Help for Parkinson's patients

Aasma Day

lep.co.uk - A daily cocktail of food additives can lead to dramatic improvements for people with Parkinson's Disease, a retired dentist believes.

Andrew Carmichael, 68, who lives in Ashton, Preston, has been researching the theory that gut health and brain health are connected.

Andrew, who has a broad medical background, has discovered the Parkinson's Imman of the Preston branch of the Parkinson's Society between 2003 and 2008, has been rialling the PIP mix on a number of patients.

The father-of-five and grandfather-of-seven said: "There are
drugs which do improve Parkinson's, but a lot of them have side effects so I looked at a non-drug solution to slow down some of the problems.

"The University of Central Lancashire has been extremely helpful in allowing me to use their library and Internet research facilities to carry out my research into this way of dealing with Parkinson's Disease."

Andrew has tested the PIP mix on about 50 patients.

He has seen improvements in about 20% of cases and says the changes have been dramatic.

He said: "The patients are effectively taking a mixture of food additives such as palmitoyl ascorbate, which is accepted as a safe food additive, folic acid, lemon fish oil and a probiotic drink every day.

"The mix is now available in a single dose.

"The idea is that by improving a person's digestion, you are improving their absorption of nutrients and this reduces inflammation in the brain which is one of the causes of Parkinson's."

Andrew says that while the PIP mix is not a cure for Parkinson's Disease, it can lead to considerable improvements.

He said: "One of the patients who has taken part in the trial is a music teacher who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 42 and had to give up teaching a few years later.

"I met him when he was 52 and he was walking with a stick.

"Since taking part in this programme, he is now back to teaching pupils
stringed instruments, can play himself and is back to taking part in competitive sports.

"Another patient who has benefited from the trial is a 75-year-old who three months ago was in a chair and was unable to do almost anything.

"Within two months of taking part in this programme, he was able to go back to indoor bowling."

Andrew has funded the research himself and with the help of donors. So far it has cost £6,000.

He is now registering the Parkinson's Improvement Programme as a charity so he can apply for research funding.

Anyone wanting more information can contact Andrew at:
andrew@brainhelp.info
http://www.brainhelp.info