Parkinson's Link to Gut Bacteria Suggests Unexpected, Simple Treatment
Researchers have suspected for some time that the link between our gut and brain plays a role in the development of Parkinson's disease.
A new study just identified gut microbes likely to be involved and linked them with decreased riboflavin ( vitamin B2) and biotin (vitamin B7), pointing the way to an unexpectedly simple treatment that may help: B vitamins.
"Supplementation of riboflavin and/or biotin is likely to be beneficial in a subset of Parkinson's disease patients, in which gut dysbiosis plays pivotal roles," Nagoya University medical researcher Hiroshi Nishiwaki and colleagues write in their published paper.
The neurodegenerative disease impacts almost 10 million people globally, who at best can hope for therapies that slow and alleviate symptoms.
Symptoms typically begin with constipation and sleep problems, up to 20 years before progressing into dementia and the debilitating loss of muscle control.
