Maia and Me Living with PD - Benefits of a Service Dog

By Marcia—August 18, 2017 

Illustration only

Lots of folks are asking me about my Parkinson’s Medical Service Dogs. Please read through this whole series to get a firm idea as to what it is to own a Parkinson’s disease Service Dog (PD SD). I’m a Parkinson person in Virginia, and I’m a state lobbyist for Parkinson’s medical laws and AKC/ADA service dogs. I’m also a lobbyist for research, an ADA writer, and a senior Michael J. Fox speaker and advisor for UVA P4P for the past seven years. I’m writing today to educate others on owning a medical service dog.

Benefits of a service dog

People with Parkinson’s can benefit greatly from a therapy dog for company and mental support, especially those with advanced PDor for folks with more serious medical PD issues. Medical dog ownership can provide a mandatory opportunity for exerciseseveral times a day as well as companionship, and a dog can perform helpful duties to help assist and alleviate the common symptoms of reduced strength, and with depression. They can also be trained to assist Parkinson’s patients with several types of daily activities. 

My service dog is Maia and she is an AKC, smooth coated German Sheppard trained for my Parkinson’s needs. Maia and I have gone through a long arduous one year private medical training program together for my Parkinson’s needs. Currently, we are being studied by a private PD group on our relationship and how the larger breed, now at 70 pounds, helps me. One year into it and we are doing wonderfully. As my Parkinson’s needs progress, I will grow with my specialized medical dog service needs (Note: This is my second Medical service dog. My first dog was Maggie, a smaller Lab/Border collie mix scent dog. This wonderful dog gave me nine years of service and is now retired living with me and helps training with Maia).

Maia is learning as a task dog to address my needs as my PD changes. I may become mobility-impaired with my PD in time, so Maia will help me with wheel chair needs. I, along with private donations, pay for training and care of Maia. We are always finding proper ways for others with Parkinson’s can benefit in ownership of this sort of a medical dog early on with Parkinson’s. A medical service dog or a therapy dog will make a big difference and I’ll explain their differences below. Many service medical dogs today I’ve found are for more advanced Parkinson’s needs.

My gentle female Shepard

Maia is a perfect temperament and size for a medical Parkinson’s service dog. Maia was trained at first as a therapy task dog then quickly skilled up at the age of nine months to be a medical service dog for a gentleman in a wheel chair with PD. Maia was then qualified and tested to become a medical service dog after she was used as a PD therapy dog and then a PD medical service dog during her second year. After her owner passed away, I qualified for Maia to be my Parkinson’s medical dog and she was donated to me. She has had very good training and is my gentle female Shepard. Please know she is just trained especially for my medical PD specialized needs, along with a private group doing research with Mlee Parkinson’s group, my organization. I work closely with a private group with medical and therapy rescue dogs in order to find the perfect dogs to help others in the future to own a SD with PD. So perhaps the future of folks with Parkinson needs and service dog are easier to own. Lots of training and time goes into a service dog. This private organization has former training since Maia’s birth. They are a new program and NOT public yet. We strongly suggest looking into your state’s service dog programs for a dog for your needs.

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/story/maia-living-pd/

Part 2:

Choosing a dog requires careful consideration to make sure you and your future canine companion can meet each other’s mental and physical needs. Keep in mind that puppies may be cute and fun at the animal shelter, but once at home they will require lots of house-breaking and much basic training. Someone with Parkinson’s needs to be very careful not to trip; a rambunctious puppy is likely to be a hazard for tripping. A good choice is a one to two year old dog that is not skittish. Some key characteristics include:

Behavior

• Calm demeanor and not easily frightened
• Smart learner breed
• Able to go in public areas easily and listen to commands
• In public must have four paws on the ground at all times
• Good around both young children and adults, other pets in public
• Consider other animals in the home with a service dog
• Be sure to care for your Service or Therapy dog. You have to walk, feed, groom, meet their medical needs, and be sure they are a well behaved dog if you’re mobility-impaired.
• Your dog must behave with good manners always, show good training behavior always in public. That’s means no jumping up, barking, snap at others, licking, begging and be able to get away from aggressive persons or other dogs without confrontation.
• No yelling at the dog to do things

