The Genius Life 504: How Pesticides, Air Pollution, and Industrial Toxins Are Fueling a Parkinson’s Epidemic | Ray Dorsey, MD
Aug 13, 2025
Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurology professor at the University of Rochester and co-author of The Parkinson’s Plan, discusses the alarming rise of Parkinson's disease linked to environmental toxins. He uncovers how pesticide exposure, particularly near golf courses, correlates with increased cases. Dr. Dorsey emphasizes the need for awareness and policy changes to combat this issue. He also shares actionable steps to reduce risks and highlights the critical role of diet and lifestyle in preventing neurodegenerative diseases.
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Golf Courses And Elevated Parkinson’s Risk
- Living within a mile of a golf course was linked to a 124% higher Parkinson's risk in one Rochester, MN study.
- Golf courses can use dramatically more pesticides per acre than farms, suggesting environmental drift matters.
Where Parkinson’s Likely Begins In The Body
- Parkinson's pathology often appears first in the olfactory bulb or vagus nerve, implying external exposures may initiate disease.
- Dorsay and colleagues propose inhaled toxins cause brain-first disease and ingested toxins cause gut-first disease.
DDT Use In Japan Linked To Early Cases
- DDT sprayed on Japanese rice paddies after WWII accumulated in fat and water and may explain early dementia with Lewy bodies cases.
- DDT is fat-soluble, concentrates in humans, and damages dopamine-producing neurons implicated in Parkinson's.
