PARKINSONŐS DISEASE AND

MANGANESE TOXICITY

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

© June 2008, The Center For Development

 

                  Many people suffer from the debilitating and at times fatal illness called ParkinsonŐs disease.  This illness usually strikes older people, though not always. 

Symptoms include tremors and an unsteady walking ability where the person must take small steps to keep balanced.  Also, the body may become more rigid, especially the facial expression that begins to look like a mask because there are reduced facial expressions.  General coordination is affected as well in many instances, as can be speech and other activities.

 

MANGANESE AND PARKINSONŐS DISEASE

 

                  According to an interesting recent study, this illness is linked to elevated manganese in the brain.  Manganese is added to our gasoline today, ever since lead was removed in the 1970s.  Therefore there is a significant chance that millions worldwide are exposed to higher levels of manganese.  Manganese miners, welders and over half a million other Americans are also exposed to manganese in their workplace or through other means.

 

MANGANESE IN DRINKING WATER

 

Manganese, of course, is an essential trace mineral that is normally found in foods and some water supplies.  We are currently researching excessive levels of manganese in the drinking water in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

This is causing havoc there in a few communities, as it is quite high and reflected on hair analysis charts of those who bath or drink the water.  One town, Spenser, Massachusetts, has been sued by those harmed by the town water supply.  So manganese toxicity is far more widespread than one might imagine.

 

JOURNAL ARTICLE REPORT

 

The medical article appeared in the Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine  in 2006.  This is a well-known journal.  Here are some of the major points in the article:

 

1. ParkinsonŐs bears striking resemblance to a disease of manganese miners called Ňmanganese madnessÓ.  This affects some 450,000 welders and others in America who are exposed to manganese in various ways. 

  

2. Doctors were able to ŇcureÓ one woman of ParkinsonŐs disease by administering just one dose of the drug para-aminosalicylic acid or PAS.  This is a second-line tuberculosis drug that is used rarely because of its side effects. 

Adverse effects of this drug include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and rarely anemia because the drug interferes with B12 absorption.  Allergic reactions to the drug are also common and include chills, fever, skin rashes and other general symptoms of malaise.  The drug must be stopped in these cases.

The womanŐs symptoms of trouble walking and writing and a mask-like appearance with poor coordination disappeared with one dose of PAS and she has remained well for 17 years since 1987.  This is quite unheard of for ParkinsonŐs disease.  In at least 80 other cases, the same thing has occurred.

 

3. The mechanism of action of the drug is unknown, but apparently it chelates manganese.  Doctors speculate the drug may also have anti-infllammatory properties. 

We know that manganese is a pro-inflammatory mineral, so removing it would definitely reduce the tendency for inflammation in the brain.  EDTA and other chelating drugs donŐt work because they cannot penetrate the blood-brain barrier.  

 

4. It appears that manganese may be a specific toxin for the basal ganglia, the part of the brain affected in ParkinsonŐs disease.  But, at least in early cases, it does not kill the cells outright, but merely disables them. 

 

MANGANESE IN NUTRITIONAL BALANCING

 

                  This medical article confirms what we have found with nutritional balancing programs that use a properly performed hair mineral analysis to assess the body chemistry.

A very important point to note is that manganese often appears within the normal or ideal range on early hair mineral tests.  It may take a year of more of nutritional correction before excessive manganese begins to be eliminated from the body through the hair so that we observe its presence.

However, one often knows if a person has excessive manganese from the level of two other minerals on the hair mineral analysis.  If iron or aluminum are elevated, one can be quite sure that manganese is present in excess.  A hair tissue aluminum level above about 0.25 mg% or iron greater than about 3 mg% correlate well with elevated manganese, although it is often hidden on the first and even later hair mineral analyses.

For more information about the connection between iron, manganese and aluminum, read the article on this website entitled Manganese, Iron and Aluminum.

 

REMOVING MANGANESE FROM THE BODY

 

We are able to gently but clearly remove excessive manganese from the bodies of most people today.  This is especially the case with slow oxidizers.  It may take several years, however, using diet and nutritional supplements alone.

