Smoking Lowers Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Risks
Smoking can sometimes benefit your health. Recent researches have shown a link between consumption of tobacco and reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. This study reveals the neuroprotective potentials of tobacco leaves. The benefits are not just for smokers, but also for those people who consume tobacco by other means.
The risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease is twice higher in non-smokers when compared to smokers. This is true not just in the case of cigarette smokers, but also in the case of tobacco consumers by other means. The benefits are not from the compounds generated by the combustion of tobacco, but from the constituents in the tobacco leaf itself.
The Tobacco Related Disease Research Program gives possible explanations for the protective effect of tobacco. Basal Ganglia which is the area of the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease, contains some nicotinic receptors. Depletion of Dopamine, a brain chemical in the basal ganglia, is seen in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. This depletion is caused mainly due to exposure to harmful chemicals. Nicotine from the tobacco stimulates the nicotinic receptors in the basal ganglia thus enhancing the release of dopamine.
According to researchers in Netherlands, higher consumption of coffee and alcohol also reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.