5 questions and answers about the Parkinson's disease microbiome
Michael Okun is a neurologist and author of 13 books, and most recently Living with Parkinson’s and Ending Parkinson’s. One of the chapters in Living with Parkinson’s (he collaborated with Drs Wissam Deeb and Irene Malaty) is about nutrition and the microbiome— and this week we picked his brain on 5 questions about the micriobiome and Parkinson’s.
What is the microbiome?
Microbes in the intestines play an important role in regulating inflammation in the body. Microbes in the intestines interact with the brain. Evidence strongly suggests that people with Parkinson’s disease have an alteration in their intestinal microbes. It is not yet clear how to intervene or how to modify these microbes, or if modification will have any effect on the development or the improvement of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Ongoing research in this area may provide insight on how to manage symptoms through changing the gut microbiome.
We recommend this excellent Youtube video review of microbiome (click above to watch)
Could these microbes be beneficial for health?
The gut microbiome consists of a diverse community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses (known as “microbes”) that reside in the GI tract. There is increased interest in the role of these microbes, as they can have beneficial (or pathogenic) roles for human health. The presence and function of microbes can be influenced by a number of factors, including age, sex, environment, diet, and the use of medications and supplements. More recently, research published in 2015 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology and in 2017 in the Journal of Cellular Physiology showed there is bi-directional communication between the central nervous system and the GI system, which is referred to as the “gut-brain axis.” It is unknown if they can be beneficial but the weight of the evidence is pointing strongly to that possibility.
We recommend this great article on mining microbiota (-omics) for health (click above)
How do microbes interact with the nervous system?
Microbes interact with the nervous system in a variety of ways, such as: (1) regulating inflammation; (2) producing neurotransmitters (chemical signals) such as dopamine and serotonin; and (3) influencing communication with the brain, which can affect the function of the GI tract and may influence behavior, mood, and memory function.
We recommend this excellent review of the gutmicrobiotafor health (click above)
Is the composition of the gut microbiome different in
Parkinson’s?
The composition of the gut microbes may be different in persons with Parkinson’s disease as compared to healthy individuals. Knowledge of how specific gut microbes influence the nervous system is ongoing and more research is needed to better understand them.
Does diet change the gut microbiome?
Diet is known to influence the gut microbiome by altering the composition of microbes along the GI tract. Beneficial microbes can play an important role in maintaining immune and GI function, maintaining integrity of the intestinal barrier, and maintaining healthy levels of prebiotic fibers. Prebiotic fibers can be naturally found in foods such as bananas, oats, onions, leeks, garlic, and asparagus. In addition, they are added to food products like yogurts or cereal bars. Recent research has found that a Mediterranean diet is associated with increased levels of beneficial bacteria, possibly due to increased fermentation of fibers from plant foods.
To read more books and articles by Michael S. Okun MD check on Twitter @MichaelOkun and these websites with blogs and information on his books and http://parkinsonsecrets.com/ #Livingwith Parkinson’s #EndingPD #Parkinsonsecrets #LessonsFromTheBedside
He also serves as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation.
To see more on Dr. Indu Subramanian she does live interviews of experts in Parkinson’s for the PMD Alliance.
The blog artist is Jonny Acheson.