by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Severe vitamin E deficiency is quite rare, but there are a number of conditions in which low levels of vitamin E have been reported, including acne, anemia, some cancers, gallstones, Lou Gehrig's Disease, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's Disease.
Vitamin E and diets high in Vitamin E have been shown to exert a protective effect in many common health conditions, including heart Disease, cancer, strokes, fibrocystic breast Disease, and viral infections. Typically, vitamin E is used at a dose of 400 to 600IU per day. |
| Phosphatidylcholine has been investigated in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, and Huntington's Disease. The studies have shown both a positive effect and no effect. In addition, at this time it is not known to what degree the lecithin content of soybeans contributes to their beneficial effects.
Fiber
Soybeans contain a mixture of fiber. Approximately 94 percent of the total fiber content is composed of insoluble fiber, and 6 percent is soluble. Of the insoluble fibers, approximately 90 percent are hemicelluloses (see page 74 for a description). |
| In Japan, saffron is encapsulated and used as a sleep aid and in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Modern research suggests the spice may provide protection against cancer, memory loss, heart Disease, and inflammation.
Saffron contains a dark orange, water-soluble carotene called crocin, which is responsible for much of saffron's golden color. It has potent antioxidant and anticancer effects, which may help explain saffron's historical use in cancer treatment. |
| Today, small amounts of ergot compounds are used in the medical treatment of migraines, Parkinson's disease, and shock.
Today, the majority of the world's rye comes from the Russian Federation. Poland, China, Canada, and Denmark grow rye commercially as well.
NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Rye is a very good source of dietary fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin BL It boasts a 4:1 magnesium-to-calcium ratio.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Primarily due to its high fiber content, rye can prevent spikes in diabetic's blood sugar level and reduce the symptoms of people with irritable bowel syndrome. |
| In addition to its dietary role in enhancing detoxification and protecting against cancer, studies using intravenous glutathione have found it to be useful in preventing clot formation during operations; reducing the side effects and increasing the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin; treating Parkinson's disease; and increasing sperm counts in men with low sperm counts. A small study in eight patients with liver cancer showed modest effects when glutathione was supplemented at a daily dosage of 5,000 milligrams orally. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 LJ Parkinson's disease can cause severe depression. (See DEPRESSION in Part Two.)
þ If you have a family history of Parkinson's disease but have not developed the Disease, reduce or eliminate animal fat from your diet. Studies at the University of Washington have found that consumption of high amounts of animal fat increases the risk for developing this Disease. Vitamin A supplements also are likely to be detrimental.
Some people with Parkinson's disease have been found to have high levels of lead in their brains. Chelation therapy is the only way to remove lead from the body. |
| LJ Stress aggravates Parkinson's disease, and relaxation therapy has been found useful in the treatment of this disorder. (See STRESS in Part Two.)
LJ Parkinson's disease can cause severe depression. (See DEPRESSION in Part Two.)
þ If you have a family history of Parkinson's disease but have not developed the Disease, reduce or eliminate animal fat from your diet. Studies at the University of Washington have found that consumption of high amounts of animal fat increases the risk for developing this Disease. Vitamin A supplements also are likely to be detrimental. |
| Parkinson's Disease. Milk thistle maintains the body's supply of the antioxidant glutathione, which helps slow the progress of the Disease. The herb also lessens constipation and heartburn, digestive problems that commonly occur in people with Parkinson's disease.
• Psoriasis. Naturopathic physicians report that milk thistle reduces the frequency of psoriasis outbreaks. This effect is probably due to increased production of bile, which flushes away toxins associated with the Disease.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR USE
Milk thistle is best used as silymarin gel-caps. |
| Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's disease. OPCs help to prevent blood-vessel changes in the brain that can complicate Parkinson's disease. Cell studies have shown that Pycnogenol, a patented form of pine-bark extract, can inhibit the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a peptide (protein) that accumulates in the form of plaques in the central nervous system and is toxic to nerve cells, causing a breakdown of cell membranes. These plaques are a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's Disease.
•Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Dr. |
| Parkinson's Disease. Acerola is an excellent source of antioxidants important for maintaining mental function and preventing dementia. Laboratory studies suggest that acerola is especially useful for maintaining levels of available vitamin C in brain tissue in people with Parkinson's disease who are taking vitamin E supplements.
• Wrinkles. Acerola extracts are used in antioxidant skin-care products to fight cellular aging. |
T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II
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 Crohn's Disease,4 rheumatic heart disease3 and (possibly) Parkinson's disease.3
Each Disease name may sound very different, but as one recent review points out,2 "... it is important to consider... these disorders as a group." They show similar clinical backgrounds,3'6'7 they sometimes occur in the same person and they are often found in the same populations.2 MS and Type 1 diabetes, for example, have "near(ly) identical
183
CHART 9.1: COMMON AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
(FROM MOST COMMON TO LEAST COMMON)
1.
Graves' Disease (Hyperthyroidism)
10. Sjogren's disease
2.
Rheumatoid arthritis
1 1. |
| Parkinson's Disease, a non-autoimmune Disease with autoimmune characteristics, is often found with MS, both within the same geographic regions66 and within the same individuals.5 MS also has been associated—either geographically or within the same individuals—with other autoimmune diseases like lupus, myasthenia gravis, Graves' Disease and eosinophilic vasculitis.63 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune Disease, has been shown to have an unusually strong association with Hashimoto thyroiditis. |
Paul Pitchford
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 Ozone has also helped improve nervous system and brain function in Alzheimer's Disease, senility, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.
Hydrogen Peroxide in Food and the Body
Of the hyper-oxidation techniques used in the United States, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is at this time one of the most common. It is a remedy that occurs in nature: as moisture (H2O) interacts with ozone (O3) in the atmosphere, it picks up an added oxygen atom and falls to the earth as rain which contains an abundance of H2O2. |
| Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
MS and similar nerve-damaging conditions such as Parkinson's disease are extremely difficult to completely cure if severe nerve degeneration has occurred; however, the progression of the Disease can usually be stopped, and even reversed in less extreme cases.
Those with MS frequently suffer from Candida albicans overgrowth, which must be addressed first; they also tend to have various allergies, especially to gluten. Allergy-inducing gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, and sweet rice. |
Sydney Walker III, M.D.
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 A hospital staff member called him some time later to explain that the man's symptoms were due not to "depression" but to Parkinson's disease, a disorder that causes motor and behavioral disturbances. "I erred," Maxmen says, "by not questioning my first impression and by not systematically considering every other diagnostic possibility."
Such misdiagnoses will continue to be common until psychiatry replaces its emphasis on quick DSM labeling with an emphasis on intellectual curiosity and hard investigative work. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 The effects were broad-based, and it is suggested that this herb may have benefits for people with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease, and impaired cerebral circulation.
Botanical Name: Ocimum sanctum (synonym: O. tenuiflorum), O. gratissimum. Family: Lamiaceae
Common Names: Tulsi (Hindi), tulasi (Hindi), surasa (Sanskrit), sacred basil
Taste/Energy: Pungent, sweet, warm Part Used: Herb
Location/Cultivation: Holy basil is found throughout the lowlands of India as well as in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, and Malaysia. |
| John's wort, linden flower), a nootropic (ginkgo), and several other herbs (saw palmetto, prickly ash, and mistletoe) for a sixty-three-year-old man who had a lack of energy, headaches, mild Parkinson's disease, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, constipation, and the residual effects from a stroke eight years earlier as well as a cardiac bypass a year prior. He was taking multiple pharmaceutical medications and had a poor diet. |
| Like all adaptogens, rhodiola has effects on various endocrine glands, and it helps balance blood sugar levels, decrease symptoms of Parkinson's disease, relieve muscle stiffness and spasms, and enhance male and female reproductive function. In men, it improves erectile dysfunction, and in women, it relieves amenorrhea and infertility caused by minor hormonal imbalances or stress.
In both animal and human studies, rhodiola has shown substantial benefit for the heart. It was able to prevent stress-induced heart damage and arrhythmias and improve the strength of the heart muscle. |
| It even can offer some relief from the tremors caused by Parkinson's disease. I also use skullcap for people with stress-induced headaches, petit mal seizures (used with lobelia, blue vervain, and gastrodia tuber), neck and back pain, and panic disorder (used with motherwort, blue vervain, yuan zhi, and Pulsatilla).
For the most part, dried skullcap is inert, necessitating its use as a fresh tincture or freeze-dried product. Some herbalists use a separate species, S. galerialata, which they claim retains its activity even when dried. |
Peter Radetsky
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 Her right arm quavers from Parkinson's disease. A desperate, pained look lights her eyes. Next to her sits Barbara Bleckman, whose house she has been sharing since March of '94. Barbara also suffers from MCS, and arthritis to boot — she wears braces on both wrists. She doesn't want to see Lee thrown out into the cold, but two years of camping in the living room of a 1,500-square-foot, one-bedroom house is a long time. Lee needs to find her own place.
"I'm an artist," Lee tells me. "I wasn't making much money from my art, but I had done okay in New York. Now here I am over fifty, and I'm sick. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 Selegiline is used in human medicine to treat people with Parkinson's disease and depression. It has been studied against Alzheimer's Disease with mixed results.
• • •
The good news is that this new-generation MAOI is far less likely to cause such problems. In the lowest-dose skin patch, there is no food prohibition. |
| There are some conditions, such as an underactive thyroid gland or Parkinson's disease, that can lead to constipation. In those cases the underlying Disease needs to be treated.
Warning signs that should trigger a doctor's visit include blood in the stool or bleeding from the rectum; dark, tarry stool; weight loss of 10 pounds or more; a family history of colon cancer; or a positive Hemoccult test, a way of identifying invisible blood in the stool.156 Be sure to tell the doctor about any of these issues, so the proper work-up can be done. |
| Infections (including tuberculosis and HIV), certain cancers, panic attacks, an overactive thyroid gland, menopause, Parkinson's disease, and a number of other conditions could be responsible.642 There are also some medications that can trigger embarrassing perspiration. |
| Some patients on a drug to treat Parkinson's disease have experienced a compulsion to gamble.9
"* All my life my knees have ached at night. I would use Aleve, arthritis-strength aspirin, or Tylenol and usually woke up and had to take more about 3 a.m. I read in your column about using turmeric for arthritis pain and I bought some turmeric capsules. I took one with milk and a cookie at bedtime and slept pain-free all night and every night since then. It is almost miraculous.
There is another interesting effect. I used to enjoy playing the slot machines. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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 However, we believe that researchers will find that antioxidant nutrients, especially vitamin E, can help prevent AD in the same way they help protect against heart Disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases linked to excessive oxidation.
Parkinson's Disease is another degenerative brain Disease that is caused by nerve damage to areas of the brain that control muscle tension and movement. It usually begins as a slight tremor of one hand, arm, or person has true dementia as opposed to depression. |
| In the pilot study on vitamins C and E that began in 1979, twenty-one patients with early Parkinson's disease were given 3,000 mg of vitamin C and 3,200 IU of vitamin E each day.14 The patients were followed closely for a period of seven years. Although all patients eventually required drug treatment (Sinemet or Deprenyl), the progression of the Disease, as determined by need for medication, was considerably delayed in those who received the nutritional antioxidants compared to the rates in those not receiving the antioxidants. |
| Side Effects of Kava
Although no side effects have been reported using standardized kava extracts at recommended levels in the clinical studies, several case reports have been presented indicating that kava may interfere with dopamine-production or binding to receptor sites and worsen Parkinson's disease, exert an additive effect when combined with benzodiazepines, and produce impaired driving ability when consumed in very large doses, sixteen cups of kava beverage as described below. |
| This is especially true with more severe illnesses that require pharmacological and/or surgical intervention, such as cancer, angina, congestive heart failure, Parkinson's disease, and trauma. For example, a patient who has severe congestive heart failure that requires such drugs as digoxin and furosemide can benefit from the appropriate use of thiamin, carnitine, and coenzyme Qm supplementation. |
| Inadequate antioxidants and nutrients in the brain result in an increased rate of neuron damage, as seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease patients.
As with all enzymes, the cytochrome P450s require several nutrients in order to function. A deficiency of any of these means more toxins floating around doing damage. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Any persistent or recurrent tremor deserves investigation, especially if it interferes with normal activity, but it should be kept in mind that most tremors are not an indication of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's Disease is one of the most common debilitating diseases in the United States. There are approximately 1.2 million people with the Disease throughout the United States and Canada. It affects men more often than women. Recent statistics indicate that 1 percent of adults over the age of sixty, and 2 percent of adults over the age of seventy, may have Parkinson's disease. |
| In one study, people with Parkinson's disease were given 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 3,200 international units of vitamin E daily. The results strongly suggested that the progression of the Disease can be slowed significantly by the administration of high dosages of antioxidants. If Parkinson's disease is related to free radical damage of dopamine-producing brain cells, in theory, a person who takes antioxidants while still healthy might never develop Parkinson's disease. |
| Treatment with the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may help to prevent Parkinson's disease. (See dhea therapy in Part Three.)
Q The use of antioxidant supplements may delay the need for the levodopa therapy in people with Parkinson's disease, in some cases by as much as two to three years. In one study, people with Parkinson's disease were given 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 3,200 international units of vitamin E daily. The results strongly suggested that the progression of the Disease can be slowed significantly by the administration of high dosages of antioxidants. |
| Considerations
Q Some people with Parkinson's disease have been found to have high levels of lead in their brains. Chelation therapy is the only way to remove lead from the body. (See chelation therapy in Part Three.)
Q Because there are no definitive tests for Parkinson's disease, people with hypoglycemia are sometimes misdiagnosed as having the condition. (See hypoglycemia in Part Two.)
Ql Fasting and chelation are both beneficial and may help to halt the progression of Parkinson's disease. (See fasting and chelation therapy in Part Three. |
| Vitamin B^, in the methylcobalamin form, may help prevent Parkinson's disease and slow the progression in those who already have the Disease by protecting against neural toxicity caused by excess L-dopa, a probable cause of the Disease. The vitamin has been shown to reverse the symptoms of such rare neurological diseases as Bell's palsy (see page 667), and shows promise in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. Very few substances are known to have any impact on regenerating damaged nerves in humans. |
| Q| See aluminum toxicity; Alzheimer's disease; and Parkinson's disease, all in Part Two.
Q| See also Binswanger's Disease and Pick's Disease under rare disorders in Part Two. l c\r\
0 Anise, blessed thistle, and blue cohosh appear to sharpen brain power.
Q| Ginkgo biloba improves cerebral circulation, enhances brain function and memory, and destroys free radicals to protect brain cells. Three times a day, place V2 dropperful of alcohol-free liquid extract under your tongue and hold it there for a few minutes before swallowing. Or take 400 milligrams in capsule form three times daily. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
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 Pau d'arco also is employed in herbal medicine systems in the United States for lupus, diabetes, ulcers, leukemia, allergies, liver Disease, Hodgkin's Disease, osteomyelitis, Parkinson's disease, and psoriasis, and is a popular natural remedy for Candida and yeast infections. The recorded uses in European herbal medicine systems reveal that it is used in much the same way as in the United States, and for the same conditions.
PLANT CHEMICALS
The chemical constituents and active ingredients of pau d'arco have been well documented. |
| It is also used for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, kidney disorders, high blood pressure, and to increase the contraction strength of the heart muscle. It is considered effective against Parkinson's disease in Colombia, where it also is used as a substitute for digitalis-containing plants (digitalis is an active chemical found in plants and turned into a heart drug for various heart conditions), and to facilitate childbirth and menstruation. The leaf is used in Guatemalan herbal medicine systems for asthma, edema, rheumatism, diabetes, fever, atherosclerosis, and gonorrhea. |
| Due to the high concentration of L-dopa in the seeds, it has been studied for its possible use in Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a common age-related neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than four million people worldwide. It is associated with progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in specific areas in the brain. Dopamine does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore cannot be used directly as a treatment. However, L-dopa (levodopa) does gain access to the brain—where it is converted to dopamine. |
| Velvet bean seeds contain up to 10 percent natural L-dopa, which is why the plant is used in herbal medicine systems to treat Parkinson's disease.
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH
Preliminary reports suggest that velvet bean can provide the same benefits to Parkinson's patients as the prescription drug, levodopa, with fewer side effects. |
| Parkinson's Disease is a common age-related neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than four million people worldwide. It is associated with progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in specific areas in the brain. Dopamine does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore cannot be used directly as a treatment. However, L-dopa (levodopa) does gain access to the brain—where it is converted to dopamine. There are two controversies surrounding side effects of the current pharmaceutical supplementation of L-dopa. |
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