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In the 1990, scientists identified some fruits that they suspected could give people Parkinson’s. These fruit are bad, they reported. More recently, researchers have identified chemicals in that exist in those same fruits that could potential be used to treat Parkinson’s. These fruit are good, they announce. In today’s post, we will explain why you should avoid eating certain members of the Annonaceae plant family and we will also look at the stream of research those plants have given rise to which could provide a novel therapy for Parkinson’s. |
Guadeloupe. Source: Bluefoottravel
In the late 1990s, researchers noticed something really odd in the French West Indies.
It had a very strange distribution of Parkinsonisms.
What are Parkinsonisms?
‘Parkinsonisms’ refer to a group of neurological conditions that cause movement features similar to those observed in Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, slow movement and stiffness. The name ‘Parkinsonisms’ is often used as an umbrella term that covers Parkinson’s disease and all of the other ‘Parkinsonisms’.
Parkinsonisms are generally divided into three groups:
- Classical idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (the spontaneous form of the condition)
- Atypical Parkinson’s (such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP))
- Secondary Parkinson’s (which can be brought on by mini strokes (aka Vascular Parkinson’s), drugs, head trauma, etc)
Source: Parkinsonspt
Some forms of Parkinsonisms that at associated with genetic risk factors, such as juvenile onset Parkinson’s, are considered atypical. But as our understanding of the genetics risk factors increases, we may find that an increasing number of idiopathic Parkinson’s cases have an underlying genetic component (especially where there is a long family history of the condition) which could alter the structure of our list of Parkinsonisms.
So what was happening in the French West Indies?
