On Sunday, June 9, search and rescue teams confirmed the death of Dr. Michael Mosley (British doctor), who had popularized Intermittent Fasting in 2012, and is in the news these days. Dr. Mosley had been diagnosed with diabetes and had experimented with Intermittent Fasting as a cure and having succeeded, proceeded to call the results as a remission and not a cure or a reversal. See the links to the resources for more information.
He died apparently under unnatural circumstances and presumably not due to diabetes. The focus of this post is to discuss his philosophy, not his unfortunate accident, but the above commentary is necessary for context.
The news prompted me to think in the same mindset of the doctor. His insistence of calling asymptomatic diabetes type 2 as a remission instead of as a reversal struck a chord with me. Sustained Intermittent Fasting can in time result in normal test results indicating the absence of diabetes. Yet if one fell back into old habits and ways, diabetes can return. Hence the doctor 's choice of words. Makes sense, doesn't it?
Why is the same goal and choice of words not a desire in the Parkinson's community? This is reflective of the research and doctor and patient population of Parkinson's patients where our only desire is the full reversal or cure for Parkinson's. Why is remission not a satisfactory, intermediate goal, rather than reversal being the ever elusive goal which is frankly akin to expecting manna from the heavens?
For added context, diabetes is linked to the death of beta cells in the pancreas. Parkinson's is linked to death of neurons in the substantia nigra.
To my knowlege although type 2 diabetes can be caused by poor pancreatic function it can be caused by consuming too much carbohydrate for even a healthy pancreas to handle and diabetes does not necessarrily damage the pancreas. This means that in some cases type 2 diabetes can be fully reversed if diagnosed and remedial action is taken promptly.
In the case of PD it is always caused by neuron damage or at least disfunction and there is often no 'cure' in most cases as diagnosis happens after the damage has already occured except for a little limited nerve regeneration which may possibly be helped by certain foods like lion's mane mushroom.
It really puzzles me when people speak this way about others who obviously have enough knowledge to speak about PD. What is it that you get out of saying such things about Pearlmutter?
what does any doctor get out of their advice? He is advising good nutrition. I don't think he gets a cut from the vegg industry. However, those who perform procedures and recommend medications do get quite a cut from advising patients to choose those approaches. Who stands to gain more? Cmon Jeeves you're a smart guy who knows enough to think for yourself. If everyone who writes a book is questioned equally, I'd choose diet recommendations over meds and procedures any day. But that's just me.
‘’ Pearlmutter remains one of the most influential physicians in the U.S. His 2013 book Grain Brain reached No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. This extraordinary success led to a long profile in The Atlantic and won him a 90-minute TV special: Perlmutter’s “BRAINCHANGE” aired on over 110 PBS affiliates, and has continued to air on a regular basis since it was first released in late 2013. In April, he released his newest book, Brain Maker, and within a month it, too, became a New York Times bestseller.
As Perlmutter’s megaphone has grown, so, too, has his brand empire — he has sold everything from “Empowering Coconut Oil” to supplement blends tailored for specific demographics, like the $90 “Scholar’s Advantage Pack” for “young adults seeking to optimize cognitive function,” and the $160 “Senior Empowerment Pack,” a “combination of formulas designed to help keep you cognitively sharp as you age.” One book pointed readers to an $8,500 brain detoxification retreat run by Perlmutter, which included shamanic healing ceremonies. (He even has his own organic foaming hand soap)’’.
However benignly you wish to portray DP, I can’t help the feeling that he’s more interested in his bank balance rather than accurate science and people’s health. 🤔
And who isn't interested in their bank account in our insane society based pretty much mostly on quantity/growth? I totally hear you about all the merchandising. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have some helpful points, does it? I'm glad you're asking the right questions. "who benefits?" ... I think that question is important for ALL proposed treatments for any condition. I just don't like the idea of black and white, all or nothing reasoning in general. I think it' detrimental to my health to see things or people or ideas as all bad or all good. That's just not how reality has worked in my life so far.
