending her a strong signal that something different needs to happen. Other symptoms will rear their ugly head if the cause of the current challenge is not addressed.

Exercise will certainly make a huge difference. Also consider doing more disciplined exercise like Tai Chi or perhaps yoga. Yes – body therapies that release stress such as craniosacral therapy and Bowen therapy have the potential to help offer her relief from her symptoms because they help her body release the stress that is trapped at the cellular level. Why not give them a trial run? With medicines you incur side effects (which may well be worth the cost). Body therapies are noninvasive and safe.

The Aquas are recommended by Naturopath Doctor John Coleman who himself is now fully recovered from the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Aquas are a homeopathic approach which helps reprogram the body’s mechanism to signal thirst and distribute water throughout the body which gets disabled as we age. You can discover more information at: http://www.aquas.us.

Will there be a cure for the symptoms? No, there will never be a cure because the conditions that create the symptoms are multi-faceted. Each person’s situation is entirely unique to them. That is why the symptoms vary so widely across individuals. If there were a single cause, then it might be possible to see a “cure” down the road, but there is no single factor that causes the symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Trauma creates havoc with the neurological system. Stress damages neural connections. Toxins blow the neurological system up.

I note that your friend does not seem to be worried about toxins. Toxins affect everyone who is alive today. If we do not take the effects of toxins seriously, we will eventually become ill in one form or another.

Do I have a suggestion for you? Yes. Make a habit of listening to the weekly Parkinson’s Recovery radio show.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/parkinsons-recovery. You will find at least one suggestion in every show that will – I repeat will – help your friend get relief from the symptoms she is currently experiencing. It is free to listen.

You can download any of the previous shows for free. I have aired 90 shows. Your relative  can download any of the previous shows to an MP3 player and listen while they exercise.

From my contact with hundreds and hundreds of people who currently experience the symptoms of Parkinsons I have observed the following. The people who are hoping for a cure or for someone out there to fix them are feeling worse and worse with each passing week. The people who are taking responsibility for their health and take it upon themselves to figure out what their body is telling them are feeling better week by week.

The bottom line: Take responsibility for your life and you get better. Expect someone or something to fix you and you get worse.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease

Causes of Parkinsons Disease

Question:

Do emotionally healthy, well loved people, who have had the advantage of diet, get Parkinson’s Disease.  I would love to know that.

Annette

Response:

What an interesting question. I asked John Coleman what factor was most important to his own recovery from Parkinson’s. His answer was learning how to love himself. Perhaps it is more a question of the love we send to ourselves rather than the love we receive from others.

How about people whose diets and nutrition have been excellent? Since stress and trauma contribute to the symptoms, my guess is that people whose diets are excellent and who love themselves may still have symptoms if they find themselves in a sustained state of stress and fear.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Sugar and the Symptoms of Parkinson’s

Question:

On Saturday night my 30 year old daughter
told me she was afraid she would develop
Parkinson’s Disease at some point in her
life. This put me into a silent fear that
continues to haunt me.

For me I know I resisted anything and everything
that entered my life that I didn’t like.
Everything from a challenging mother in law
to being told I wasn’t qualified for certain
work related positions.

I used caffeine and sugar at times exclusively
over nutritious food to numb that and any other
self depreciating thought/ pain. I personally
feel this was a huge step into a diseased state.

Is there a history of people who have been diagnosed
with Parkinson’s Disease of body abuse in some way?
I would really appreciate any insight you may have.

Response:

Your question asks about the history of
people who have abused their body with poor
nutrition.

There are thousands and thousands of studies that
evaluate the effectiveness of one drug or another
on the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Sugar is not
on that list because sugar is not considered a
drug. The idea behind these studies is to identify
a drug that will provide some relief to symptoms.

Sugar is undoubtedly one of the most toxic substance
that exists in the world today. I know of no medical
researcher who believes sugar can provide long term
relief for symptoms. It is clearly toxic to the body and
deadly in its impact on the function of neural networks.
Neurons are the most sensitive cells of the body. 

If anyone really wants to begin feeling better, one of
the best things they can do for themselves is to stop
eating unrefined sugar. If you want to have verification
that sugar is toxic and harmful, do an experiment on
yourself.

The holidays are upon us, so we all have a great
excuse to eat sweets. Why not indulge yourself?
Eat all the sweet desserts you want for a day. This
is your “treatment.” Sugar stimulates the release of
dopamine, so it mainlines dopamine into blood stream.   

Then, see how you feel that evening and the
following day. I have done that experiment many times
myself and I always get the same result. I feel lousy,
depressed and angry at myself for damaging my body.

I do not think you will ever see published studies that
show sugar is harmful. To prove sugar aggravates
your symptoms, just do your own study on yourself. 

Why do we (myself included) sabotage ourselves? There
are sugar substitutes! There are great alternatives
to raw, unrefined sugar. There are ways to satisfy
our addictions that do not destroy the neural networks
in our body. So, why do we do it over and over?

It is an addiction. It numbs the bad feelings we
are always trying to avoid. Sugar is a great infusion
of warm, cozy feelings for a few minutes because
it triggers the temporary release of dopamine. When
ingested on a regular basis, sugar undermines
the body’s natural capacity to manufacture dopamine.

This is what happens with alcohol and illegal
drugs. They very quickly sabatoge the body’s
natural ability to manufacture dopamine and
the other “feel good” hormones. The body then
relies on the alcohol and drugs for a dopamine
infusion which is the physical explanation
for the addiction.

Sugar works in the same fashion. Think of it as
analogous to the effects of heroine. The only
difference is sugar is a legal drug.  

Of course the aftermath of ingesting sugar is deadly.
Think of the challenge of sugar cravings as an addiction
which can be acknowledged and treated.

In your introductory paragraph, you mention concerns
about your daughter’s potential to develop the symptoms
of Parkinson’s are putting “me into a silent fear
that continues to haunt me.” These feelings are associated
with all of the stress hormones that sustain an imbalance
in the body and feed the symptoms of Parkinson’s. When
we are suspended in a continual state of fear, our bodies
are trapped in a continual place of hormonal imbalance.
The good news is that there are a variety of therapies
that help to release the fears that we hold for our
children and loved ones. 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Is Pneumonia a Possible Cause of Parkinson’s Disease?

Question:

My father has Parkinson’s. I swear
that he developed Parkinson’s or at
least the obvious symptoms of Parkinson’s
after directly having had pneumonia.
Is it possible that having pneumonia
triggered his nervous system to trigger
the Parkinson’s?

Kristen

Response:

There are many factors that have been
identified in the research literature
that are believed to cause the symptoms
of Parkinson’s. Pathogens and bacteria
are some of the many factors that have
been suggested as probable causes.

So, the answer is yes. It is especially
revealing that his symptoms were linked
to his pneumonia. It is also curious
to me that the leading cause of death
for people with Parkinson’s is pneumonia.

Some health care practitioners say
today that pathogens are the leading cause
of many diseases. The problem is that
antibiotics do not eliminate all of the
bacteria or pathogens in the body.
You can be sure that there is a residue of
the pneumonia bacteria that remains lodged
deep in the tissues of your father’s body.

The good news is that you can do something
about the problem of bacteria and pathogens
in the body. I will be interviewing a number
of health care providers (naturopaths, doctors, etc.)
over the coming months who are experts in
the area of pathogens in the  body and who use
effective approaches for addressing this problem.

Stay tuned.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery