The ONE Test Every Parkinson’s Patient Needs

A few decades ago, Michael J. Foxx became the public face of Parkinson’s disease.

Watching someone so young and talented have his quality of his life stripped away from him was difficult.

It’s even more difficult to see that same slow decline in my own patients.

But while there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, there is a way to slow its progression.

And one simple test can tell you if this inexpensive, natural solution could work for you.

It’s a blood test to check your levels of vitamin B12.

Many people I talk to find it hard to believe that something as simple as a vitamin can have a dramatic impact on a disease as complex as Parkinson’s. But that’s probably because they’ve never heard about the connection between vitamin B12 and Parkinson’s.

People with Parkinson’s disease tend to have lower levels of vitamin B12. And this is a big problem because the disease progresses more rapidly in people who have lower levels of B12 than in people with higher levels.

In fact, a recent study indicated that symptoms like walking problems and cognitive decline could progress TWICE as fast in people with low B12.

If you’re suffering from Parkinson’s disease, this news should get you excited…because there’s something you can do about it.

This same study found that supplementing with B12 can dramatically slow the progression of the disease.

This was clearly seen when patients took the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Score, an important test that measures factors such as motor skills, behavior, and mood.

In patients whose B12 levels remained low, their increase in disability scores over the course of a year was 14.4. In contrast, those who improved their B12 levels only saw an increase of 10.

So while supplementing with B12 can’t cure the disease, what this study indicates is that it slow its progression.

This is an exciting finding in the face of a progressive, incurable disease.

The good news is, boosting your levels couldn’t be easier.

I recommend getting your B12 levels measure by your doctor now, and again after supplementing with B12 for 6-12 months. That way you’ll know if your levels are in the good range, or if you need to increase the amount of B12 you’re taking.

To a brighter day,

Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.