Parkinsons and Pesticides

The Clue Is In Your Water.

Bucolic farmland. Water drawn from your own well. What could be wrong with that? Plenty, new research from UCLA reports.

People on private wells located near fields sprayed with certain pesticides in California’s Central Valley had a 90 percent greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. And those who drank these toxins in their water for four years longer, on average, than other Valley residents had higher rates of this disease.

Close to one million Americans already have Parkinson’s, an incurable neurological disease. Caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine, this disease begins with slight tremors before eventually making it difficult to walk and talk.

Earlier studies have shown similiar links between Parkinson’s and pesticide use. One study several years ago even connected “one” exposure of the pesticide rotenone, a common pesticide used in the 70’s, with the development of Parkinson’s, although the condition didn’t occur until many years later. But the UCLA research goes further in connecting the dots by examining proximity of the wells to the specific pesticides used. People drinking from wells closest to fields where these potent neurotoxins were sprayed had a 66 percent higher rate of Parkinson’s.

Of course, that’s only one concern with today’s water supply. Antibiotics, bacteria, dry-cleaning fluids, fungicides, herbicides, hormones from birth control pills, industrial solvents, nitrates, parasites, plasticizers, radon, rocket fuel, and sewage sludge are just a few of the unwanted substances you might be drinking.

A 2008 report from the Environmental Working Group found 38 different contaminants including disinfection byproducts, caffeine, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and minerals (specifically arsenic and radioactive isotopes), fertilizer residue, and other industrial chemicals—in bottled water! Chlorination, the process used by most municipal water companies, adds a major hormone mimic to tap water.

Even if you drink only filtered water, you’re not off the hook since 50 to 70 percent of adult exposure to water-borne pollutants comes from bathing or showering.

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

I have been very concerned about the growing sea of hidden environmental chemicals for years. The problem is that our livers don’t naturally filter out environmental poisons. They are stored away in fatty tissue where they can be released slowly over time. This is why protecting your liver on a daily basis is so vital these days.

Now, based on this latest research, my specific recommendation is that if you have a well, you must get your water tested regularly—especially in late summer and fall when pesticide residues are the highest. Even public water supplies can contain dangerous residues, so contact your local water authority and ask for an updated report. For more information on water in your area go to https://www.epa.gov/safewater/.

Purify your drinking water with a fine-pore filter that also blocks parasites like giardia and cryptosporidium. For the past several years, I have used Natural Filtration by Crown Preserves Vital Minerals in my home. The Crown Ceramic Filters are affordable and easy to install on counter tops, under the counter, and on your showers.

Instead of wasting money on potentially dangerous bottled water—and polluting the environment with more unwanted plastic—invest in reusable water bottles to carry your filtered water wherever you go.