Discover how recent research has revealed that Parkinson’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients share some key microbiome features, what this means, and what you can do to keep your gut in check.
Content Outline
- The Gut Microbiome, Parkinson’s Disease and IBD
- Understanding The Links Between IBD and Parkinson’s
- The Shared Gut Bacteria in Parkinson’s and IBD
- Gut Microbiome Imbalances: The Role of SCFAs and Inflammation
- Gut Dysbiosis: Cause or Consequence?
- Keeping Your Gut Balanced
- Summary
Parkinson’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) share a common feature, a disrupted gut microbiome. Some studies even show that people with IBD have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease1.
A recent study published in Nature comparing the microbiomes of IBD and Parkinson’s disease patients has found that those with either condition are depleted in similar beneficial bacteria types.
Here, we explore what the study results reveal and what you can do to keep your gut in balance.
The Gut Microbiome, Parkinson’s Disease and IBD
Recent research has uncovered an intriguing connection between the gut microbiomes of people with Parkinson’s disease and IBD. Although each condition affects different parts of the body, Parkinson’s is primarily associated with the brain and IBD with the digestive system, studies now suggest that shared gut bacteria features, potentially influence the development and progression of both diseases.
IBD affects around 5 million people worldwide, causing several gastrointestinal symptoms which can be managed with lifestyle changes and medications2. Global estimates, on the other hand, suggest more than 8 million adults are living with Parkinson’s disease3. One meta-analysis revealed that IBD patients are 41% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease4.
Figure 1. The most common IBD and Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
A common feature of both conditions is gut inflammation. This inflammation is often linked to dysbiosis or an imbalanced gut microbiome, which may be a contributing factor in both diseases. This emerging research shows that the gut microbiomes of Parkinson’s and IBD patients share several features that differ from healthy individuals’ microbiomes.
Understanding The Links Between IBD and Parkinson’s
The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in health, influencing both digestive and neurological systems. The new research suggests that imbalances in gut bacteria may contribute to both Parkinson’s and IBD, possibly helping us better understand how these diseases develop.
The study by Krueger and colleagues looked to understand if there are epidemiological links between IBD and Parkinson’s disease. To do this, the study recruited 96 people aged between 40 and 80. The group consisted of:
-
54 people with Parkinson’s disease
-
26 people with IBD
-
16 healthy individuals to be used as controls
Each participant provided stool samples and the research used metagenomics to analyse the complete genetic material within the sample. They also analyzed large open-access metagenomic datasets from 490 Parkinson’s disease and 234 healthy controls for comparison.
The Shared Gut Bacteria in Parkinson’s and IBD
The gut microbiomes of Parkinson’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease have shared characteristics. This study showed an increased abundance of pathogenic microbes, including E. coli, in both groups. Elevated levels of E. coli have been linked with poorer postural instability and gait difficulty in Parkinson’s patients5.
The IBD group also showed high Klebsiella levels, another potentially harmful bacterium. These microbes have been suggested to contribute to the development of IBD6. In mouse studies, targeting these pathogens reduced intestinal inflammation7, a known trigger for neuroinflammation.
Neuroinflammation is associated with increased depression and may raise the risk of Parkinson’s disease by activating immune responses that affect both the gut and brain.
Gut Microbiome Imbalances: The Role of SCFAs and Inflammation
A key finding of the study was the reduced presence of bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate. SCFAs help maintain a healthy gut lining, lower inflammation, and regulate immune responses8.
In both Parkinson’s and IBD patients, there were low levels of these butyrate-producing bacteria:
-
Roseburia intestinalis
-
Anaerostipes hadrus
-
Eubacterium rectale
Their depletion may contribute to chronic inflammation, a hallmark of both diseases.
Low SCFA levels are linked to a weakened gut barrier which can result in symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea in IBD. A weakened barrier, often referred to as leaky gut, could also increase the risk of neuroinflammation and possibly contribute to Parkinson’s development.
In Parkinson’s disease, SCFAs may play a role in protecting the brain. One study found that higher stool butyrate levels were associated with a later onset of Parkinson’s9.
These findings highlight how a shared loss of health-promoting bacteria—and the SCFAs they produce—may form a common thread between gut and brain health.
Figure 2. Gut dysbiosis is implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease10.
What’s especially compelling about these findings is that the bacteria and their health-promoting metabolites are critical for maintaining a balanced gut and regulating your immune system. Therefore, their loss in both conditions suggests a possible shared pathway of disease development, one where a disrupted gut microbiome could be contributing to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in IBD sufferers11.
Gut Dysbiosis: Cause or Consequence?
This is a difficult question and one that’s still waiting to be answered. The study was an observational one and even states in the discussion that it’s:
“unclear whether the microbiome alterations observed in PD and IBD are a cause or consequence of the disease.”12
Gut inflammation may promote an environment that favours pathogenic microbes, or it may be that these microbes are driving the inflammation in the first place. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg scenario.
Keeping Your Gut Balanced
Maintaining a balanced gut microbiome supports not just digestion but also overall health. Since dysbiosis is a common feature in both IBD and Parkinson’s, taking steps to support your gut could help reduce your risk of these and other chronic conditions.
-
Eat a fiber-rich diet
Foods that are high in fiber, particularly prebiotic fiber, nourish your beneficial gut microbes, supporting the production of SCFAs, digestion, and regulating inflammation. Choose foods such as:
-
fruits
-
vegetables
-
legumes
-
wholegrains
-
nuts
-
seeds
-
Try probiotics
Probiotics are the health-promoting bacteria strains that can help to build their abundance in your gut and keep your microbiota in balance. There are plenty of supplements available, you can even choose synbiotics (a combination of pre- and probiotics), but they are also readily available in fermented foods, such as:
-
kimchi
-
sauerkraut
-
natto
-
miso
-
kombucha
-
Limit processed foods
Processed foods, i.e. those that are packed with added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives, are gut irritants and can disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome. These foods can feed the harmful bacteria and yeasts while providing little sustenance for your healthy bacteria. By reducing processed foods and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods, you will help to keep your gut microbiome balanced.
-
Limit antibiotic use
There’s no doubt that antibiotics were, and still are, a medical breakthrough, but overuse can do you more harm than good. That’s because, although antibiotics kill off the bacteria that cause infections or make you ill, they also kill the good bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance within your gut. To protect your microbiome, it’s important to take antibiotics only when necessary and under the instruction of a healthcare professional. If you do need to take antibiotics, restoring your gut with a combination of diet, probiotics, and prebiotics is essential.
-
Consider human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)
HMOs, the beneficial sugars found in human milk, are crucial for supporting gut health in both infants and adults. Research shows that HMOs promote the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria, lower the abundance of pathogens, and boost immunity. By incorporating HMOs into your daily routine, like the PureHMO® Prebiotic Powder or PureHMO® IBS Support, you’ll be supporting your gut microbiome to be balanced, and even helping to lower the risk of chronic conditions like IBD and Parkinson’s disease.
Conclusion
New research shows that people with Parkinson’s disease and IBD have similar gut microbiome profiles, particularly a depletion of SCFA-producing bacteria. This imbalance or dysbiosis is linked with chronic inflammation, which may play a role in disease development.
To support your gut health and lower your risk, it’s important to maintain a balanced microbiome with diet, probiotics, and limited antibiotic use. Adding HMOs to your routine is also a great way to bolster your bacterial community and enhance immune function. Explore the PureHMO® range to find a product that fits your needs and start supporting your microbiome today.
Written by: Leanne Edermaniger, M.Sc. Leanne is a professional science writer who specializes in human health and enjoys writing about all things related to the gut microbiome.
