Thank you for the information. I have forwarded your site to a few friends. I live in one of the named Parkinson’s Belt areas, surrounded by orchards. I am thinking of getting a DNA genetic test. Will you be providing a recommendation in later articles for this?
HI Kevin, I think it would be best to run that by your health care provider. A genetic counselor would also be a good place to start. Some studies may provide testing for free, so that is something else to consider.
Wow, this was interesting, but not surprising. Do we know if using a reverse osmosis filter is protective, or filtered water in general recommended for brain health?
Hi Heather. I have been reading a lot about water filters, too. This study found RO and carbon filters most effective to remove common pesticides. But yes, I think filtering water in general is a smart recommendation, except perhaps if one drinks from a well. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749123019383
Thank you for this. Fascinating. My Dad died a few years ago from Parkinson’s. He lived with it for decades. They lived on a property and the farm downhill used to crop dust their banana plantation and it would travel up to Dad’s house too. He always maintained the PD was caused by this. Now it seems he was (mostly) right. Not that we could ever claim pesticides are good for any of us!
Thanks for this information. My father has Parkinson’s. Everyone in his family has been diagnosed with a tremor but only dad’s is PD. Growing up in Texas, they would all run behind the pesticide truck spraying for mosquitoes, he worked in a shipyard painting hulls with lead paint, and stopped college football due to continual concussions. It was a recipe for lifestyle factors, but I am always hungry for more information about how to take preventative measures. These are great!
Unfortunately, the use of glyphosate is not limited to golf courses. It is ubiquitous and is found in all kinds of foods, even organic. A simple Google search will yield a lot of information on the worst offenders, but it's almost impossible to avoid. And glyphosate is just one of many pesticides that are applied to lawns, agricultural fields, golf courses, you name it... none of them are going to be good for us.
Always interesting information from you Annie! My dad got ALS, and my mom got dementia right around the same time (around 78 years old) and my dad worked with a lot of pesticides in his occupation and believed in using them at home to control weeds and bugs too. I’ve often wondered if that was a contributing factor, but since my maternal grandmother also had dementia, I was always more focused on that connection. Interestingly and unfortunately my mother in law had Parkinson’s (and did live a lot of her life less than 1 mile from a golf course ). I worry about my kids also with 3 out of 4 grandparents having neurological diseases.
So sad to hear this Ashley. Turns out it could be both exposure and a genetic predisposition. Good information to know to help you kids make the best brain health decisions.
Thank you for diving into this! My husband is a high school golf coach (boys & girls) and my son is a competitive golfer so today’s post was informative & I look forward to learning more in upcoming posts!
Hi Annie! A few of the GC’s my family plays tournaments at have posted a sign “Audubon International “ certified. These are courses that have taken steps to support wildlife habitat and chemical use and reduction. Not a perfect solution but a positive step and if you’re a golfer, know someone who is or lives near a course? Here’s the site to learn more https://www.auduboninternational.org/acsp-for-golf
Thank you for the information. I have forwarded your site to a few friends. I live in one of the named Parkinson’s Belt areas, surrounded by orchards. I am thinking of getting a DNA genetic test. Will you be providing a recommendation in later articles for this?
HI Kevin, I think it would be best to run that by your health care provider. A genetic counselor would also be a good place to start. Some studies may provide testing for free, so that is something else to consider.
Wow, this was interesting, but not surprising. Do we know if using a reverse osmosis filter is protective, or filtered water in general recommended for brain health?
Hi Heather. I have been reading a lot about water filters, too. This study found RO and carbon filters most effective to remove common pesticides. But yes, I think filtering water in general is a smart recommendation, except perhaps if one drinks from a well. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749123019383
Thank you for this. Fascinating. My Dad died a few years ago from Parkinson’s. He lived with it for decades. They lived on a property and the farm downhill used to crop dust their banana plantation and it would travel up to Dad’s house too. He always maintained the PD was caused by this. Now it seems he was (mostly) right. Not that we could ever claim pesticides are good for any of us!
Sad to hear this, MG. From my read of the literature, he was right.
Looking forward to all those new topics!
Thanks Toni!
Thanks for this information. My father has Parkinson’s. Everyone in his family has been diagnosed with a tremor but only dad’s is PD. Growing up in Texas, they would all run behind the pesticide truck spraying for mosquitoes, he worked in a shipyard painting hulls with lead paint, and stopped college football due to continual concussions. It was a recipe for lifestyle factors, but I am always hungry for more information about how to take preventative measures. These are great!
Oh how terrible. Thankfully, now we know better how to protect ourselves.
Unfortunately, the use of glyphosate is not limited to golf courses. It is ubiquitous and is found in all kinds of foods, even organic. A simple Google search will yield a lot of information on the worst offenders, but it's almost impossible to avoid. And glyphosate is just one of many pesticides that are applied to lawns, agricultural fields, golf courses, you name it... none of them are going to be good for us.
All true Romy!
Always interesting information from you Annie! My dad got ALS, and my mom got dementia right around the same time (around 78 years old) and my dad worked with a lot of pesticides in his occupation and believed in using them at home to control weeds and bugs too. I’ve often wondered if that was a contributing factor, but since my maternal grandmother also had dementia, I was always more focused on that connection. Interestingly and unfortunately my mother in law had Parkinson’s (and did live a lot of her life less than 1 mile from a golf course ). I worry about my kids also with 3 out of 4 grandparents having neurological diseases.
So sad to hear this Ashley. Turns out it could be both exposure and a genetic predisposition. Good information to know to help you kids make the best brain health decisions.
Thank you for diving into this! My husband is a high school golf coach (boys & girls) and my son is a competitive golfer so today’s post was informative & I look forward to learning more in upcoming posts!
Important stuff, especially with all those golfers in the family.
Hi Annie! A few of the GC’s my family plays tournaments at have posted a sign “Audubon International “ certified. These are courses that have taken steps to support wildlife habitat and chemical use and reduction. Not a perfect solution but a positive step and if you’re a golfer, know someone who is or lives near a course? Here’s the site to learn more https://www.auduboninternational.org/acsp-for-golf