Three Roles for Probiotics for Parkinson’s Disease

In Western medicine, we make appointments with specialists who focus on a particular body system - neurology, gastroenterology, gynecology, etc. But the body is much more than just the sum of its parts. Our organs work together, and often influence each other in unexpected ways.

Take the onset of Parkinson’s for example. Research suggests that in some cases, the molecules that accumulate in the substantia nigra, causing neuron death and a decrease in dopamine production, may have traveled there from the intestines via the “gut-brain axis” or GBA.

The gut and brain are intimately linked by nerves and by molecular signals that travel through the bloodstream. This allows them to influence one another. While this relationship can be pathological, it can also be exploited for beneficial purposes, for example by certain probiotic bacteria that confer a neurological health benefit.

Probiotics reside within the gastrointestinal tract where they affect gut health. But because of the GBA, the influence of neurologically active probiotics like L. plantarum PS128 (the active ingredient in Neuralli) goes beyond the gut, allowing them to impact mental and neurological health as well.

Recently our Chief Science Officer, Professor Y.C. Tsai wrote an article for Parkinson’s News Today describing three roles for probiotics in supporting gut and neurological health before and after Parkinson’s onset. If you already have a diagnosis or feel you may be at risk, we invite you to learn more at Parkinsons News Today.