Is a cause of Parkinson’s stored in your cupboard?

As soon as it stops snowing I hear that spring will arrive. And not a moment too soon!

But something else comes with that warmer weather — bugs. And unless you’re having a picnic, seeing ants marching across your food always comes as a shock.

But before you get out the can of bug killer and start spraying everywhere, think about your brain.

Researchers at UCLA have identified 11 pesticides that might be a trigger in Parkinson’s disease.

Pesticides, it seems, can zap our brains as well as killing bugs. The research found that many pesticides can block an enzyme called ALDH, and that can make Parkinson’s more likely to occur. And some people can even have a genetic tendency that makes the bug sprays even more dangerous to them.

“We were very surprised that so many pesticides inhibited ALDH and at quite low concentrations,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Jeff M. Bronstein.

He also noted that these chemicals “can be found on our food supply and are used in parks and golf courses and in pest control inside buildings and homes. So this significantly broadens the number of people at risk.”

Seems like it might be time to invest in a few fly swatters.

Sources:
“Researchers ID more pesticides linked to Parkinson’s, gene that increases risk” Kim Irwin, February 3, 2014, UCLA Newsroom, newsroom.ucla.edu