A new study just published on Feb 2011 in the journal of cancer makes a strong argument for applying hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) for those patients who have had either surgery or radiation therapy for brain tumors. The study followed patients who had been treated with HBOT and there was a marked improvement in cognitive [...]
» Click Here to Read the full Article‘GREEN ACRES’ IS NOT ALWAYS THE PLACE TO BE…
Toxic agri-chemicals may destroy a lot more than just insects and weeds. A new case-controlled study confirms that workers exposed to insecticides and herbicides have a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
A noted neurologist from Henry Ford Hospital and Health Sciences, JM Gorell, M.D., spearheaded an epidemiological analysis of over 600 individuals–including 144 who had Parkinson’s disease. A variety of environmental and occupational factors previously linked to this degenerative disease were carefully examined, including well water
consumption, pesticide use, farming, and rural residence.
Researchers established a significant independent correlation between insecticide and herbicide exposure and subsequent development of Parkinson’s–even after adjusting for risk associated with farming. They postulated that oxidative stress triggered by pesticides may promote the deterioration of the substantia nigra , a cell mass in the brain critical for producing dopamine. Previous studies have shown degeneration of this brain region in Parkinson’s mediated by heightened activity of free radicals.
Although there are specific genetic factors tied to the development of Parkinson’s disease, environmental factors are believed to heavily influence its onset and progression. The authors of this article in Neurology (1998;50:1346-1350) emphasize the importance of exploring this relationship, given the widespread prevalence of pesticide exposure among the general population. An impaired ability of the liver to detoxify xenobiotic chemicals has also been cited by experts as a critical metabolic dysfunction linked to this disease.
