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How many times have you heard us say, “Healing your gut will heal your brain”?

That’s because doctors have known for decades that having a gut dysfunction can lead to brain diseases and mental health conditions.

Now, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine — one of the most respected medical research hospitals in the world — have released exciting new research that provides strong evidence that Parkinson’s disease originates among toxic proteins in the gut and then travels through the body’s neurons (nerve cells) to the brain.

They believe the key to preventing the onset of Parkinson’s is by blocking the transmission of toxic proteins from traveling to the neurons.

This rigorously-conducted animal study — one of the most important ever produced on this topic — builds upon decades of scientific evidence that points to a gut-brain connection, and it offers new, more accurate treatment-testing methods that could prevent or stop the progression of this deadly disease.

"These findings provide further proof of the gut's role in Parkinson's disease, and give us a model to study the disease's progression from the start," says research lead Dr. Ted Dawson, M.D., Ph.D, and a professor of neurology. "This is an exciting discovery for the field and presents a target for early intervention in the disease."

The study, published in the June 2019 issue of the prestigious medical journal, Neuron, has been reported worldwide by leading medical publications as well as the mainstream media.

 

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects your muscles and slows down your movements as the nerve cells in your brain gradually break down and die.

 

Over time, Parkinson's makes simple, everyday tasks difficult, time-consuming and frustrating.

As with many diseases, the early signs may be mild and go unnoticed.

Tremors usually begin in a limb, often in your hand or fingers. Your hand shakes even when it's at rest.

 

Getting out of a chair is a challenge.

 

Walking is an even greater challenge as your steps become shorter and your feet drag.

 

You may feel dizzy or lightheaded when you stand due to a sudden drop in blood pressure.

 

Your posture is stooped and your balance is affected, leading to a high risk of falls.

 

Throughout your body, your muscles feel stiff — limiting your range of motion due to the pain.

 

In fact, you may feel pain in several areas of your body.

 

Your communication skills are impaired. Everything from speech to writing to expressing yourself through body language becomes a challenge.

 

You may slur your words and hesitate before speaking.

 

It becomes more difficult to write because of the tremors in your hands.

 

Simple facial expressions — including blinking or smiling — are harder to do, which is why Parkinson’s patients often have a blank, expressionless look on their face.

 

In the later stages of Parkinson’s, cognitive disorders (dementia)  as well as cognitive impairments (trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, daily decision making) develop that are not responsive to medications.

 

Depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions occur frequently in Parkinson’s patients — but are often not diagnosed.

 

You will likely develop sleep problems, including waking up frequently throughout the night, waking up early or falling asleep during the day.

 

You will experience low energy and fatigue throughout the day.

 

As your disease progresses, it affects the muscles in your mouth and throat. You will develop difficulties with swallowing, chewing and eating — creating a choking hazard and further weakening your body from poor nutrition.

 

Loss of muscle control leads to bladder problems, and constipation occurs as your digestion slows down.

 

And many Parkinson's patients experience a decrease in sexual desire or performance.

 

 

What causes Parkinson’s?

 

Parkinson’s disease develops when we lose the neurons that produce dopamine — a chemical that carries signals between the nerves in the brain. When dopamine-producing cells die, abnormal brain activity develops that leads to Parkinson’s disease.

 

As well, Lewy bodies appear — clumps within the brain cells that are microscopic markers of Parkinson's disease. Scientists have known for several decades that Lewy bodies could be found in the gastrointestinal tracts of Parkinson's patients.

 

Researchers believe that knots of alpha-synuclein (a-synuclein) — a natural, widespread protein that’s found in all Lewy bodies — cannot be broken down by your body and plays a key role in the onset of Parkinson’s.

 

Genetics play a small role in determining who will get Parkinson’s. Genetic markers and mutations account for a minority of Parkinson’s cases. Having a close relative increases your risk somewhat. However, if several family members have Parkinson’s, your risk is great.

 

Other risk factors include exposure to certain toxins — especially herbicides and pesticides.

 

In most cases, Parkinson's disease begins in people age 60 or older.

 

And men are far more likely to develop Parkinson’s than women.

 

How to reduce your risk of Parkinson’s

 

As the research experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine have confirmed, the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of Parkinson’s is to improve your gut health.

And when you consider that 80 percent of your immune system is in your gut and is regulated by beneficial bacteria and microbes, healing your gut is essential.

Beneficial or “friendly” bacteria should make up about 85-90 percent of your total gut flora. But for many reasons, including diet, stress, antibiotic use, and other factors, the ratio can become skewed.

 

PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS can balance the beneficial bacteria and help maintain healthy intestinal flora.

 

A level of 40 billion CFU of probiotic bacteria is optimal for daily use and for enhancing your overall health. CFU stands for colony-forming units, which represents the number of live bacteria per serving.

 

Studies show that multi-strain formulas achieve better results than single-strain probiotics. Four of the most important strains of probiotic are:

 

• Lactobacillus acidophilus: Well known for supporting beneficial intestinal flora, a key variable in overall good health.

 

• Bifidobacterium lactis: Provides digestive and immune support.

   

• Lactobacillus plantarum: One of the most beneficial bacteria in your body, known for digestive support as well as support for healthy cholesterol.

   

• Lactobacillus paracasei: Offers a range of benefits, including digestive regularity and enhanced immune function

 

 

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES can help prevent or reverse leaky gut.

 

Enzymes help break down difficult-to-digest food molecules into smaller molecules that your digestive system is capable of processing. This helps prevent food from leaking through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream — which your body perceives as “invaders” and triggers an inflammatory response.

 

The combination of enzymes and probiotics supports digestive health and ensures nutrients are delivered to where they are most needed. Key benefits include:

 

• Supporting digestive and gut health

 

• Promoting a healthy inflammatory response

 

• Enhancing nutrient absorption

 

• Assisting the body in breaking down difficult-to-digest proteins

 

• Promoting healthy metabolism

 

• Supporting healthy weight management

 

 

FULVIC MINERALS literally come from soil, and are produced when organic plant matter decomposes. They contain many nutrients, including trace minerals, electrolytes, prebiotics and probiotics. In particular, probiotics and prebiotics nourish the gut and help maintain a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria.

 

Fulvic minerals provide multiple additional benefits including: 

 

• Enhancing the bioavailability (absorption) and utilization of vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients. That’s why Fulvic Acid is often called “the ultimate nutrient booster.”

   

• Supporting gut and digestive health

   

• Supporting detoxification processes in the body by neutralizing and removing harmful toxins and pollutants, including heavy metals such as lead and mercury.

   

• Supporting immune function

   

• Providing antioxidant protection against damaging free radicals that may lead to premature aging

In this article, you’ve seen that the best way you can prevent Parkinson’s and other brain disease is to heal your gut.

That’s why we developed our Well of Life Gut Renewal Bundle. It’s one of the most effective, comprehensive systems designed to restore your gut to its optimal health.

Click here to discover to safeguard your brain health by renewing your gut.