Food Additives, Pesticides & Environmental Toxins: What You Eat Might Be Affecting You More Than You Know

Could the food you're eating be making your Parkinson's symptoms worse? In this eye-opening episode, we explore the hidden environmental toxins in everyday foods and how they impact brain health, dopamine production, and Parkinson's disease progression.

Discover the science-backed connection between pesticide exposure and increased Parkinson's risk, learn which common food additives damage neurological function, and get actionable strategies to reduce your toxic load—without breaking your budget or losing your mind.

What You'll Learn:

Pesticides & Parkinson's Risk:

• Why people exposed to certain pesticides have a 70% increased risk of Parkinson's
• The truth about paraquat, rotenone, and organophosphates
• How to reduce pesticide exposure by 90% with strategic organic shopping
• The "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" produce lists explained
• Effective washing techniques that remove 96% of pesticide residues

Food Additives & Brain Health:

• Which artificial food dyes cause neurotoxicity and oxidative stress
• How preservatives (BHA, BHT, TBHQ) affect dopamine-producing neurons
• The connection between artificial sweeteners and altered dopamine pathways
• Hidden sources of MSG and other excitotoxins
• The simple 5-ingredient rule for safer food choices

Environmental Toxins in Packaging & Cookware:

• Why BPA-free plastic isn't as safe as you think (BPS and BPF concerns)
• PFAS "forever chemicals" in non-stick cookware and neurological health

Water Quality & Contamination:

• What's really in your tap water (heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals)

The Gut-Brain Connection:

• Groundbreaking research suggesting Parkinson's may start in the gut
• How toxins disrupt the microbiome and increase brain inflammation

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Why Toxins Matter
• 3:16 Pesticides Linked to Parkinson’s
• 10:06 Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen, Fixes
• 15:12 Food Additives That Backfire
• 23:00 MSG, Sweeteners, and Smarter Labels
• 28:20 Plastics, PFAS, and Safer Cookware

