Chemical Exposures, Neurodegenerative Disease & Exposomics | Gary Miller | 218

Mar 31, 2025

Gary Miller, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University, dives into the crucial link between chemical exposures and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. He highlights how early detection and technology might improve outcomes. The conversation explores how lifestyle factors, such as caffeine and nicotine, could offer protective effects. Miller elaborates on exposomics—the study of lifetime chemical exposures—and its role in understanding the interplay between pollutants, diet, and health.

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INSIGHT

Age-Driven Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, are significantly driven by age and worsen progressively.
Early intervention, even without a cure, can meaningfully improve quality of life by slowing progression.

INSIGHT

Substantial Neuronal Loss Before Symptoms

Parkinson's symptoms often appear after substantial dopamine neuron loss (more than half).
This suggests a large neuronal reserve, highlighting the potential impact of early interventions.

ADVICE

Early Parkinson's Detection

Look for subtle early Parkinson's signs like handwriting changes (micrographia), gait issues, or reduced arm swing.
Technology like smartwatches or AI video analysis could help with earlier, non-invasive detection.

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Short Summary: How environmental chemical exposures affect neurodegenerative disease and health.

About the guest: Gary Miller, PhD is a Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. His research bridges pharmacology, toxicology, and neuroscience to explore neurodegeneration, particularly Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.

Episode Summary: Dr. Gary Miller talks about neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, exploring their age-driven nature, early detection challenges, and environmental risk factors such as pesticide exposure and head trauma. They discuss the emerging field of exposomics—studying lifetime chemical exposures—and its potential to uncover links between pollutants, diet, and disease, while highlighting protective factors like caffeine and nicotine, and the role of technology in advancing prevention and treatment.

Key Takeaways:

Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s worsen with age, but early intervention could slow progression & improve quality of life.
Parkinson’s symptoms often appear after significant dopamine neuron loss, but subtle signs like handwriting changes or gait issues might be detectable earlier.
Environmental factors, including pesticides & air pollution, increase neurodegeneration risk, while caffeine and nicotine surprisingly lower Parkinson’s incidence.
The exposome—total lifetime exposure to chemicals—offers a new lens to study health, revealing how pollutants & diet interact with our biology.
Ultra-processed foods & common chemicals like PFAS (in packaging) raise exposure levels, but simple steps like air filters or less processed diets can help reduce risks.

Related episode:

M&M #145: Epigenetics, Hormones, Endocrine Disruptors, Microplastics, Xenoestrogens, Obesogens & Obesity, Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics | Bruce Blumberg

*Not medical advice.

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