Disturbances within the microbiome may affect brain health via the vagus , a bundle of nerves that snakes between the intestines and the central nervous system , potentially triggering Parkinson ’ s and other disorders . CREDIT : KNOWABLE MAGAZINE
How gut bacteria connect to Parkinson ’ s disease
By David Levin ( freelance science writer based in Boston . www . davidlevineditorial . com .)
Growing evidence suggests a link between the debilitating neurological illness and the microbes that live in our intestines . The vagus nerve may be a pathway .
It can start small : a peculiar numbness ; a subtle facial tic ; an inexplicably stiff muscle . But then time goes by — and eventually , the tremors set in .
Roughly a million people in the United States ( and roughly 10 million people worldwide ) live with Parkinson ’ s disease , a potent neurological disorder that progressively kills neurons in the brain . As it does so , it can trigger a host of crippling symptoms , from violent tremors to excruciating muscle cramps , terrifying nightmares and constant brain fog . While medical treatments can alleviate some of these effects , researchers still don ’ t know exactly what causes the disease to occur in the first place .
A growing number of studies , however , are suggesting that it may be tied to an unlikely culprit : bacteria living inside our guts .
Every one of us has hundreds or thousands of microbial species in our stomach , small intestine and colon . These bacteria , collectively called our gut microbiome , are usually considerate guests : Although they survive largely on food that passes through our insides , they also give back , cranking out essential nutrients like niacin ( which helps our body convert food into energy ) and breaking down otherwise indigestible plant fiber into substances our bodies can use .
As Parkinson ’ s advances in the brain , researchers have reported that the species of bacteria present in the gut also shift dramatically , hinting at a possible cause for the disease . A 2022 paper published in the journal Nature Communications
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