Researchers from Duke University School of Medicine found that nano-plastics — extremely small particles of plastics left to break down in the environment that can leach into water and soil — affect a specific protein found in the brain, causing changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and other types of dementia.
They noticed that some types of nano-particles had a tremendous effect on aggregating a protein known as alpha-synuclein that is linked to brain diseases.
When plastic breaks down in the environment, it first turns into small particles called microplastics. From there, the microplastics continue to degrade, forming nano-plastics.
For this study, scientists used three models — test tubes, cultured neurons, and a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease — to conduct their research.
Dr. West and his team found that nano-particles of the plastic polystyrene — used to make foam packaging peanuts, egg cartons, and disposable drinking cups — draw the alpha-synuclein protein, causing it to accumulate.
In different types of assays, they found that nano-plastics hijack parts of the alpha-synuclein protein that normally bind to lipids in the brain, and twist the protein into a form that encourages aggregation associated with neurological diseases.
However, the problems do not stop there, since the plastics impair the very machinery designed to destroy aggregates that form a part of the cell called the lysosomes. They suspect this ‘two-hit’ mechanism is behind the interactions they found in their studies.
'Negatively charged small plastic particles are found in marine environments as a presumed consequence of ultraviolet radiation exposures and plastic erosion'
Also makes me wonder about eating fish.... must be full of nanoplastics? I wonder about seaweed too.
Avoiding nanoplastics completely may be nearly impossible, as they can be found in seafood, sea salt, drinking water, and most food items that have come into contact with plastic packaging. These food sources may also contain other contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides. However, taking precautions is still important. You can be critical about the origin of your food by choosing (wild) fish and seafood from clean waters and opting for sustainable packaging materials. Additionally, reducing excessive consumption and diversifying your diet with other protein sources such as poultry, legumes, and nuts can help minimize the risks. The fact that fish is exceptionally healthy in a PD diet adds to the dilemma.…
But is fish really exceptionally healthy? I've been reading about how protein from vertebrates contributes to prion-like structures in Parkinsons... Really wondering whether vegan might be the way - which Dr Mischley seems to encourage? - although I'm resistant as beans and legumes don't really agree with me.
It doesn't seem entirely correct, I think Mischley still sticks to a diet that has ''proven'' effects as in her Role of Diet Paper research. It even says fish in 4th place after the winner fresh vegetables, fresh fruit in 2nd and nuts in 3rd place (Table 2). By the way, the same goes for the best proven PD diets the MIND diet and the Mediterranean diet.
The origin of the fish is very important. I would definitely pay attention to that. However the doomsday scenario that we can no longer eat fish or seaweed seems not (yet) to be right. The size of the plastic soup is a lot smaller than was thought, showed research from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Where the United Nations says it was 75 to 200 million tons of plastic, these researchers said it floated about 3.2 million tons in the ocean in 2020.
For years, scientists could only find a small part of the estimated amount of plastic in the ocean, about 1 percent of the highest estimates. The remaining 99 percent was known in the books as the 'paradox of missing plastic'. The research, which used more than 20,000 measurements from around the world, explains this. Much less plastic is supplied through rivers than was thought. The plastic that does end up in the ocean floats in large pieces on the surface longer than expected and is therefore less likely to turn into microplastics, the researchers say.
I would be very happy if fish didn't contribute to prions / fibrils in PD! Dr Mishley is certainly very anti-chicken and I'm finding it hard enough contemplating giving up that 😅
Indeed problem. So when buying fish from ´relatively’ clean waters look for fish that is sourced from regions with environmental standards and pollution control measures, such as the North Atlantic, Alaska and New Zealand, or the locally caught trout near me.
Our contribution can be to opt for fish that is caught or farmed using sustainable practices with certifications such as the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) label. It ensures somewhat that the fish is sourced from fisheries that prioritize the long-term health of the marine ecosystem.
I order Salmon from a Sydney Wholesaler here in Australia that imports the Salmon from a North Atlantic Salmon company. It cost a small fortune, but it is far better than purchasing Salmon from Australian fishery pens that feed the Salmon with pellets.
There were studies showing that farmed fish such as Salmon have poor amount of nutrients compared to Wild caught Salmon.
So I pay more for the nutrient value, because every little bit of benefit helps.
We get fish in the mail through Wild Alaska. The packaging is bio degradable, but now I am concerned about the plastic wrapped around the fish. I read all the links, but I am not real clear on what plastics. All plastic? Single use bags and warps? Plastic plates etc? I was thinking the bag you put your apples in might need to go. On another thread, I have read more than once the fast pace increase in PD must be environmentally caused. Plastic could very well be a consideration. It is everywhere, on everything. Plus the new plush items - so soft.......toys, blankets, jackets...... We also get all our meat from trustworthy ranchers. I usually like their shrink wrap because everything last longer, but think I might go back to double wrapped paper. And foam is also everywhere.
I agree, clean waters, none existent in today's current world environment. Even small Micronesian Islands are experiencing health issues that were not around 100 years ago. Some will argue that science has advanced since then to be able to detect more health issues. Still clean water, none existent and it is a shame.
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