“Together with my American colleague Ray Dorsey, I investigated data from the Global burden of disease, which records causes of death as a result of disease. This data showed that after correction for ageing, the growth in prevalence of almost all diseases – with the exception of virus outbreaks such as COVID, of course – has remained the same, but that the prevalence of Parkinson's has risen explosively. We also found an alarming link with pesticides and air pollution. In a country like China, which is industrialising at a rapid pace, the growth of Parkinson's is a very serious problem. We also saw that the risk of Parkinson's among farmers is about two and a half times greater than other groups, which probably has to do with the use of pesticides. This affects not only the farmers themselves, but also those living in the immediate vicinity of farms. The pesticides Paraquat and Rotenone, which are now banned, are especially notorious. There is also a suspected link with Roundup, which contains glyphosate. This product is still used by private citizens to kill weeds on their pavements.
“Obviously, these products are assessed before they are approved. But that's where it goes wrong. Studies in mice have shown that these products affect the substantia nigra, the black substance in the human brain stem, so the brain no longer functions optimally. In tests with mice, however, the studies only assess whether the animals remain alive, whether they develop tumours and whether they continue to run around happily. In the reported studies, the mice still do the latter, even if the substantia nigra is severely affected. So that aspect is not being assessed. In addition, farmers often do not use a single product, but a mix of pesticides. As a result, one substance can be harmless, but in combination with another substance it can be extremely hazardous.
“Studies in the Netherlands have shown traces of pesticides on kitchen tables and in the nappies of babies. In supermarkets in our country, traces of pesticides have been found in many products. That makes the situation alarming. Parkinson's is currently the fastest growing brain disease, and it will soon become a global health problem if we don't change the food production system very quickly. Moreover, it can happen to anyone, including more and more young people. Fortunately, there are many ways to protect yourself against Parkinson's. Eating a Mediterranean diet with lots of fresh vegetables and only little meat is one of them. Lots of exercise and sports also helps.”
Tip: listen to the podcast De Reflector by Radboud Reflects
Early next year, Bas Bloem can be heard in the podcast De Reflector, in which he talks about his recently published book De parkinsonpandemie. Een recept voor actie (The Parkinson’s Epidemic. A Recipe for Action) with co-author Jorrit Hoff, Poiesz Publishers.
Bas Bloem (Voorburg, 1967) studied medicine at Leiden University. He has been professor of Neurology at Radboud university medical center since 2001. He was one of the founders Parkinson’s Centre Nijmegen (ParC) in 2002. In 2004, together with Marten Munneke he co-founded ParkinsonNet, a national network of about 3,000 care providers.
Photo: Erich Westendarp via Pixabay