A study published in the Neurology journal revealed that there is a link between Parkinson's disease in men and a pesticide found in both pineapples and milk. The said research was led by R. D. Abbott, Ph.D.

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Autopsies were conducted on 449 Japanese-American men 30 years after they passed away. Scientists looked at lost brain cells in the substantia nigra region of the brain since the said loss is an early sign of Parkinson's disease even before a person becomes symptomatic.

An additional 116 brains were checked for the presence of heptachlor epoxide, a pesticide that was used on pineapples to kill insects. The pesticide was banned from being used on produce since 1980, but traces of it can still be found in milk and well water.

The study found that nonsmokers who drank more than two cups of milk had 40 percent fewer brain cells in the substantia nigra compared to those who drank less. On the other hand, there was no clear association between milk consumption and brain cell loss.

Researchers also discovered pesticide residue in 90 percent of those who drank milk and only 63 percent among non-milk drinkers.

While researchers cannot say with certainty that the pesticide causes Parkinson's disease, they say that the findings reveal an association between the two.

"There are several possible explanations for the association, including chance. Also, milk consumption was measured only once at the start of the study, and we have to assume that this measurement represented participants' dietary habits over time," Dr. Honglei Chen said in an editorial about the study.

TagsParkinson's disease, pineapple pesticide, hawaii pineapple, pesticide, illness, chemical poison