Pesticides found in half of children’s apple juice bottles could lead to PARKINSONS, new research suggests

Exposure to a trio of pesticides found in up to half of all children’s apple juice bottles could increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in people with a genetic vulnerability, a new study suggests.

Experts at UCLA found that Americans who carry 26 genetic mutations may be particularly vulnerable to brain damage from certain chemicals in products.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder that affects areas of the brain that control movement, speech and memory. It affects nearly a million Americans.

Pesticides are ubiquitous in American agriculture across a range of crops, and scientists have zeroed in on three chemical classes: organophosphorus, organoarsenic and n-methyl carbamate.

They are all used to kill insects on fresh fruits and vegetables some studies indicating that trace amounts are present in as many as 50 percent of fruit juices on supermarket shelves.

More than 95 percent of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines and grapes contained at least two pesticides, the EWG found

Organophosphate pesticides are among the most widely used insecticides in agriculture and are used to repel insects on a variety of crops, including fruits and vegetables that turn into juices on supermarket shelves.

About 40 percent of all pesticides produced and used commercially are organophosphates.

The federal government examined more than 80,000 food samples for pesticide residues in 1991 and 1996.

During that investigation, according to inspectors from the FDA and USDA, they discovered thirteen organophosphate pesticides in or on food.

Organoarsenic has largely disappeared from the agricultural sector, although many countries, including the United States and the European Union, have banned or restricted the use of organoarsenic pesticides.

N-methyl carbamate is widely used in a long range of crops, including fruits and vegetables, cotton, tobacco, nuts, wheat and corn.

a Study from 2004 found that the substance was commonly found in fruit juices intended for children, because the insecticide is used on those crops. Carbaryl was the most abundant N-methylcarbamate found in the juice samples, occurring in 58.6% of the samples tested, mainly apple juice.

Researchers at UCLA Health looked at a group of 757 Parkinson’s disease patients from the Parkinson’s, Environment, and Genes (PEG) study to investigate the link between genes, pesticides and Parkinson’s risk.

Most participants, from rural parts of Central California, were white men and had an average age of 68 years.

Pesticides used in agriculture end up in the fruits we eat and the juices we drink

Although the scientists couldn’t say to what extent pesticides increased the risk of Parkinson’s, the study concludes that, under the right stress, such as exposure to certain pesticides, genetic mutations can lead to the development of Parkinson’s over time.

Organophosphorus, organoarsenic and n-methylcarbamate are all neurotoxins that damage pathways in the brain, powered by the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved in movement and mood.

Levels of this chemical plummet in cases of Parkinson’s, leading to characteristic tremors and cognitive decline.

The chemicals also disrupt the process of autophagy, which removes damaged proteins from cells. Disrupting this process can lead to the buildup of toxic proteins associated with Parkinson’s.

Researchers selected from the existing literature 85 genes known to be linked to Parkinson’s, and genes involved in clearing waste from brain cells.

Organic products generally contain much lower pesticide residues than non-organic products, but some still posed a high risk

The most risky mutations occurred in the genes EP300, FBXO7 and HTT, in subjects exposed to pesticides.

The presence of these mutations may interact with pesticide exposure, increasing the risk of Parkinson’s.

The researchers detailed their findings in a new report published in the journal np Parkinson’s disease.

California, where the test subjects came from, is the nation’s largest agricultural producer and exporter and has more than 14,000 pesticides approved for use there.

UCLA researchers previously identified ten pesticides that specifically attack dopaminergic neurons, which control motor skills and movements, the hallmark symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Two pesticides that have been studied and found to affect the risk of Parkinson’s include rotenone and paraquat.

Dr. Freya Kamel, an NIH researcher, said: ‘Rotenone directly inhibits the function of the mitochondria, the structure responsible for making energy in the cell.

‘People who used these pesticides or others with a similar mechanism of action were more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.’