Parkinson’s brain death protection discovered

The main culprit behind the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the death of neurons in our brains.

This cell death is due to oxidative stress, which occurs when harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species accumulate in your brain.

A new study in the journal Cells now reveals how a specific type of rice stops this oxidative cell death – stopping the progression of your Parkinson’s disease.

In the search for ways to protect these neurons and potentially prevent PD, scientists have turned their attention to an amino acid called ergothioneine. This compound is known for its antioxidant properties, meaning it can fight off the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species and possibly save neurons from dying.

The new study took place in the laboratory, rather than directly inside people’s brains. The researchers wanted to see if ergothioneine could safeguard neurons from a dangerous substance called 6-hydroxydopamine, which is known to kill brain cells and is often used in experiments to mimic the effects of PD.

They first treated neurons with 6-hydroxydopamine to make them start dying, and then applied the ergothioneine to the dying neurons to see what would happen.

They found that ergothioneine was indeed able to protect the neurons from death caused by 6-hydroxydopamine. It worked by reducing the overproduction of reactive oxygen species within the cells.

Their study also uncovered exactly which transporter in our brains helps to get the ergothioneine into the neurons to do this job.

Another interesting discovery was about a special type of rice called koji rice. This rice is rich in ergothioneine and was found to have similar protective and antioxidant effects as pure ergothioneine. This means that consuming foods high in ergothioneine could prevent or slow down the progression of PD.

You can buy koji rice from good Asian supermarkets. It is rice that has been treated with a mold that is common in Japan. The enzymes released by the mold then ferment the rice.

If moldy, fermented rice doesn’t sound terribly appetizing, or if the price puts you off, there are other ergothioneine-rich foods you can try.

The best options are shiitake, oyster, king oyster, and maitake mushrooms.

As nice as ergothioneine sounds, there is an even more powerful all-natural way to halt – possibly reverse – Parkinson’s in a few simple steps explained here…