Another suggestion that a defective BBB causes PD, and that Zinc supplementation can repair it.
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-a...nt-337441.html
Ron



Zinc is found in higher concentrations within the brain than any other essential mineral except iron and is believed to be particularly important in preserving the effectiveness of the so-called "blood brain barrier" (BBB). The purpose of the BB is to protect vital brain and nervous system tissue from the toxins which it might otherwise absorb through the blood supply. The potential problem is that the BBB is made of a highly sensitive and fragile membrane, largely comprised of fatty acids, which is particularly vulnerable to the oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

The supposition is therefore that oxidative stress upon the body may lead to reduced effectiveness of the BBB, with a consequently increased likelihood of degenerative health problems within the brain and nervous system; the best known of these being Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This supposition has been borne out by laboratory experiments on rats, which have also shown that zinc deficiency in these animals significantly reduces the strength of the BBB.


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