Adding infrared lamp sauna therapy greatly enhances the rate of removal of manganese and the other toxic metals.  Manganese is a nutrient mineral, but in the form it is used in as a gasoline additive and in other forms, it is quite toxic to the body.  Thus, as with some other minerals, a nutrient mineral can become a toxic one.

We have observed recently that with this approach, we have reversed ParkinsonŐs symptoms, especially if caught early.  We donŐt have a long history yet, however, to know that the reversal is permanent.

                  We also find that adding many nutrients is most helpful for these patients.  These include a wide range of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are part of all the programs we offer.  In addition, we find that constipation, diarrhea, lack of rest and other imbalances must be corrected in ParkinsonŐs cases, as in all cases of ailments of a chronic nature, for the best results.

                 

Anxiety helped by ICMN.  In addition to the standard type of nutritional balancing programs, at times Parkinsonian patients experience anxiety that can be quite severe.  This can be a reaction to the removal of manganese and other toxic metals.  It may have other causes, however, that are more subtle.

In one case, we easily stopped this by adding the product ICMN from Endomet Labs.   This product contains about 100 mg of inositol, 100 mg of choline, 100 mg of methionine and 100 mg of niacinamide. 

ICMN contains methyl donors that can help remove toxic metals and relieve other toxic conditions of the liver.  It is also a calming product to add because choline, for example, is a precursor for acetylcholine, a calming neurotransmitter.

We had tried adding more calcium, magnesium and zinc but none of this was helpful at all, which is interesting in itself.

 

OTHER TOXIC METALS AND PARKINSONŐS DISEASE

 

                  Dr. Paul E. Eck also wrote about the role of lead in some cases of ParkinsonŐs disease.  He had an interesting case of a man who fueled jet aircraft for many years.  The man was exposed to leaded fuel fumes over many years time. 

                  On a nutritional balancing program lead began to be eliminated in large quantity.  At one point, he would take baths and when the water was let out of the tub, it left a ring of lead on the tub wall that could be scraped off with oneŐs fingernail.

                  Thus it appears that ParkinsonŐs disease, like certain other illnesses such as ADHD and many others, may have more than one single cause.

                  We like our approach to illness because we are able to remove at least 12 toxic metals and hundreds, if not thousands of toxic chemicals from the body at once.  To do this, we make sure we use hair mineral analysis as a guide only to balance and support body chemistry.  That is, we use it to avoid upsetting the delicate balance with specific dietary items or supplementary nutrients that may be beneficial but would unbalance the oxidation rate.  I believe this is a key to our success.

 

SAUNAS AND PARKINSONŐS DISEASE

 

Adding saunas to this method has greatly enhanced its power as well in a safe, cost-effective and comfortable manner.  The sauna greatly enhances the circulation and it  warms the body a few degrees.  In most cases, this enhances enzymatic activity, decongests the internal organs and greatly improves oxygenation and hydration of the body.

In addition, infrared rays penetrate into the organs and even the skull to further enhance the healing effects of the sauna.  Infrared has many other benefits that are described in our book, Sauna Therapy.

Once the sauna is set up, the operating cost is minimal, especially if the sauna is powered by three or four reddish heat lamps, the kind we most prefer.  Lamp saunas can be built for under $400.00 that are very adequate for healing purposes.  We offer free plans on our website, parts and a very inexpensive complete unit as well.

Far infrared saunas may also be effective, but are not quite as effective as the lamps, as they will not penetrate as deeply as the lamp source of heat.  Also, the lamp saunas work well at a lower temperature than the far infrared type .  This makes the experience very comfortable for most people. 

We do not allow children in the sauna under age 5, however, because their sweating mechanisms are not fully developed.  With supervision, however, other physicians are using saunas on babies and children down to age 2. 

 

References

 

ŇTuberculosis drug PAS may cure ParkinsonsŐs-like illnessÓ, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, June 7, 2006, 15-37.

 

 

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