Training and care

• Has mastered basic training (sit, stay, come, no, heel, etc.)
• Be trained to go in or on public areas and transportation
• Have all proper vet continued care and all training papers
• The team should always be like the dog is not there always; good training shows
• Voice commands must be met quickly and quietly
• The dog should know not to pull on the lead
• Has gone through AKC training for therapy skills or medical service dog skills, meet the federal ADA laws
• Be certified by the state license trainers and given certificate AKC as a service dog (Note: As of 2015, the State of Florida and Michigan require Service dog certificate by law living in said state. Four other state as of 2016 are now asking to have the same laws: VA, MO, NJ, NY
• International laws require proper certificates and medical letters
• Be able to listen to commands and do them easy with out any distractions
• Can the dog listen to a task command and do it

Your needs

• Is an appropriate size for Parkinson’s needs
• It is also wise to consider the characteristics of your home as they relate to the dog. For example, some dogs drool, which could cause hazardous slippery patches on a wood or laminate floor
• Consider all weather conditions to work well with you
• Be able to assist in safety of PD person needs

Before choosing your dog, please consider what your current needs are and what you expect your long-term needs to be. Do you see your dog as always being only a Therapy or a Medical Service need dog? As your Parkinson’s changes over time, will you want to expand your dog’s training to that of a Service Dog? Are you or anyone in the home allergic to dogs? Have you spoken to your Parkinson’s medical team about owning and training for a PD service dog on your own? Can you afford the cost of training as your PD changes, your walk changes, voice command changes and your health care changes with the animal? You may want to consider working with a certified trainer for the life of the dog and getting a Service Dog right from the beginning.

Please think fairly and think hard before putting on any fake therapy or fake service vests on any dog stating it is a medical or therapy dog; it is not legal. In the court of law, you can get charged for this. This is not fair to others that have taken the careful time and gone through properly trained and certified service medical dog programs. Please note that TOO many house hold pets with fake service, therapy dogs vest on are out there today, with poor training or no training at all causing issues and harm. Do not take the chance! 

In the last part of this series, I will speak about other special considerations to think about before owning a service dog for Parkinson’s.

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/story/maia-living-pd-pt-2/

Part 3

Maia dog is not a pet, nor cared for as a house pet. All her care, training, and needs have to be met for a medical service dog, as well as American and international travel certifications. It is the owner/handler of the dog who has the full legal responsibility that all these needs are met. Having a medical service dog can be costly––up to $19,000 or much more to own and train throughout the years. Most medical service dogs can go under home owner’s insurance to protect the service dog (SD) in case of loss or damage to the service dog. Please note a big mishap in America is folks think they can train once and call a dog a service dog. No! Yes, it is very expensive but well worth it. Even for folks training with a trainer on their own, it is expensive but well worth the cost to you and the dog for safety and your PD needs. This is an on going cost as the medical training for the dog and owner is very important. Grants, loans, and fundraising all can be written and be used for the cost, training and purchase of a service dog has to be done right. As a person with Parkinson’s your doctors, physical therapist, and movement specialist will all have to be involved in order to see if you are continually able to care for and handle the medical or service dog.

Please note that a medically proven therapy, task or medical service dog cost can be tax deductible with food, vet cost. Check your state on the facts. 

Large responsibility

Additionally, service dogs should not be pet, called out to, or distracted from their work. DO NOT distract a service animal ever, out of respect for the handler’s medical needs and dog alertness. Maia and I have been through private training to see if I could handle Maia in public. Both dog and owner are doing great. We learn from each other, our surroundings and all weather environmental conditions. Most service dog organizations both public and private ask for criminal background checks, medical background checks, and financial needs. It is an extensive process but an important process legally and for your needs and safety.

Having a medical service dog is a large responsibility and costly. Along with all her training, the dog’s health care and service certificates have to be up to date constantly. Additionally, US and international certification for travel and insurance also have to be up to date. Currently, Maia and I are in an AKC training program in VA to help keep up all of our skills with a private AKC trainer. The intense training will help Maia to carefully assist me with walking gait, ground hazards for walking/running, sleep disorders, temp adjustments, seizure, stroke awareness, depression, medicine alerts and so much more. 

Know your state laws

Insurance, state, and federal legal issues can and DO happen with lack of certification and bad training with fake untrained dogs. It is a big problem and we do not recommend anyone to go out on your own without proper training. It takes many years to train a dog, not a few classes and lots of time, especially with Parkinson’s. With travel and within public areas, interaction with other people, kids and with other animals, and events in public, an untrained dog can get picked out fast and it does show in public. Most fake or untrained dogs can get out of hand fast, and can hurt you or others around you. You can be fined or charged by federal law if an out of control fake service dog hurts others in public. Please note that therapy dogs can be denied access to certain places by law. But a true medical service dog has all access. See your state laws on this issue.

https://parkinsonsdisease.net/story/maia-living-pd-pt-3/

FAILED FACIAL EXPRESSION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

August 19, 2017

Parkinson's Disease commonly have impairment of facial expressivity (hypomimia) and also have difficulties in interpreting the emotional facial expressions of other people, especially for aversive emotions. The ability of recognising emotional facial expressions by people with Parkinson's Disease was assessed using the Ekman 60-faces test (Emotion recognition task).

For emotion recognition, people with Parkinson's Disease reported lower scores than average. There was a particular difficulty by people with Parkinson's Disease in recognising certain emotions including happiness, fear, anger, sadness and surprise. With showing facial emotions people with Parkinson's Disease differed from normal, especially  regarding happiness, sadness, and anger, which were displayed by them less than normal. There was a relationship between emotion facial recognition and facial expression in people with or without Parkinson's Disease. So it appears that they go together.  

The correlation between the recognition of emotions and the expression of emotions suggests that they share a common cause, which could be deteriorated in people with Parksinon's Disease.

Reference : PLoS One [2017] 12 (1) : e0169110 (L.Ricciardi, F.Visco-Comandini, R.Erro, F.Morgante, M.Bologna, A.Fasano, D.Ricciardi, M.J.Edwards, J.Kilner)  Complete abstract   For more news go to Parkinson's Disease News

http://www.viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/news/170819.htm 

PD patients: Excercise your body and mind

August 17, 2017  By Ann Miner

Can you believe it? For many years, exercise was NOT recommended for people with Parkinson’s disease. This was news to me. But, dear Parkinson’s peeps, don’t get too elated. That was a myth

The latest book on my list of summer reading is one that gets me excited about possibilities for change in our lives through — you guessed it — exercise. And it’s not just exercise for your body, but also for your brain. The brain and body work together, of course.

Norman Doidge, M.D., has written a fascinating book, “The Brain’s Way of Healing,” in which he dedicates a very large segment to Parkinson’s disease. In the chapter, “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms,” Dr. Doidge informs that when we walk fast, regardless of our age, we produce new cells in the hippocampus, the brain area that plays a key role in turning short-term memories into long. The adult brain can form new cells to replace those that died, as the liver, skin, blood and other organs do.

The general rule, it seems, is that our brains are more likely to waste away from underuse than to wear out from overuse — as long as one builds up to exercise slowly and rests in between sessions. Certainly, the best time to begin exercise is before the disease has progressed too far.

Dr. Noidge talks of “Learned Nonuse.” He acknowledges that “Parkinson’s patients are caught in a tightening noose. They may be helped with fast walking, but fast walking is precisely what they cannot easily do.” The PD patient who cannot walk does not stay still — his disease gets worse.