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:10

Hello, and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an Exceptional Life. I'm your host, Chris Kesten Butter, and I've been living an exceptional life with Parkinson's for the past 15 years. The mission of this podcast is to help as many people as possible living with Parkinson's to lead a great quality of life. Now I'm so glad you're here with me today because we're going to be talking about a topic that quite literally hits close to home, or should I say, hits close to your kitchen, your garden, and maybe even that questionable container that's hidden in the back of your fridge. So today we're going to be talking about food additives, pesticides, and environmental toxins. What you eat might be affecting more than you know. So I want to start off with a wild fact, and that is, did you know that people who've been exposed to certain pesticides have a 70% increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease? Yes, you heard that rate. 70%. And that's from a 2006 study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the Annals of Neurology. Now, that really shocked me, and I didn't realize that it would be such a high number because I know most of us have used pesticides or maybe have been exposed to pesticides in the past. Now let me tell you just a quick story. Not too long ago, I was making a smoothie, and I was standing in my kitchen, had the blender out, and I was throwing in some regular strawberries, uh, some blueberries, I threw in some spinach and some kale, and then I threw in some low-fat yogurt and put a little bit of water in there, a couple cashews, and as I was doing that, I'm blending away and I'm feeling pretty good about my health choices. And then I heard a little segment on the radio, and they were talking about food additives and pesticides and the fruits and vegetables that we eat. And it really got me to thinking, it's like, wow, do I really know what's in all this stuff that I'm putting in the blender to make this smoothie? And really honestly, I didn't. I was so focused on, you know, managing my symptoms day to day, making sure I take my meds on time, and really trying to stay positive that I really hadn't thought about any pesticides or food additives or anything else that might be in my food supply or my drinking water for all that matters. And then that segment really changed everything. It got me to thinking, hey, I really maybe need to take a look at some of the stuff I'm eating and what I'm putting on my plate or what I'm storing my food in, what kind of type of containers, and how it might be affecting my Parkinson's journey. So today we're going to be talking about pesticides, food additives, and environmental toxins and what you can actually do about all of it without losing your mind or your budget. Now, this isn't going to be about being perfect, because trust me, I'm far from it. This is about being informed and empowered to make better choices when you can. So if that sounds good, you know, grab a glass of water, hopefully it's filtered water, if you got it, and let's dive in. All right, let's start off with pesticides and let's talk a little bit about pesticides. I know it that it's not the most super fun party topic, but stay with me because it's actually fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Which is basically uh my life at this point. No, just kidding. There's a pesticide called Paraquat, and it sounds like it's something from a sci-fi movie. Well, it's very real, and it's still widely used in the United States, despite it being banned in 70 countries, including China and the European Union. Now, the research connecting paraquat to Parkinson's is pretty substantial. There was a 2011 study that was titled Rotanone Paraquat and Parkinson's Disease. And it found that people exposed to Paraquat had two and a half times greater risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Now here's the kicker. You don't have to be a farmer spraying this stuff directly to be affected. If you live within 500 meters of fields where it's used, your risk goes up significantly. And then there's retinone, which is actually used as an organic pesticide for years. It's a naturally occurring compound extracted from the root of tropical plants. Now, scientists literally use rotinone in laboratories to create Parkinson's-like symptoms in animals for research. That's how reliably it damages dopamine neurons. That's not actually reassuring, is it? But rotinone showed similar results to periquat with two and a half times greater risk of developing Parkinson's. It's highly toxic to fish, insects, and mammals, including humans. Now, its concerns about links to Parkinson's has led to bans in the EU, the UK, and most of North America. Now, just as a side story, I lived in a neighborhood where there was a several farm fields surrounding me, and then they put a golf course in about a quarter of a mile down the road. And I was diagnosed with Parkinson's at 46 years old. And then the person that lived across the street from me, roughly the same age, also developed Parkinson's. And then the person two doors down on my left also developed Parkinson's, who was was my age. And then the person across the street, their neighbor developed Parkinson's. So it's now is there a cause and effect or is there a correlation? I don't know. But it just it's that kind of struck me as four people developing Parkinson's in such a close area living next to farm fields and golf course where maybe some of these pesticides have been used. So again, I'm not saying that that was the cause, but it's an interesting footnote. All right, now before you never decide to eat produce again and decide to live entirely on air and sunshine, let me give you some actual useful information. The Environmental Working Group puts out something that they call the dirty dozen, and it's a list that they generate every year. And these are the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the highest pesticide residues. They