(27-02-11) Berry compounds lower risk of Parkinson's disease

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) An enormous study spanning several decades has shown that people
who eat berries regularly have a much lower risk of developing Parkinson's
disease than othose who do not. Published in the journal ScienceDaily, the
study adds significantly to the growing body of evidence proving that
flavanoids, a polyphenolic type of antioxidant that is already known to exhibit
anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, can help stave off neurological
diseases as well.

Xiang Gao, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public
Health analyzed the effects of eating berries in a group of nearly 130,000 men
and women. The team evaluated the correlation between flavanoid intake and
cases of Parkinson's disease over the course of more than 20 years and found
that the top 20 percent of men who consumed the most flavanoids were 40 percent
less likely to develop Parkinson's than others. And in both men and women,
consumption of anthocyanins, a specific type of flavanoid, was also related to
reduced risk.

"This is the first study in humans to examine the association between
flavanoids and risk of developing Parkinson's disease," said Gao. "Our findings
suggest that flavanoids, specifically a group called anthocyanins, may have
neuroprotective effects. If confirmed, flavanoids may be a natural and healthy
way to reduce your risk of developing Parkinson's disease."

A 2009 study published in the journal Archives of Neurology found that people
who work in industries that involve heavy pesticide exposure are more likely to
develop Parkinson's (http://www.naturalnews.com/027202_p...). And another study
published in the journal BMC Neurology in 2008 found a connection between
pesticides and Parkinson's, including even exposure to common household
pesticides like bug sprays.

Lack of vitamin D is connected to Parkinson's disease as well, according to a
recent study published in the journal Archives of Neurology. Maintaining high
levels of vitamin D, say the authors, can help to protect the brain from the
nerve damage that leads to Parkinson's and other brain disorders (http://www.
naturalnews.com/030314_v...).

Sources for this story include:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...

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