Physical exercise, combined with mental stimulation, is key to keeping your brain healthy. Mental stimulation is not just watching American Ninja Warriors on TV, but immersing yourself into an enriched environment. This could be solving jigsaw puzzles, going to the zoo, or concerts or plays, playing music, and countless other ways.

Some years ago, I had a “bad” right shoulder. I couldn’t raise my right arm high enough to comb my hair. There were other restrictions and I eventually trained my brain to accept my left hand/arm for certain tasks. I put my right arm on hiatus, a form of learned nonuse for that arm. Dr. Edward Taub, a renowned neuroplastician, discovered this same result when working with stroke patients who had one side paralyzed. If he restrained the useful limb from use, the paralyzed arm learned to be useful.

This is all so technical and much of it is hard to remember the first time through, so I can recommend this book to you. However, the local library had to request a copy from the Fontana library. After reading a portion, I ordered a used copy through Amazon. This is to inform you, in case you might take an interest in reading it. Dr. Doidge also penned The Brain That Changes Itself, which I have not read.

Many readers know of the value of a Parkinson’s disease support group. The local group in the Victor Valley meets every second Thursday of the month at Sterling Inn in Victorville, at 10:00 AM. You can also go online for support and discussion. Several groups exist on Facebook: Parkinson’s Online Chat Room; Parkinson’s -The Young and the Rest of Us; Parkinson’s Forum -The Parky Chat & Social Group; Parkinson’s Place of Positivity and Peace. This is a healthy form of mental stimulation.

The next Parkinson’s Awareness Support Group meeting will be September 14, 2017. I will look for your smiling faces there. Meanwhile, Keep Looking Up!

Ann Miner is a freelance writer and author of books for children and adults. Contact her at eannminer@yahoo.com

SilverSneakers class features two members older than 90

August 18, 2017

Margaret Wooten, 93 uses the stretch band

DALTON, Ga. — In the SilverSneakers class at Peak Fitness there are no excuses — not knee, shoulder or hip replacements, Parkinson’s disease, and definitely not advanced age, given that two of the class members are older than 90.

Terry Christie, 77, who has Parkinson’s, said he moves around just fine.

“My doctor told me the best thing I could do is continue this class,” he said. “It makes all the difference in the world.”

Jeannette  Sitton lifts weights

Christie was one of 39 people in Rosemary Edwards’ SilverSneakers class recently. SilverSneakers is a fitness program for seniors ages 55 and up offered at Peak Fitness on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 11:45 a.m.

Edwards said membership for seniors is $25 a month, but most Medicare or insurance covers the cost of the class.

“The great thing about it is members are not just limited to this class. They can use the whole facility,” she said.  

Edwards has taught the class for four years.

“The members are so precious and sincere,” she said. “They want to stay active and healthy their entire lives and they are in here working at it every week.” 

Larry Meeks, 69, said he joined about seven years ago after retirement.

“I was inactive, and ran all of my life, so I decided to do this class,” he said. His wife Jane is also in the class. 

Ken Hilliard, 89, said in the two years he’s been in the class he’s met “lots of interesting people.”

Two of the members in the class are Jeannette Sitton, 91, and Margaret Wooten, 93. Sitton has been a member for a year, joining after having some health problems.

“I needed some activity. I like it here,” she said.

Sitton, of Chatsworth, said the exercise contributes to her good health at her age.

“I mark it all up to the good Lord and I’ve tried to live a good life,” she said.

Wooten, of Dalton, said she likes the way she feels after the class.

“I’ve been in the class three years and love the fellowship,” she said.

Wooten said she brought a new member to the class.

“She’s not as old as I am but she’s enjoying the class,” she said.

Betty Gallmon, 82, said she had knee replacement surgery last year.

“I came through it with flying colors and it was all because Rosemary pushed me with exercise to be strong,” she said.

