Joanne, I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear. According to alternative medicine research, PD is caused by many years of specific diets lacking certain vitamins and minerals. Now these can be extreme vegitarians or your average pizza-burger type of person. Of course not everyone on these types of diets are candidates for Parkinsons. Many other factors are considered. Not everyone who has been exposed to carcinogens i.e food colorings and radiation will develop cancer but your chances are slightly higher. This is what the naturalists believe. Now people in Biafra have many problems that hit them way before PD, as PD generally sets on later in life. By the way my Mother in law happenns to be an axtreme vegetarian for many years. I hope I have cleared up a couple of cloudy points. I see from your address that you are in education from Berkeley. I am probably not quite as educated as you are on the subject. My reaserch is not documented as none of the alternative medications are but it is food for thought. Be well. Danny Gewirtz Ma'ale Adumim