Poor Oral Health Could Raise Parkinson’s Risk, New Study Finds

News Desk 

Islamabad: Brushing your teeth might be more important for your brain than you think. A groundbreaking study from South Korea suggests that harmful bacteria in the mouth may travel to the gut, release toxic byproducts, and trigger Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder affecting movement, causing tremors, stiffness, and slowed motion. It impacts about 1–2% of people over 65, making it one of the most common age-related brain disorders.

While scientists have long suspected a link between gut microbes and Parkinson’s, the exact connection remained unclear—until now. 

Researchers discovered that people with Parkinson’s carry higher levels of Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium typically associated with tooth decay, in their gut microbiome. 

Once in the gut, the bacterium produces an enzyme called urocanate reductase (UrdA) and a metabolite known as imidazole propionate (ImP).

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These substances were found at elevated levels in both the gut and bloodstream of patients, with ImP capable of traveling to the brain and contributing to the loss of dopamine-producing neurons—a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease.

Using mouse models, the researchers showed that introducing S. mutans into the gut, or engineering E. coli to produce UrdA, triggered Parkinson’s-like symptoms, including motor impairment, neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and alpha-synuclein protein aggregation. Importantly, these effects relied on the activation of the signaling protein complex mTORC1.

Blocking mTORC1 reduced inflammation, neuron loss, and movement problems in the mice.

The study, published in Nature Communications, highlights a surprising new link between oral hygiene and brain health, suggesting that maintaining a healthy mouth may help protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases.

Researchers say that targeting the oral–gut microbiome and its toxic byproducts could pave the way for new preventive and therapeutic strategies against Parkinson’s.