Gluten and its relationship with inflammation and Parkinson's Disease: A literature review

Zohaer Muttalib; Dana Aboukhalil; Chisom Nwosu; Dave D. Manguerra; Jimmy Wen; Ubaid Ansari; Meraj Alam; Ihab Abed; Ethan Tabaie; Ahmed Salem; Forshing Lui; Zohaer Muttalib; Dana Aboukhalil; Chisom Nwosu; Dave D. Manguerra; Jimmy Wen; Ubaid Ansari; Meraj Alam; Ihab Abed; Ethan Tabaie; Ahmed Salem; Forshing Lui

doi:10.3934/Neuroscience.2025004

AIMS Neuroscience

2025, Volume 12, Issue 1: 44-57. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2025004

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Review

Gluten and its relationship with inflammation and Parkinson's Disease: A literature review

Department of Neurology, California Northstate University College of Medicine, 9700 W Taron Drive, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA

Received: 10 December 2024 Revised: 05 March 2025 Accepted: 20 March 2025 Published: 31 March 2025

Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative central nervous system (CNS) disease that primarily affects the dopaminergic cells of the Substantia Nigra in the midbrain and causes a diverse array of symptoms, including dystonia, a loss of balance, difficulty initiating movements, akinesia, muscle spasms, and tremors. It has long been known that environmental and commercial compounds are linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's Disease. Of importance, gluten, a complex polysaccharide, has been hypothesized to cause some of the symptoms related to Parkinson's Disease. It is hypothesized that gluten causes a chronic inflammatory state which may lead to plaque formation and neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra, alongside the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. This literature review hopes to explore the relationship gluten has as an inflammatory molecule and its role in the production and prolongation of the disease processes in Parkinson's Disease.
- Parkinson's Disease,
- gluten,
- inflammation,
- dystonia,
- dyskinesia,
- Substantia Nigra
Citation: Zohaer Muttalib, Dana Aboukhalil, Chisom Nwosu, Dave D. Manguerra, Jimmy Wen, Ubaid Ansari, Meraj Alam, Ihab Abed, Ethan Tabaie, Ahmed Salem, Forshing Lui. Gluten and its relationship with inflammation and Parkinson's Disease: A literature review[J]. AIMS Neuroscience, 2025, 12(1): 44-57. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2025004

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Abstract

Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative central nervous system (CNS) disease that primarily affects the dopaminergic cells of the Substantia Nigra in the midbrain and causes a diverse array of symptoms, including dystonia, a loss of balance, difficulty initiating movements, akinesia, muscle spasms, and tremors. It has long been known that environmental and commercial compounds are linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's Disease. Of importance, gluten, a complex polysaccharide, has been hypothesized to cause some of the symptoms related to Parkinson's Disease. It is hypothesized that gluten causes a chronic inflammatory state which may lead to plaque formation and neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra, alongside the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. This literature review hopes to explore the relationship gluten has as an inflammatory molecule and its role in the production and prolongation of the disease processes in Parkinson's Disease.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the advice of Dr. Forshing Lui in the writing of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Authors' contribution

All authors made equal contributions to the conceptualization, methodology, analysis, and writing of the manuscript. The final manuscript was approved by all authors.

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