Prevention of Parkinson's Disease

There may be several alleged ways of preventing Parkinson's disease, but the fact is that researchers have not yet discovered a way to prevent this condition. Some researchers believe that free radicals may be one of the causes of Parkinson's disease. Antioxidants may help protect cells from free-radical damage and, thereby, reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. However, more research is necessary to support this claim.

 

Preventing Parkinson's Disease: An Overview

If you search the Internet for "Parkinson's prevention," you might find several sites claiming to have a product to prevent Parkinson's disease. However, the fact is that their claims would be misleading. Research scientists have not yet discovered a way to prevent Parkinson's disease.
 

What About Natural Therapies for Parkinson's Prevention?

One of the theories as to the cause of Parkinson's disease is that free radicals may contribute to nerve cell death, thereby leading to Parkinson's disease. Free radicals are unstable and potentially damaging molecules generated by normal chemical reactions in the body.
 
Normally, free radical damage is kept under control by antioxidants, chemicals that protect cells from this damage. Many naturally occurring antioxidants or substances are thought to have antioxidant properties. Some of these include:
 
Because of their antioxidant properties, scientists have speculated that supplementation with these products may provide some protection against developing Parkinson's disease. However, to date, there has been little research supporting that any of these products can help prevent Parkinson's disease.
 
Early research has shown a possible link between increased coffee intake and a lower risk of Parkinson's disease. You can learn more about this research by clicking Parkinson's Disease and Coffee.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD