Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that affects how people move. Around 8 million people around the world live with this condition.
People with Parkinson’s may have shaking hands, stiff muscles, and trouble walking or keeping their balance.
For many years, doctors and scientists didn’t know exactly what causes Parkinson’s disease. But now, new research may help solve the mystery. Scientists believe that bacteria in our gut may play a role in starting the disease.
Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria. Most of them are helpful—they break down food, help the immune system, and even affect how we feel. But not all bacteria are good. Some can harm our health.
In 2021, a group of researchers led by Professor Per Saris at the University of Helsinki in Finland made an important discovery. They found that people with Parkinson’s disease had more of a certain kind of bacteria in their gut called Desulfovibrio.
Even more interesting, those with more of these bacteria had more severe symptoms. Another study from China found similar results, which supports the finding.
According to Professor Saris, genes only explain about 10% of Parkinson’s cases. That means most cases are likely caused by environmental factors. These could include toxins, bacteria, or other things we come into contact with during daily life.
The researchers believe that people may pick up harmful Desulfovibrio bacteria from the environment, such as through food. Once these bacteria settle in the gut, they might start changes in the body that lead to Parkinson’s disease.
To test this theory, the scientists used a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, which is often used in lab studies. Parkinson’s disease is linked to the buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. When this protein clumps together, it harms brain cells and causes the symptoms of the disease.
In the experiment, the worms were given Desulfovibrio bacteria from people with Parkinson’s. The worms developed large clumps of the harmful protein—much more than worms given bacteria from healthy people. This suggests that these bacteria might trigger the harmful process that causes Parkinson’s.
This discovery could lead to new ways to treat or prevent Parkinson’s disease. If certain gut bacteria play a key role, removing them could help stop the disease or slow it down. The idea is simple: take away the bad bacteria, and the harmful protein clumps may not form.
More research is needed, but this gives scientists and patients hope. It also shows how important gut health is to brain health. Keeping the right balance of bacteria in the gut might be one way to protect the brain and reduce the risk of diseases like Parkinson’s.
This study could change how we think about Parkinson’s disease. In the future, changing our gut bacteria might be a simple and powerful way to fight this serious illness.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing Plant-based diets could protect cognitive health from air pollution.
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