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In this compelling episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I sit down with Dr. Ray Dorsey, a leading voice in the world of neurology and author of the important new book, The Parkinson’s Plan. Dr. Dorsey is a passionate advocate for changing how we view and address Parkinson’s disease. His message is bold—and urgently needed: Parkinson’s is not simply a disease of aging or bad luck. It is, in his words, “a man-made disease,” driven by preventable environmental exposures.

Dr. Dorsey’s work shines a much-needed spotlight on the role of toxins in triggering Parkinson’s. In his new book, he lays out a comprehensive framework for understanding and reversing the rising tide of Parkinson’s cases, which have more than doubled in recent decades. He argues that this surge is no coincidence—it correlates with increased exposure to industrial chemicals, pesticides, and air pollutants that interfere with the brain’s delicate dopamine system.

One of the most striking recent contributions from Dr. Dorsey’s research is a JAMA-published study linking Parkinson’s risk to proximity to golf courses—locations that are frequently treated with high volumes of chemical herbicides and pesticides. The study found a significantly increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in individuals living near these manicured greens. This adds to a growing body of evidence that toxic environmental exposures play a key role in the development of this neurodegenerative condition.

In our conversation, Dr. Dorsey discusses how Parkinson’s (once a rare disease) has become the world’s fastest-growing brain disorder, and why its rise can’t be explained by aging populations alone. He shares practical strategies for individuals and families looking to reduce their toxic burden and offers hope for a new paradigm. One in which we actively prevent, treat, and ultimately aim to eliminate Parkinson’s.

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0:00 Intro

2:40 Living Near to a Golf course Raises Parkinson’s Risk

4:58 How Pollutants Lead to Parkinson’s

7:12 Danger of Dry cleaning Chemicals

11:45 Parkinson’s is not just about Genetics

14:15 Why aren't these chemicals illegal?

17:07 Toxicity of Weed Killer

21:00 Chemicals that Damage Mitochondria 

26:39 Why Diabetes Increases Parkinson’s Risk

29:38Air Pollution & WildFires

34:04 The Air Purifier We Recommend 

34:49 Dealing with Indoor Air Pollution

37:02 Wash All Produce (Even Organic)

38:12 Best Diet for Parkinson’s Prevention

41:26 Safe Practices for Farming & Dry Cleaning

45:23 Benefits of Exercise

48:01 Public Figures Who Faced Parkinson's Disease

49:58 Why Men are More Likely to Get It

51:21 An Empowering Message for Us

54:27 Conclusion 

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Dr. Ray Dorsey is the director of the Center for the Brain & the Environment at the Atria Health and Research Institute. The center’s mission is to identify the root causes of brain diseases from autism to Alzheimer’s so that we can prevent them. With his colleagues, he wrote Ending Parkinson’s Disease and the forthcoming The Parkinson’s Plan, which details a new path to preventing and treating this terrible disease.

Ray previously directed the Center for Health + Technology at the University of Rochester, chaired the international Huntington Study Group, led the movement disorders division at Johns Hopkins, and consulted for McKinsey & Company.

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