Havana March 31 (ACN) A research study published on Science magazine suggests the administration of Complex B vitamins during the treatment of Parkinson, a neurodegenerative condition affecting over 10 million people in today’s world.
Scientists suspect a possible connection between the intestine and the brain which influences the appearance of Parkinson, so far, an incurable disease, according to PL wire service.
Recent research has given further evidence about the intestine-brain relation by identifying intestinal microbes which could be involved as they are related to a decreasing level of vitamins B-2 and B-7.
According to medical researcher Hiroshi Nishiwaki of Nagoya University in Japan, supplementation therapy targeting riboflavin and biotin is emerging as a promising therapeutic approach to alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
In the study, fecal samples from 94 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 73 relatively healthy controls in Japan were analyzed, and the results were compared with data from China, Taiwan, Germany, and the United States.
Although different groups of bacteria were involved across the countries studied, all influenced the metabolic pathways responsible for synthesizing B-complex vitamins in the body.
The team found that changes in the gut microbiota were associated with reduced levels of riboflavin and biotin in people with Parkinson’s disease.
The experts also showed that deficiencies in B vitamins were linked to a decrease in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and polyamines—molecules that help form a healthy intestinal mucus layer.
“Deficiencies in polyamines and SCFAs could lead to thinning of the intestinal mucus layer, increasing intestinal permeability—both phenomena observed in Parkinson’s disease,” Nishiwaki explained.
They suspect that the weakened protective layer exposes the enteric nervous system to a greater amount of toxins that we are now more frequently exposed to, including cleaning chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides.
These toxins trigger the overproduction of α-synuclein fibrils—molecules that accumulate in dopamine-producing cells in the brain’s substantia nigra—and increase inflammation in the nervous system, ultimately leading to the most debilitating motor and dementia symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