Gallmon has been a member for six years. She said two weeks after the surgery she didn’t need a walking cane anymore.

“I was doing great with my exercises. You need someone to push you every once in a while,” she said.   

Wooten said Edwards is patient with the class members and makes the class fun.

“I think she’s excellent at what she does,” she said.

Edwards said the group inspires her.

“I advise anyone as you age to stay active,” she said. 

The group members use weights, stretch bands and balls and do light cardio exercises.

“We work every muscle group in the body,” Edwards said. 

She said there is no excuse for not working out.

“We have people in here that’s had knee, hip and shoulder replacements, so don’t let issues hold you back because we can work around those,” she said.

Larry French, 81, said the class is very helpful to him.

“It keeps me from rusting and makes it so the muscles and bones don’t stop working,” he said.

http://www.daltondailycitizen.com/news/ga_fl_news/silversneakers-class-features-two-members-older-than/article_a344c24c-8423-11e7-8330-3fbd8a0900cd.html

Survey: Patients With Parkinson’s Disease, MS Report Efficacy From Medical Cannabis

August 18, 2017

Sativex is the cannabis-based mouth spray developed by UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals. (Source: herb.co)

Fort Collins, CO–(ENEWSPF)–August 18, 2017. Patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis report that cannabis effectively mitigates many of their symptoms, according to survey datapublished in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

Five hundred and ninety-five subjects responded to an online questionnaire hosted on the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society webpages. Respondents reported that cannabis was highly effective (6.4 on a scale from zero to 7) at providing symptom management, and 59 percent of participants said that they had reduced their use of prescription drugs since initiating medical marijuana treatment. Those respondents who identified themselves as medical cannabis users reported lower overall levels of disability compared to non-users, specifically in the domains of memory, mood, and fatigue.

Placebo-controlled clinical trials assessing the use of both whole-plant cannabis and/or cannabis-derived extracts in patients with MS have consistently shown efficacy in the mitigation of spasticity and other symptoms. A plant cannabis-derived spray, Sativex, is available by prescription for the treatment of MS in Canada, the United Kingdom, and in several other countries.

Patients with PD consistently report subjective benefits from cannabis, particularly for the mitigation of tremors and bradykinsea (slowness of movement).

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use in people with Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis: A web-based investigation,” appears in Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

Source: http://norml.org

https://enewspf.com/2017/08/18/survey-patients-parkinsons-disease-ms-report-efficacy-medical-cannabis/

Mitochondria-Targeting Therapies in Parkinson’s Disease Are Focus of Free Webinar

AUGUST 18, 2017   BY PATRICIA INACIO, PHD IN NEWS.

The online Parkinson’s disease community GeneFo and Greg Macpherson, MitoQ‘s CEO, will conduct a free webinar on Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. EST, to shed light on the latest results of mitochondria-targeting therapies and what the future might bring to patients suffering from Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

In the webinar, titled “Mitochondria Antioxidants: Can They Help With Cell Health, Energy Levels, Motor and Cognitive Functions,” participants will present and discuss the most up-to-date results of clinical trials testing mitochondria-targeting therapies conducted in research centers like the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Mayo clinic, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Mitochondria, often known as the cell’s powerhouse, are tiny organeles within our cells responsible for producing most of the cell’s energy. Given their vital role in cellular function, it is not surprising that mitochondria malfunctions contribute to a variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s.

When the mitochondria do not function properly, small toxic substances — called reactive oxygen species (ROS) — are formed, which compromise the function of other cellular compartments through a phenomenon called oxidative stress.

In Parkinson’s, mitochondria malfunction and oxidative stress are thought to be involved in the loss of dopaminergic neurons, suggesting that therapies targeting mitochondrial function, and antioxidants that eliminate ROS, could have promise in preventing and treating Parkinson’s.

Clinical trials investigating several of these therapies, however, have shown considerable variability among individuals affected by neurological diseases, fueling the debate whether mitochondria-based therapies are the way to go when targeting Parkinson’s.

