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The gut has earned the nickname “the second brain.” It is a home to a vast network of neurons and microorganisms that influence mood, immunity, metabolism and neurological health. Some research has shed light on the connection between gut health and the development of Parkinson’s disease. It’s a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement and coordination.
Dr. Ashish Susvirkar, Consultant Neurologist & Movement Disorders Specialist shares how a compromised gut health can trigger Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s disease is known for symptoms like tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement. There are non-motor symptoms as well like constipation, loss of smell, sleep disturbance etc. These non motor symptoms appear years before those motor issues. This has led researchers to explore that Parkinson’s may begin in the gut.
In a person, the microbiome maintains a balanced state that supports digestion and protects against inflammation. But if the balance disrupts, a condition named dysbiosis potentially sets off a cascade of negative effects. Some theories also believe that a protein called alpha-synuclein, found in the brain can begin to misfold in the gut when exposed to certain environmental toxins or inflammatory triggers. These misfold proteins are toxic and clump together, forming lewing bodies resulting into Parkinson’s disease. These abnormal proteins may travel from gut to brain via the vagus nerve, it’s the primary communication way between two organs.
A leaky gut, a condition where the intestinal barrier becomes permeable may allow harmful substances such as lipopolysaccharides to enter the bloodstream. It can also promote systemic inflammation and may eventually cross the blood-brain barrier, triggering neuroinflammation and accelerating the loss of dopamine, a core problem in Parkinson’s.
