About one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a number expected to grow to 1.2 million by 2030.
New research suggests that a very specific salty snack may help prevent this surprising increase.
Parkinson’s disease, which actor Michael J. Fox has publicly battled, is a degenerative neurological disorder that affects motor skills, causing tremors and stiffness, as well as impairing balance and coordination in people typically over age 60, according to the Institute National on Aging.
With age, the incidence of Parkinson’s escalates, tripling every decade after the 60s.
Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease.
While experts believe the condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors, research published last year has suggested it may originate in the gastrointestinal system.
The good news? Researchers have found that eating antioxidant-rich seaweed can stave off the devastating disease.
Experts have proven that the occurrence of Parkinson’s disease is related to the misfolding of the α-synuclein protein. And now, researchers at the University of New Brunswick have found that an extract from brown seaweed Alaria esculenta may prevent this conversion. Thus, eating seafood can prevent the disease or delay its progression.
Seaweed, AKA sea vegetables, are forms of algae that grow in the ocean. Ranging in color from red to green to brown to black, seaweed grows along rocky shores around the world, but is most commonly consumed in Asian countries.
Dr. Thierry Chopin, a professor of marine biology and lead author of the study, notes that this discovery could increase global demand for seaweed.
“[Seaweed] it is largely an Asian story, with more than 97% produced by China, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Malaysia. Hopefully, as people in the Western world increasingly understand the benefits of seaweed for them and the environment, we will see the emergence of this [resource] right here.”
Some suggest that the high intake of seaweed by the Japanese may be one reason why they have the highest longevity of the trusted source in the world.
In addition to potentially preventing or delaying the onset of Parkinson’s, seaweed has been shown to help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Rich in iodine and antioxidants, it also supports thyroid health and can protect the body from free radicals .
The news that seaweed can reverse Parkinson’s disease comes at the end of a breakthrough treatment for the disease. Known as Produodopa or Foslevodopa-Foscarbidopa, the treatment is a continuous infusion therapy recommended for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease who experience severe changes in their movement abilities.
A stunning video of a UK man with Parkinson’s making tea before and after starting therapy has gone viral. Produodopa is not yet available in the US.
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Image Source : nypost.com