Even low-level exposure to pesticides increases your risk of Parkinson’s

( Natural News ) We all know that pesticide exposure is bad, whether it comes from the food you eat or you happen to live or work on a farm. You might think you can get away with a few non-organic fruits here and there or that a couple hours working on the farm won’t be enough to hurt you. Unfortunately, this line of reasoning could come back to haunt you as a new study shows that even low-level exposure to pesticides can raise your risk of Parkinson’s disease . Researchers from the University of Guelph reached this conclusion after studying the stem cells of people with Parkinson’s disease who had a genetic mutation in the synuclein gene, which is highly associated with a greater risk of the illness. They compared this to normal stem cells that they had introduced the mutation into using gene editing. They used these stem cells to create dopamine-producing neurons like those affected when a person has Parkinson’s and then exposed them to two commonly used agrochemicals: maneb and paraquat. Upon exposure, the mitochondria in the cells weren’t able to get where they needed to go within the cell, which had the effect of depleting the neurons’ energy. This problem occurred below the doses that the EPA has identified as the lowest observed effect level in the neurons of people with Parkinson’s and those with the introduced genetic risk factor. It took a higher dose to impair the function of normal neurons, however. Study author Scott Ryan remarked that those who are predisposed to Parkinson’s are more vulnerable to low-level agrochemical exposure than others and thus have a higher risk of developing the disease. This, he said, partly explains why those who live in agricultural areas have a higher risk of Parkinson’s . Support […]

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