Several studies from the department of Neurology at the University of Helsinki have shown that an imbalance of gut bacteria is associated with Parkinson’s disease and this may well be caused by certain antibiotics.
Dr. Filip Scheperjans and team at the Neurology Clinic of Helsinki University found hardly any members of the bacterial family Prevotellaceae in the gut of the Parkinson’s patients they tested, unlike the healthy humans. Also Enterobacteria were far more prevalent in the gut of Parkinson’s patients, and levels increased the more severe the illness.
In 2019 the team produced a second study (2), this time linking repeated use of antibiotics to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. This study compared antibiotic exposure from 1998-2014 in 13,976 Parkinson’s patients with 40,697 healthy people in controlled, matched samples. Lead researcher Dr. Tuomas H. Mertsalmi concluded, “exposure to antianaerobics and tetracyclines 10 to 15 years before the index date, sulfonamides and trimethoprim 1 to 5 years before the index date, and antifungal medications 1 to 5 years before the index date were positively associated with PD risk. In post hoc analyses, further positive associations were found for broad‐spectrum antibiotics”.
Gut disturbance is a known bedfellow of Parkinson’s. Constipation, mouth ulcers and even excess of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach have all been associated with the development period of the illness. Prevotella seems protective; E. coli, destructive. There is more covered in our book ‘Heal your gut – Heal your body’, which deals with gut bacteria and their involvement in every disease form diabetes to cancer. Importantly the book tells you what action you can take.
Chris Woollams, former Oxford University biochemist said, “My father had Parkinson’s and mouth ulcers, constipation, constant colds and sore throats were the norm, as were antibiotics!! Now, we would instantly know this all pointed to a damaged microbiome. We have a review of all the latest studies – showing that the build up of alpha-Synuclein starts in the gut, and in the brain it damages the dopamine-producing cells. While drug companies talk of mutation and drugs for the brain, recent research where a probiotic seemed capable of reducing the alpha-nuclei clumps in the brain seems more obvious, simple and effective.There’s even research on the oral microbiome and how tests there are almost 85% accurate in their prediction of Parkinson’s.”
Go to: Increasing evidence for gut bacteria role in Parkinson’s
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References
2. Antibiotic exposure and Parkinson’s disease risk in Finland