The results from these studies highlight the complexity of targeting oxidative stress and how each disease may require a tailored, mitochondria-based therapy.

Those who wish to attend the free webinar can register on the GeneFo signup page. Upon registration, all participants will receive a 20 percent discount code, applicable to all MitoQ products.

Sign up go to:https://www.genefo.com/signup_regular?partner=mitoq

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2017/08/18/mitochondria-therapies-in-parkinsons-disease-are-focus-of-free-webinar/

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Yes, You Are Definitely Ingesting Pesticides. Here's Why It's Not A Problem

August 18, 2017

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

(Photo: JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images)

If food is sprayed a lot, is that bad for your digestive health? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Matan Shelomi, Entomology, Biology, Evolution, on Quora:

If food is sprayed a lot, is that bad for your digestive health? I assume you are worried about pesticides. There is no link between pesticide residues on food and disease. Period. You will find lots of people claiming the links exist. You won’t find their evidence, because there is none. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you expensive organic food that uses pesticides, instead of cheaper non-organic food that also uses pesticides.

Here is what you need to know:

• Organic uses pesticides. Sometimes they are indeed less toxic. Sometimes they are 100% identical to non-organic: the organic farmers just paid more for the organic certification that lets them charge higher prices. Sometimes they are far, far more toxic! The organic alternative to the herbicide glyphosate, for example, is highly corrosive and is known to burn the eyes and mouths of farmers who use it without protective measures, and its vapors can cause headaches, lung problems, and death. Glyphosate is less toxic than salt (technically it’s almost half as toxic*): you could eat it out of the box and have zero short term or long term problems (to a point), while the organic alternative (appropriately called BurnOut) would burn out your mouth and throat immediately. Then there is the organic, plant-derived insecticide, Rotenone, which is about fifty times more toxic than salt, has caused human deaths, and is linked to Parkinson's disease in farmers.
• Not all pesticides are toxic at all. That includes synthetic, organic, etc. Not everything is as nasty as BurnOut or Rotenone, but not everything is as effective.
• Less effective sprays may need to be sprayed more often and/or in higher doses. Which is better? It is not easy to tell.
• Many pesticides degrade over time. By the time the food reaches you, there is often no pesticide left. Water, heat, or sunlight can wash off or destroy many such compounds: Rotenone vanishes within three days, and has never harmed any consumer from its use on food (the deaths were from deliberate drinking of it straight from the bottle).
• Many pesticides are not sprayed on the edible parts of food. Using an herbicide on the soil before planting won’t affect the fruits growing above years later. Dabbing some pesticide on the stems won’t affect the roots or fruits, etc.
• Toxicity is delivery and dose dependent… and no pesticide on earth is present on food in toxic doses. Recall I said certain organic pesticides are corrosive or cause Parkinson's. That applies to the farmers who use them… not to you. Some sprays are dangerous if inhaled, but harmless when eaten. Even if edible parts of a food are heavily sprayed with a nondegrading pesticide that is dangerous if eaten and more toxic than salt (and therefore much more toxic than glyphosate), in practice you would never suffer any ill effects from it, digestive or otherwise. Why? Assuming it was used according to regulations, in terms of when and how much was sprayed, and passed inspections before being sold or imported, the dose is far too small. You’d be ingesting nanograms of pesticide, maybe less, when the dosage needed to make you sick is in the tens or thousands of grams. Even water is lethal if you drink too much, but nobody fears spraying water on crops will lead to water intoxication.
• Pesticides are more than their active ingredient. Sometimes the most dangerous part of a pesticide (organic or conventional) to humans (farmers or consumers) is not the active ingredient that gets all the negative press, but a different component of the pesticide that serves another function, and which is present in a greater percentage. Of course, again, the inert ingredients of a pesticide can also be nontoxic (many are edible).
• Humans are not insects or plants. What is deadly to insects or weeds can be totally harmless to mammals, and vice versa. Different groups of organisms react to different ingredients in different pesticides differently, so to assume something that kills insects will have the same or any effect on humans is not guaranteed. Where things get complicated is that aquatic animals like fish and frogs are not humans either, and are differently affected than us. They also will get exposed to different doses in different ways: an aphid sprayed by insecticide, a frog absorbing field runoff through its skin, and a human who eating almost none of it will all get a different dose.

Recently, someone found traces of glyphosate in Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Scandal? No, because the amount found was so small that you’d need to eat nearly 200,000 pints of ice cream to get sick, if you were a small child. An adult would need a few times that. It is impossible to get sick from glyphosate on food without dying of overeating first.

The food you eat itself has more chemicals of higher toxicity and/or in a higher dose than any pesticides used on them. I am sure the aforementioned tub of ice cream had thousands of times more salt than glyphosate, and salt is twice as toxic. Other examples are the bergamottin in grapefruit juice, about five times more toxic than glyphosate and which shuts off your body’s natural detoxification systems (which is why you should not take certain drugs with grapefruit juice), or the prussic acid found in almonds and cassava, about 3,700 times more toxic than glyphosate and better known as the chemical warfare agent and suicide pill ingredient hydrogen cyanide. Then there are nasty sounding chemicals like ascorbic acid, cholecalciferol, and tocotrienol… also respectively known as vitamins C, D, and E. Despite all these chemicals, the food is safe, of course. Even you are made of chemicals: formaldehyde, about seven times more toxic than glyphosate (3.75 times worse than salt) is naturally produced by the human body and is essential in making some amino acids, the building blocks of life.

Note too that people who eat organic are no healthier than those who do not. They still get cancer and Crohns and diabetes and food poisoning, and at the exact same rates. Eating organic doesn’t save them. Likewise, people who eat Rotenone-free non-organic foods still can get Parkinson's disease. Pesticides, organic or otherwise, are a nonissue in terms of human health.

Now, whether certain individual pesticides are bad for the environment (frogs and fish in particular), that is another question. Certain pesticides may be too toxic to use, like DDT that is relatively nontoxic to people but had unexpected side effects on birds (it made their eggshells soft and easily squished) that led to a ban. Rotenone too has been banned in parts of Europe, though at time of writing is legal in organic farms in the US.

Remember again that organic uses pesticides… sometimes much more than necessary. Here is another inconvenient truth for Big Organic: the use of Bt crops, a GMO that does not require insecticide spraying, has reduced global insecticide use nearly 42%. That’s great for the environment and for farmers (though not so great for the makers of Rotenone). The total effects of all GMOs as of 2014 are a 37% reduction in pesticide use, saving farmers 40% on pesticide costs and raising yields by 22% compared to non-GMOs, with these averages all higher in developing world farms**. If you still are worried about pesticides, then promote GMOs!

Likewise, for certain pests in certain crops and conditions, non-spray alternatives do exist and can be recommended. Biocontrol with natural pestd, physical control with mulching and weeding, etc. Organic farmers are required to use these tools and/or organic pesticides: others can and do use them, but can also choose not to. Some use physical cobtrols for one pest and sprays for another. They usually have valid reasons for their choices. They will do what is best according to the principles of integrated pest management, which any farmer in a developed nation will use, as it reduces pest and pesticide levels and cuts costs by choosing the best methods and using them only as needed to prevent financial losses. No lost yields, no unnecessary spraying, and reduced environmental damage. Win-win!

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if a food is pesticide free, regardless of label. Fortunately, there is no need to, in terms of health. Be it Rotenone or RoundUp, the risk to the consumers is effectively zero. Trust that farmers are doing what is best for their farm, not for the big “corporations” that Big Organic (and its own corporations) tries to scare you about. Trust too that no food provider on earth would ever knowingly release a product that could make people sick. That is bad for business.

