Constipation and the future risk of Parkinson’s disease
Isn’t this interesting? At this point no one is sure whether constipation is a sign of PD or whether constipation is a risk factor. Knowing what we know about the GI tract, however, would lead me to believe that the latter will turn out to be true. Much evidence points to the idea that methylation disorders contribute strongly to PD and that high dose folic acid and B12 may affect the progress of the disease. However, as with many other chronic disease, I am very sure that there is an inflammatory component to PD, and the GI tract is notorious for upregulating the immune system. Throw food allergies into the mix (which have been linked to constipation as well as brain lesions…) and there may be multiple pathways by which constipation could contribute to PD.
Neurology — Abstracts: Abbott et al. 57 (3): 456