I reversed my Pd symptoms 32 years ago and nobody appeared to be interested in this very real fact.
I am nearly 90 years old now and am still walking and talking fairly normally, but that has not raised much interest anywhere else in the world.
I have travelled all over the world, successfully showing other patients how to do the same, with a 100% success rate.
How many people know about this? In my estimation, it is very few. Why?
I have written books about it and have been talking by email to thousands of other PD patients but, it is still generally unknown! Why?
My guess is that what I have done does not sit well with the medical world. You see; I don't need any medication! That is not good for anybody's business. WHAT A SHAME!
John I read the Norman Doidge book The brains Way of Healing and he gave a chapter to you. I think that there's something in your solution. I haven't followed your strict regime. I do walk once a day and it certainly helps.
And I know that you've had several doctors diagnose you but people still question whether you have PD.
Would you consider having a DAT scan to provide a final confirmation?
what are your thoughts about running? Does running have same effect of fast walking? Did you engage your therapies in prodromal phase or and motor symptoms showed up? also did you ever test positive for iRBD?
You are my hero John. I force myself to walk fast every other day, and it definitely helps. I hope I get to meet you someday, even if on zoom. Thank you for your tenacity. <3
You are a bit far away from me, about 8,000 miles. I wish I was closer to you. I have been all over the English-speaking world, a few years ago, and showed thousands of PD patients how to walk consciously. Would yo like me to tell you how to go about it?
I've seen your video and read a few chapters of your book. Being dyslexic, it's not so easy for me to read. But I did my best. I've incorporated brisk walking after reading it. Thank you.
Thanks for coming back to me. It is strange that we are both dyslexic. Mine is not very serious but I only managed to read my first book at the age of 27. I have been reading avidly, ever since but it takes me three days of solid reading to finish the average book!
As we both know, dyslexia is not a problem. It's our blessing and as a result I like to believe we see problems differently from most. You listed your company and I sold mine, so we both don't need to worry about any financial issue and that has given us great advantage to deal with PD. I still read word by word, but with patience, I usually am able to finish the books I've started.
I must have missed the formal announcement (or decree?) that the “remission” of PD would not be a “satisfactory, intermediate goal”! Neither I, nor anyone I know, would consider remission of the disease anything less than satisfactory. Pls cite your source for such a claim.
Every doctor I have met has told me that Parkinson's is progressive. I am basing my premise on the lack of candor from the medical establishment regarding what is realistically possible. I have never heard the word remission as possible or even a goal as it relates to Parkinson's. Maybe what I wrote didn't come across properly, the way it was intended. What I am saying is we should define, embrace and lobby for remission first.
The only times I have heard that word being used in cancer or diabetes.
Intermediate fasting has helped me in many ways, unfortunately it did not help my PD overall. I still do it for the other benefits of weigh sustainability, also I think it helps me cognitively. Thanks for sharing!
I was diagnosed with M.S. I took medication for two years. There are different forms. The most common is refractory progressive. That means it comes and goes. The medication I used was Tysabri, a manufactured antibody. Then I read that a small percentage of patients will throw off the disease and be cured. When I mentioned this to the neuro she said they're not cured but in remission. The MS diagnosis was four years ago. I also have PD and have been on Rytary, a long-acting form of carbi/levo. My only symptoms are a hand tremor and constipation. I've had the hand tremor for 7 or 8 years. I have botox every three months and that seems to help. I also take Motegrity for the constipation and it seems to work.
As treatments, JohnPepper has espoused fast walking. I read about vigorous exercise to stimulate GDNF. I think most forms of exercise stimulate GDNF. Same as stimulating GH: Growth Hormone. The trick for GH is to get the heart rate to 90% of one's maximum. Dr Mercola has written about exercise to stimulate GH.
The point is, is this is reversal vs remission and how do we get there? I aim for HIIT exercise on a treadmill three times a week. For those unable to work that hard, sitting in a sauna might be just as good; I found my heart rate elevated to extreme levels while sitting in a sauna.
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