Beware of fearmongers trying to convince you that glyphosate is responsible for all disease ever, and other Big Organic funded fake news. For an example of an honest look at glyphosate and alternatives, try sites like this: GreenCityBlueLake | Sustainability in Northeast Ohio at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

*Based on oral LD50 in rats, meaning the milligrams chemical per kilogram body weight that will kill 50% of rats fed this in experiments. For obvious reasons, such data is not available for all compounds in humans.

**A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/08/18/yes-you-are-definitely-ingesting-pesticides-heres-why-its-not-a-problem/

Parkinson's disease: meta-analysis confirms efficacy of adjuvant entecapone

August 18, 2017

Illustration sample only

Takeaway

• Adjuvant entacapone (Comtan) outperformed placebo at improving measures of Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms, albeit with adverse effects.

Why this matters

• Long-term treatment with levodopa often leads to development of motor complications, including unpredictable “on-off” fluctuations.

Key results

• Relative to placebo-treated peers, patients treated with adjuvant entacapone had greater on time (mean difference [MD], 0.79; P<.01) and less off time (MD, –0.98; P<.01), and required a lower levodopa dose (MD, –37.82; P<.01).
• Entacapone also netted better Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part II (activities of daily living) scores (MD, –1.22 points; P<.01) and part III (motor) scores (MD, –2.38 points; P<.01).
• However, entacapone-treated patients were more likely to withdraw beacuse of adverse events (OR, 1.44; P<.01), and to experience nausea (OR, 2.23; P<.01), urine discoloration (OR, 14.99; P<.01), gastrointestinal symptoms (OR, 2.6; P<.01) and dyskinesia (OR, 2.00; P<.01).

Study design

• Systematic review/meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials of adding entacapone vs placebo to levodopa among 2804 patients.
• Follow-up ranged from 40 d to 24 wk.
• Main outcomes were measures of efficacy and safety.
• Funding: None.

Limitations

• Most trials were small and short, and did not detail randomization strategy.
• Only 5 trials reported Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part I-III scores.

https://www.univadis.com/viewarticle/parkinson-s-disease-meta-analysis-confirms-efficacy-of-adjuvant-entecapone-546175

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Efficacy and Safety of Adjuvant Treatment with Entacapone in Advanced Parkinson's Disease with Motor Fluctuation: A Systematic Meta-Analysis.

Li J1, Lou Z2, Liu X1, Sun Y1, Chen J1.

Author information

Abstract

AIMS: 

To assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant treatment with entacapone in the treatment of later Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuation.

METHODS: 

We conducted a systematic review of relevant studies from 8 databases to June 23, 2016.

RESULTS: 

Fourteen studies were included in this review (n = 2,804). The results showed that compared with placebo, adjuvant therapy with entacapone significantly increased on time (p < 0.01) and reduced off time (p < 0.01), the required levodopa (LD) dose (p < 0.01) and improved Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores (activities of daily living score: p < 0.01; motor score: p < 0.01; UPDRS I-III score: p > 0.05). However, the withdrawal (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10-1.89, p < 0.01) due to adverse events and adverse events rates including nausea (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.56-3.20, p < 0.01), urine discoloration (OR 14.99, 95% CI 7.63-29.44, p < 0.01), gastrointestinal disorder (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.89-3.57, p < 0.01) and dyskinesia (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.56-2.58, p < 0.01) increased in patients with entacapone compared with those given a placebo .

CONCLUSIONS: 

This meta-analysis suggests that the entacapone used as adjuvant therapy to LD is effective in the management of later PD with fluctuation. However, patients on entacapone had a higher frequency of adverse events than those on placebo but no occurrence of severe adverse reactions.

© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

KEYWORDS: 

Efficacy and safety; Entacapone; Meta-analysis; Motor fluctuation; Parkinson’s disease

PMID:

 

28813703

 

DOI:

 

10.1159/000479555

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28813703