28/08/2026
Could Parkinson's disease actually begin in the gut, years before the first symptom appears?
In this week's episode of the Healthily Podcast, I spoke with — a registered nutritional therapy practitioner and nutritionist with 25 years of clinical experience, who now specialises in Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.
We covered so much ground in this conversation, but a few things really stayed with me:
🔹 Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's — like constipation, anxiety, loss of smell and poor sleep — can appear 10 to 20 years before a formal diagnosis.
🔹 Researchers have identified misfolded proteins (alpha-synuclein) in gut and nasal tissue long before Parkinson's symptoms ever begin, which has led to a growing theory that for some people, the disease may start in the gut and travel to the brain via the vagus nerve.
🔹 Only around 10% of Parkinson's cases have a known genetic cause. Environmental exposure — including pesticides, industrial solvents, and other toxins — appears to be a much bigger piece of the puzzle for most people.
🔹 Nutrition can't replace medication, but it can meaningfully support it. From the timing of levodopa around meals, to anti-inflammatory foods, to simply getting the gut moving regularly — small, consistent changes really do add up.
Kirstie also shared her own personal health story in this episode, which I found genuinely moving.
Whatever your connection to this topic — whether you're supporting a loved one, working in this space yourself, or simply curious about long-term brain health — I think you'll find this conversation both fascinating and hopeful.
🎧 New episode live now — link in the comments.
