Another Hidden Risk of Parkinson's

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Another Hidden Risk of Parkinson'shttp://www.mercola.com/2005/may/4/parkinsons.htm

Another Hidden Risk of Parkinson'sWomen may be stuck in a rock and a hard place when it comes toremoving their ovaries: This new study reveals that women who have hadboth their ovaries removed are at twice the normal risk of developing

Parkinson's disease.This is because significant amounts of the hormone estrogen, which hasbeen found to protect certain types of nerve cells, are produced bywomen's ovaries. Among the nerve cells estrogen helps are those found

in the substantia nigra (a sector of the brain that controls voluntarymovements). Parkinson's patients show degeneration in this region ofthe brain, resulting in shaking and unsteadiness, both characteristic

of the condition.The Parkinson's LinkIn order to understand how surgical removal of the ovaries influencesa woman's chance of developing Parkinson's disease or its symptoms,researchers searched through medical records that dated from

1950-1987. The team also conducted thousands of medical checks overthe past five years to follow up patients among the 5,000 womeninvolved in the study.They found: * About half of the women surveyed had at least one ovary removed

and some 1,200 had both of them removed. * Of those who had the procedure (either one or both ovariesremoved), 43 women showed Parkinson's-like symptoms, and 25 of themdeveloped the full-stage disease.

* Only 18 of the roughly 2,500 women whose ovaries were notremoved contracted Parkinson's; 29 developed symptoms. * Getting both ovaries removed placed women at a higher risk of

developing Parkinson's.Nature April 14, 2005Dr. Mercola's Comment:Although there are certain circumstances, such as ovarian cancer, inwhich the removal of one or both ovaries is clearly indicated, many

women elect to include this procedure if they are having ahysterectomy. This is typically done in an effort to prevent ovariancancer.The choice to remove one's ovaries certainly seems logical andrational, after all what woman wants to die from ovarian cancer?

However, the problem with removing your ovaries is that it virtuallyeliminates the possibility of a woman ever being able to normalize herhormone function naturally. In some cases, this may lead to theunfortunate circumstance of conventional hormone replacement therapy,

which has been well documented to contribute to a host of undesirableside effects.This new study suggests that the risks of removing a woman's ovariesmay have additional undesirable consequences.

This study, while providing strong evidence for yet another largelypreventable cause of Parkinson's disease, also offers even moreconfirmation that many surgeries are unnecessary, and some can even

cause more problems than they are supposed to be curing.Unnecessary surgeries are an epidemic of enormous proportions thatneedlessly maim and kill patients. Many of you have heard the horrorstories of doctors mistakenly operating on the wrong person or body

part; mishaps like these involving human error seem inevitable to acertain degree. However, it is not these types of events that are theprimary concern. It is the commonly practiced, " routine " surgeries

that constitute the bulk of the problem. Often times these proceduresare not only unnecessary, but expensive, stressful and dangerous aswell. And, though they succeed in padding doctors' wallets and raising

health care costs, they often do not solve patients' problems.Studies showing how mastectomies and hysterectomies are oftenunnecessary provide ample evidence on their own. Even something soseemingly harmless as knee surgery is not only frequently wasting

money, but is also proven to be no more effective at symptom reliefthan placebo is.Of course, many surgeries are absolutely necessary, and the oftenlife-saving option they provide is invaluable. Of equal or greater

value is the mostly forgotten, if not flat-out denied, power of yourbody to heal itself. When it is given a chance to work, the resultscan be nothing short of miraculous.Tips for Preventing Parkinson's Disease

Now that I've finished commenting on the newly discovered risk factorfor Parkinson's, I'd like to review the other ways to reduce your riskof this disease, and prevention is really the best route to take.

Here's what can help: * Regular exercise is one of the best ways to protect against theonset of symptoms of Parkinson's disease. * Avoid pesticide and insecticide exposure (as well as exposure to

other environmental toxins like solvents). This is particularlyimportant as summer approaches and mosquito fogging increases. * Eating more vegetables, which are high in folic acid, is another

highly effective step to prevent Parkinson's disease. * Make sure your body has healthy levels of iron (neither too muchnor too little). * Consider coenzyme Q10, which may help to fight the disease.

-- Diana Gonzalez Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

-Unknown