also have what they call the clean 15, which have the lowest pesticides residues available. Now, strawberries, squash, kale, apples, and grapes, basically all my favorite things on there, which feels a little bit personal, are on the dirty dozen list. But here's the good news. If you prioritize buying organic versions of just these 12 particular types of fruits and vegetables, you can reduce your pesticide exposure by up to 90%. Yes, that's right, 90%. And if organic isn't in your budget, because let's be real, organic things can be expensive. There are ways to minimize exposure. And one of the ways is washing produce with baking soda solution, and that can remove up to 96% of pesticide residues, according to a 2017 study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. So, what you need to do is just mix a tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water and then soak for 12 to 15 minutes and then rinse. Pretty easy. Alright, so here's what you can do today. Number one is check out the dirty dozen list on ewg.org and focus your organic dollars there. The clean 15 list shows you what's safe to buy conventional, things like avocados, pineapples, and onions. And thick peels are your friend. So those types of fruits and vegetables that have thick peels are going to be beneficial. Number two, if you garden or have a lawn, try to ditch the chemical pesticides. There's so many natural alternatives now, like neem oil, diatomaceous earth, companion planting. And then your dopamine neurons are going to thank you for that. And honestly, your neighbors will probably appreciate that too, so that they're not living in a chemical fog. Number three, if you live near agricultural areas, check when spraying happens. If you see them out spraying in the field, close your windows, try to run some air purifiers, and maybe just don't go for a jog downwind on the days that the fields are being sprayed. Now I know that sounds paranoid, but the data supports being a little bit cautious. Number four, talk to your family members. If they have an occupational exposure, like farmers, landscapers, golf course workers, these people are at a significantly higher risk. Now, we don't always connect the dots, but maybe it's something that we should consider. Alright, moving on from pesticides. Now I promise it the rest is going to get a little bit less depressing. Alright, and let's move on to food additives and preservatives. And let's let's talk about exactly what's in your food and not just what's on it. I'm not talking about calories or macros. I'm talking about those ingredients that you need a chemistry degree to understand. All right, here's something wild. The average American consumes about five pounds of food additives per year, mostly from ultra-processed foods. That's like eating a small chihuahua made entirely of chemicals. That doesn't mean you should go out and eat a chihuahua. Now the FDA has approved more than 3,000 additives for use in the U.S. food supply. Now the five-pound figure comes from aggregated estimates of the common additives like preservatives, artificial colors, flavor enhancers, and emulsifiers. Now there was a study in 2023 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that found that 60% of food purchased by Americans contains at least one technical additive, and the average number of additives per purchased food rose from 3.7 in 2001 to 4.5 in 2019. Now artificial food dyes. We're talking things like red 40, yellow 5, blue one. There was a 2012 study in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health that found that these synthetic dyes raise health concerns, including hypersensitivity reactions, you know, toxicity, especially with yellow 5, and contaminants with carcinogens. So they're in everything from healthy yogurt to pickles. So that bright orange mac and cheese that we all loved as kids, turns out maybe food shouldn't glow in the dark, but who knew, right? All right, preservatives like BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. Now these are synthetic antioxidants added to food to keep it from going rancid or spoiling, which sounds good until you learn that they may actually promote oxidative stress in your body, which is a bit counterproductive. In food preservation, they're antioxidants. In the human body, they can act as a double-edged sword, but often they act as a prooxidant, especially at higher doses and with chronic exposure. And what that means is at real-world exposure levels, they can promote oxidative stress rather than helping to prevent oxidative stress. No, after learning about some of this stuff, I decided I was going to take a peek into the pantry just to find out which type of foods might have BHT and BHA in them. And I found it in my cereal, some crackers. There was even chewing gum that had BHT in it. Not sure why, but why gum needs to be preserved. The ones that I talked about, blue one, which is also called brilliant blue, is identified as capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and is associated with neurotoxicity in experimental settings. And that's the keyword there, experimental settings. And it's been flagged by reviewers and assessments as a concern for neurological effects. Yellow 5, also known as Tartrazine, and numerous microbiological and rodent studies are positive for genome toxicity linked to hypersensitivity reactions. And then RED 40 has been associated with hypersensitivity reactions and contamination with carcinogenic compounds. So those are the dyes. Now let's talk a little bit about artificial sweeteners. Now I know this is a controversial because a lot of people with Parkinson's use these to avoid sugar. But here's what the research says. A 2013 study and PLOS1 found that artificial sweeteners can actually alter dopamine pathways in the brain. Dopamine, the exact neurotransmitter we're struggling with Parkinson's. Now the evidence suggests that chronic artificial sweetener use can disrupt dopamine-related signaling indirectly and also oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered neurotropic pathways. And that's the key word here. It's chronic artificial sweetener use. And you've seen people talk about well, you need to eat a or consume a whole box of sweetenload to have problems. But everything is, if you use it chronically or over long periods of time, that's where you may have, and that's the keyword, may have the potential. You maybe consider cutting back or trying alternatives like stevia, which is plant-based and doesn't have the same neurological effects. And let's talk about MSG for a second. Monosodium glutamate gets a bad wrap, and some of it's deserved, and some of it's not. The concern with MSG is that it's an excitotoxin, meaning it can overstimulate neurons to the point of damage in experimental settings. Now, for those of us with neurological conditions, that's not ideal. And again, these were this was done in experimental settings. Now, in normal dietary amounts, MSG is generally considered safe by the FDA because it is metabolized in the gut, the liver, and the liver before reaching the brain. Now the tricky part, MSG hides under like 50 different names. For example, yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, analyzed yeast, and then of course that you have the classic natural flavors. Now, however, some researchers argue that chronic high intake or sensitivity in vulnerable populations like people with neurological conditions or that may have a compromised blood-brain barrier. So what do you do? Here are some actual livable strategies. Number one, and I try to do this as well, the five ingredient rule. If a packaged food has more than five ingredients, or if you can't pronounce them, maybe it's a good opportunity to skip it. Not always, but as a general guideline, it works pretty well because you're always going to have those foods that you can't say or spell. Number two, shop the perimeter of the grocery store. That's where the real food lives. Produce, meat, dairy. The middle is where the science experiments hang out. There's the they're the typically the more processed foods or ultra-processed foods that have a lot more sugars and other things in them, dyes. Number three, use apps like Yuka. That's Y-U-K-A or FujiKate that let you scan barcodes and see what's actually in your food. They rate products and suggest better alternatives. So it's like having a nutrition nerd right in your pocket with you, which sounds a little bit weirder than I meant it to be. But and number four, cook more at home. I know with cooking with Parkinson's, it can be challenging. I know tremors and sharp knives don't always go together, and believe me, I've had the experience. But the simple stuff, even roasted vegetables and baked chicken, basic soups, give you so much more control over what you're putting into your body. All right, now let's move on to environmental toxins and packaging and cookware. It's just so upbeat today, isn't it? Okay, we're getting into territory that might make you look at your kitchen with suspicious new eyes. Environmental toxins aren't just in your food, they're in what we store our food in, what we cook our food with, and they even drink our water from. Let's start with plastic. BPA or bisphenol A has gotten a lot of press over the years. It's a chemical that mimics estrogen and it can disrupt hormones, but it also affects neurological function. BPA exposure has been linked to increased risk of anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment. Studies show that BPA promotes oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity. It can damage the blood brain barrier and alter neurotransmitter levels. Long-term exposure may elevate the risk of conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. So everyone started making these BPA free products and we all felt better, right? Well, wrong. They just replaced BPA with BPS and BPF, which are basically BPA's equally problematic cousins. So it's like when someone says, I quit smoking, and then you find out they just switched to vaping. It's not exactly the victory we were hoping for. So many BPF free products still contain BPA analogs like BPS and BPF, which are less regulated and less tested than BPA. And this has led scientists to call the widespread use of these substitutes an uncontrollable chemical experiment to the public. So in short, it's like switching from BPA to BPS or BPF, and it doesn't eliminate the risk, but it just changes the name of what there is on the label. Now I used to microwave everything in plastic containers. Leftovers, plastic. Meal prep, plastic. I used to microwave stuff in plastic, and then I learned that heating plastic releases even more chemicals into your food. The heat breaks down the plastic structure, and all those lovely toxins just migrate right into your lunch. Hmm, delicious. So I made the switch to glass, and let me tell you, there's nothing quite like the sound of glass shattering on your kitchen floor at 6 a.m. because your tremor decided to kick in at exactly the wrong moment. But hey, at least I'm not eating BPA with my oatmeal anymore. Alright, stainless steel and BPA free products are also good options. Then there's the cookware situation. Nonstick pans are coated with PFAS or UR and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also charmingly known as forever chemicals, because they don't break down in the environment or in your body. They just accumulate forever. Like that weird cousin who crashes on your couch and never wants to leave. Now in humans, they primarily enter the food and drinking water and are stored in the blood, the liver, the kidneys, and other tissues. Studies have linked PFAS exposure to neurological problems. The neurological effects of PFAS include disrupted dopamine signaling, critical for mood, motivation, and motor control. Structural changes and neurons. Animal studies reveal PFPFAS can cause neuron apoptosis or cell death and damage the hippocampus, leading to memory loss and impaired spatial learning. And then oxidative stress, PFAS exposure