Parkinson’s disease is a serious condition that affects the brain and nervous system. It causes shaking, stiffness, and problems with balance and movement.
Around 8 million people around the world live with this disease. For many years, doctors and scientists didn’t know exactly what caused it.
Now, new research has found a possible clue—and it starts in the gut.
Our gut, or digestive system, is home to trillions of bacteria. Most of these bacteria help us digest food, stay healthy, and even affect how we feel. But some bacteria may not be so friendly. Scientists have found that certain harmful bacteria might play a role in causing Parkinson’s disease.
In 2021, a research group led by Professor Per Saris at the University of Helsinki found a possible link between Parkinson’s disease and a type of gut bacteria called Desulfovibrio. They discovered that people with Parkinson’s had more of these bacteria in their gut than healthy people.
Even more interesting, the worse the disease symptoms were, the more Desulfovibrio bacteria the person seemed to have. A separate group of scientists in China found similar results.
This discovery is important because most cases of Parkinson’s disease are not caused by genes. Only about 1 in 10 people with Parkinson’s inherited it through their family. The other 90% of cases are thought to be caused by things in the environment—like toxins, lifestyle, or now, possibly certain bacteria.
Professor Saris believes that some strains of the Desulfovibrio bacteria may be one of these environmental triggers. People might get these bacteria from their food or the environment without knowing it.
To test this idea, the research team used tiny worms called Caenorhabditis elegans. These worms are often used in science because their cells work in ways that are similar to human cells.
One of the key signs of Parkinson’s disease in humans is the build-up of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. This protein clumps together and damages brain cells, leading to the symptoms of the disease.
The researchers gave the Desulfovibrio bacteria from people with Parkinson’s to these worms. The result? The worms started developing protein clumps—just like in the human brain. And the clumps were even bigger than the ones formed by bacteria from healthy people.
This means that the Desulfovibrio bacteria may actually help cause Parkinson’s disease by making these protein clumps form. That’s a big step in understanding the disease.
So what’s next? If these harmful bacteria are part of the problem, getting rid of them might help treat or even prevent Parkinson’s. Scientists are now thinking about ways to remove these bacteria from the gut. If they succeed, they might be able to slow down or stop the disease. This could lead to new kinds of treatments in the future.
This discovery also shows how important our gut health is for our brain. Keeping a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut may not just help digestion—it might also protect us from brain diseases.
In short, this new research could change the way we understand and treat Parkinson’s disease. It gives hope that one day, something as simple as changing the bacteria in our gut could help people live longer, healthier lives.
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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