Parkinson’s disease affects about 8 million people around the world. It is a brain disorder that mostly affects movement.
People with Parkinson’s may have shaking hands, stiff muscles, and trouble with balance or walking.
For a long time, doctors and scientists didn’t know what caused Parkinson’s disease. But now, a new study might bring us closer to an answer. Researchers believe that certain bacteria in our gut may play a role in triggering this disease.
Our bodies contain trillions of bacteria, especially in our gut. Most of these bacteria are helpful. They help digest food, support our immune system, and even affect our moods. But not all bacteria are good—some can harm us.
In 2021, a research team led by Professor Per Saris from the University of Helsinki in Finland found something interesting. They discovered that people with Parkinson’s disease had more of a type of gut bacteria called Desulfovibrio.
Even more, the people who had more of these bacteria also had worse symptoms. A research team in China found similar results, which supports the finding.
Professor Saris says that while genes can play a role in Parkinson’s disease, they only explain about 10% of cases. The other 90% are likely caused by things in the environment. These could be toxins or bacteria like Desulfovibrio.
Saris and his team believe that people may come into contact with harmful Desulfovibrio bacteria through food or other environmental sources. Once these bacteria are in the gut, they may help cause Parkinson’s disease.
To test this idea, the scientists used a small worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, a common model in lab experiments. Parkinson’s disease is linked to clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These clumps damage nerve cells and lead to the disease’s symptoms.
In the experiment, the researchers gave the worms Desulfovibrio bacteria taken from people with Parkinson’s disease. The worms developed large clumps of the harmful protein, more than worms that were given bacteria from healthy people.
This discovery could lead to new ways to treat or even prevent Parkinson’s disease. If certain types of gut bacteria cause the disease, then getting rid of those bacteria might help stop the disease or at least slow it down.
The idea is simple: remove the harmful bacteria, and the dangerous protein clumps might stop forming. More research is needed, but this is a hopeful direction for scientists and people affected by the disease.
This study reminds us how important gut health is to the brain. Keeping a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut might be one way to support brain health and reduce the risk of diseases like Parkinson’s.
These findings might change how we think about and treat Parkinson’s disease in the future. They give hope that something as simple as changing our gut bacteria could one day make a big difference.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about Parkinson’s gene variant is found predominantly in people of African ancestry and research shows a dangerous cause of Parkinson’s disease.
For more about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that exercise hormone may help stop Parkinson’s symptoms and scientists make new breakthrough in Parkinson’s disease treatment.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