increases oxidative stress in the brain, which is linked to neurodegeneration. But here's the good news. Better alternatives exist and they're not even that expensive anymore. So for storage, glass containers with silicone lids are amazing. Mason jars work well, and then stainless steel containers if you're packing lunches. Yes, they're a bit heavier, but they don't break like glass does. And they don't leach chemicals into your food. So there's that. Now for cookware, cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic coated hands. Now I particularly love my cast iron skillet. It's basically indestructible, it's naturally non-stick when I season it properly, and it adds iron to your food, which a lot of us actually need. All right, now for water bottles, stainless steel or glass. I have probably it seems like a million water bottles around because I keep forgetting where I put them or I'll leave them somewhere. So I need to do a little bit better job of keeping track of my water bottles. Now, a quick note on aluminum. There was a concern about aluminum cookware in Alzheimer's, which got extended to Parkinson's and people's mind. However, the current research doesn't strongly support a connection. But if you're already worried about metal toxicity, it's easy enough to use stainless steel or cast iron instead. So that gives you one less thing to stress about. All right, now let's talk about water. That thing we're supposed to drink eight glasses of every day, but probably realistically drink three because we also throw in coffee and tea and soda. At least I do sometimes. Now, here's something unsettling. A 2021 environmental working group study found that tap water in 43 states from 50,000 water systems nationwide contained over 300 pollutants. These included PFAS or the Forever Chemicals, arsenic, lead, radioactive materials, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and then even prescription medications. So if you have well water, you need to be extra careful because agricultural runoff is going to concentrate in groundwater, which means pesticides that we talked about earlier can end up in your right in your tap water. Now the good news is you can test your water pretty easily. You can get a basic test kit online for about 20 bucks, or you can check your local water quality report. Every municipality has to provide one. Just Google your city name plus water quality report and be prepared, or let's call it be informed. For filtering, you got options. There are carbon filters like Brita Impure that remove chlorine and some pesticides. They're cheaper and that better than just drinking tap water straight. Reverse osmosis systems remove way more heavy metals, fluoride, and most chemicals. Now they're more expensive up front, but they're very effective in the long run. Distillation, that removes everything, which sounds great, but it also removes a lot of the beneficial minerals. So you might need to supplement your water if you do that. All right, now a quick note on coffee and tea, because I know a lot of you are drinking your coffee right now. Buy organic when you can, because coffee and tea plants are heavily sprayed, and these pesticides can end up in your cup. Now let's talk about something that's getting a lot of attention in Parkinson's research, and that's the gut-brain connection. There's a growing body of research suggesting that Parkinson's might actually start in the gut. I know we've talked about this on some other podcasts. And the theory is that toxins and damaged proteins can travel from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve, which is like a superhighway that's going to connect your gut to your brain. Now, here's why this matters. All those pesticides, additives, and toxins that we've been talking about, they just don't potentially affect your brain directly. They also map with your gut microbiome. They kill beneficial bacteria, they increase inflammation, and they can damage your gut lining. And so this is going to create a domino effect that can ultimately impact your brain. And studies have found that people with Parkinson's have significantly different gut bacteria compared to the healthy people. Certain bacteria are underrepresented, others are overabundant. And there people with Parkinson's generally tend to have more inflammation. So, how do you support your gut besides talking nicely to it? One is you can eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt with live cultures, kombuka. So these foods naturally contain beneficial bacteria. They start, you know, you want to start small because if you eat too much of these too fast, you can have gas and bloating, just so you know. There's also some probiotics out there as well that can be beneficial. Number two, eat probiotic fiber. So this is food for your good bacteria, things like garlic, onions, which aren't my favorite, asparagus, banana, oats, good gut bugs love this stuff. Number three, diversity is key. You want to eat a wide variety of plants. Research shows that people who ate 30 different plant foods per week have much more diverse and resilient gut microbiomes. Now I know that sounds like a lot, you're saying 30 different plant foods? Well, that includes herbs and spices. So it's really easier to get there than you might think. Number four, reduce your exposure to all toxins we've been discussing, like pesticides, additives, and chemicals already harming your microbiome. So every time you make a better choice, you're not just protecting your brain, you're protecting the trillions of bacteria that are living in your gut and keeping you healthy. Now I like to think of my gut bacteria as tiny little roommates. They're there. If you feed them right, they're going to help you out. If you feed them too much of the wrong stuff, they can make your life feel miserable. So try to feed them with the good stuff. All right, now we've covered a lot in the last half hour. Your brain might feel like it's swimming with all this information. So let's try to bring this home and actually