Lack of Vitamin B Folate

Having not enough B vitamin folate in your daily diet may increase your chances of having Parkinson's disease. This was recently concluded after a thorough study was carried out.

What is Parkinsons disease? It is a common illness of the elderly, which causes the limbs to be stiff and shake, and makes simple movements slow and difficult.

In an animal study conducted, some mice were fed a folate-deficient diet. On close examination, scientists found that the dopamine-producing cells present in these mices brains were more susceptible to damage and death. Dopamine is a type of brain chemical that helps regulate body movements, and the cells that produce the neurotransmitter slowly degenerate in Parkinsons disease patients.

These mice were also found to have elevated levels of homocysteine, a compound naturally formed when protein is metabolized. When high concentrations of homocysteine were infused directly into the mices brain, they exhibited Parkinson's-like symptoms such as hand and facial tremors, stiffness in the limbs and slow movements.

While previous studies have indicated that the levels of homocysteine is higher in Parkinson's disease patients, the exact role of this compound in the development of the disease is unclear.

The above study concluded the following findings:

1. High homocysteine levels can render neurons vulnerable to Parkinson's disease.
2. A diet with low folic acid raises homocysteine level, which in turn, renders neurons in the brain vulnerable to dysfunction and death.

Source: Journal of January Neurochemistry 2002;80:101-110.