Let’s start with the fact that almost every drug for this disease that works in animals does not work in humans. This is often cited as an example of why we should not believe in studies that show something cures animals.
Why is the percentage of effective therapies so low? The solution, as usual, is very simple. There is no animal model for Parkinson’s disease. It’s that simple. It doesn’t exist for one fundamental reason. Science does not know what causes this disease. Well, does it not know, or does it not want to know?
The biggest problem with modern medicine is that money is made from disease, not health. Of course, no one is deliberately trying to make people sick. But no one is going to deliberately pay billions to find a solution that they can’t profit from. Money for clinical trials is only spent when there is a substance on the horizon that can be patented and sold.
What if Parkinson’s disease is caused mainly by several interacting nutritional deficiencies? Nerve cells are constantly being destroyed and created in our brain. If the processes leading to their destruction intensify and those leading to the creation of new ones are suppressed, the cells will gradually disappear, starting with the most sensitive ones. No pharmaceutical company will pay for research to prove this, because substances that occur naturally in food cannot be patented.
Let’s take a look at Parkinson’s disease itself. It has some interesting correlations. For example, smokers are much less susceptible to it, with the risk being literally several times lower. A recent study has shown that the likely cause is lithium, which is present in cigarette smoke. Administering it to patients, even in small doses, increased the level of a substance that is key to brain cell regeneration.
What is even more interesting, however, is the issue of fatty acid levels. First of all, what are the two diseases that most commonly accompany Parkinson’s? Restless legs syndrome and seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. Little is known about the syndrome, but scalp dermatitis is simply a symptom of a deficiency of one specific omega-6 fatty acid.
As it turns out, studies have been conducted to measure the levels of various substances, including fatty acids, in people affected by both Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147129
We are interested in two fatty acids that are crucial for proper brain function and inflammation reduction: gamma-linolenic acid, 18:3n6, GLA, and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, 20:3w6, DGLA.
Unfortunately, only the concentration of these acids together with their twin forms in the omega-3 version was measured. Nevertheless, the results are clear: the level of both is significantly reduced. It is too low for the brain to function properly, especially when it comes to reducing inflammation.
A deficiency of these specific fatty acids is associated with many inflammatory diseases. For example, in clinical trials, supplementation literally cured rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. No, that’s not a mistake. In RA, patients stopped taking their medication, and in MS, the symptoms receded. In Parkinson’s disease, inflammation is one of the main mechanisms leading to cell death.
Could it be that Parkinson’s disease is largely caused by a deficiency of GLA and DGLA? This deficiency certainly exists and is certainly very severe. To prove the link, clinical trials need to be conducted. But who will pay for them? Mr. John, who sowed borage this year? Mr. Henry, who owns an oil mill? They probably don’t have hundreds of millions, because that’s how much such studies cost. Certainly no corporation will pay, because what will it get out of it? Will it lose customers for the drugs it currently sells? Because that would be the only effect.
Let’s be honest, this research will probably never be carried out.
Without these studies, it is impossible to say for sure that oil supplementation will help. But it can be said without a doubt that patients have very large deficiencies, so even if it does not affect Parkinson’s disease itself, they will certainly feel other benefits associated with supplementation.
A little theory. GLA is synthesized from LA, the basic omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils. The synthesis process can be halted for many reasons, such as a deficiency of certain B vitamins, zinc, the presence of certain chronic viral infections, or an excess of saturated fat in the diet. The good news is that it can be supplemented directly from specific vegetable oils, mainly evening primrose and borage. The usual dose is 5-10 ml per day, with evening primrose containing half as much but also being half the price. In practice, one teaspoon of borage oil or two teaspoons of evening primrose oil should suffice.
DGLA, on the other hand, is synthesized from GLA. It cannot be supplemented through diet. Here’s a little trick that helps. A substance called sesamin prevents DGLA from being broken down, which leads to an increase in concentration. It is present in cold pressed sesame oil, but unfortunately there are no accurate studies to assess how much should be consumed to achieve any effects. Probably 1-2 tablespoons will be sufficient.
Unfortunately, replenishing the levels is not enough. The patient’s body does not produce these fatty acids, so they must be supplied through diet all the time, for the rest of their life.
What else can be done? Research suggests that a few milligrams of lithium per day can significantly slow down the progression of the disease and even stop it completely, provided that the studies on the effects of cigarettes mentioned above were conducted correctly. Supplements are available, or you can make them yourself.
Patients have severe deficiencies of vitamin B2 and biotin. In one study, vitamin B2 (several dozen mg per day) literally reversed the symptoms of the disease, while biotin has only undergone preliminary testing so far, but the results are very promising. There are also preliminary studies on vitamin B1, which have also yielded promising results.