provide some doable, actionable steps. Now, first, let me be really clear. You don't need to do everything we talked about today. If you try to overhaul your entire life overnight, you're going to last about a day, two days, maybe three days before you're, you know, running to the gas station and getting the sushi out of the one of the to-go containers. Now I know this because I know I've tried to start out of the gate too fast thinking I'm going to make all these changes, and I end up dropping most of them. So it's the goal is progress, not perfection. The 80-20 rule, it really does apply here. So if you can make better choices 80% of the time, that's going to be huge. The 80% compounds over time and it's going to make a real difference. So you don't have to be perfect. It's add a little bit at a time. So if you're feeling overwhelmed and you want to know where to start, here are my top five priority changes that gave me the most bang for the buck. One is filter your water. You drink it every day, you cook with it. Clean water is foundational. That's a good way to start. Number two, focus on the dirty dozen. Just those 12 items, buy them organic if you can. If you can't, try to wash them really well with baking soda and water. This is going to cut the pesticide exposure dramatically without breaking the bank. Number three, ditch those plastic food storage containers. Switch to glass. Yes, I know I'm biased because I've already made the switch and I need you to join me so that I don't feel like I'm alone on an island. No, but seriously, that's one of the easiest swaps and it eliminates a major source of some of the toxin exposure. Number four, read ingredient labels and avoid the big red flags. Artificial dyes, BHA, BHT, artificial sweeteners. Now you don't need to understand every chemical name, just avoid the ones that you know are problematic. And if it has a list of 17 or 20 different ingredients, maybe that's not the best choice. Number five, support your gut. Try to add some fermented foods a few times a week and focus on plant diversity. Your gut are your allies in this fight, and it helps when you feed them well. And that could be having sauerkraut for lunch or yogurt with some live bacteria. Now here's what I want you to do. Pick three changes from today's episode, just three, write them down and commit to them for one week. Just one week and see how you feel. Maybe it's filtering your water, buying organic strawberries, or adding sauerkraut to your lunch. Maybe it's switching to glass containers or cutting out the artificial sweeteners and washing your produce better. Whatever feels doable for you. That's what it's all about. After that week, add three more if you're feeling good. And then build momentum slowly. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Just remember the rabbit and the tortoise. Though, let's be honest, with Parkinson's, it's more like a scenic walk with occasional breaks and we take a stretch in between, right? Look, here's the truth. There's a lot in this world that we can't control. We can't control the Parkinson's diagnosis, we can't control how our bodies respond to medication. We can't control what pesticides farmers spray and fields 50 miles away. But we can't control what we buy, what we eat, and what we store food in, and how we nourish our bodies and our gut microbiomes. We have way more power than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. So every time you choose filtered water or switch out the plastic containers for glass, you're taking your power back. You're saying Parkinson's might be part of my life, but I'm still the one making decisions, and that's what really matters. Now I've got a ton of additional resources. If you head over to LibParkinson's.com and sign up for the free monthly newsletter, you can check out a lot of the free resources like the nine balance exercises for to help you improve your balance. And then there's the medication and symptom tracker that can help you get prepared for your doctor visit. Plus, there's articles and some recommended products. All right. Now, if you found this episode helpful and you want to support the show, I have a Ko-Fi page where you can make a donation. I'm going to be honest with you. Producing uh this podcast takes time and resources, research, recording equipment, editing, hosting fees, all that stuff. So every contribution, whether it's the price of a cup of coffee or more, can really help me keep the podcast going ad free and independent. So I can bring you science based, actionable information without having to try to look around for sponsors and And those type of things. So you can find the link in the show notes or just head to Kofi.com/slash Live Parkinson's. And even a small donation can make a huge difference and help me justify why I spend all these hours to my family and what I'm doing when I'm searching the internet or sending up writing notes. Now before I go, I want to leave you with this. You're here, you're listening to this podcast, and you're learning how to take better care of yourself. And that already makes you exceptional. The fact that you're not giving up, you're still looking for ways to live your best life despite Parkinson's, that's everything. So go take one small step today, filter that water, wash those berries, switch out one container, add some sauerkraut to your lunch, whatever it is, do it with the knowledge that you're taking care of your brain, your body, and your future self. And remember, living with Parkinson's is hard enough. There's a lot of challenges that go with it. We don't need to add unnecessary toxins to the mix. Now we're all in this together, making small changes, supporting each other, and proving that exceptional lives aren't just about perfection. They're about showing up, learning, and doing a little better each day. So I want to thank you for spending time with me today and listening to the podcast. And remember, stay healthy, stay strong, and go out there and live your best life with Parkinson's. Thanks again.