Slow Progression of Parkinson’s Disease with Nutrition Therapy from a Long Island Dietitian
Is there a Role for nutrition in Parkinson’s Disease?
ABSOLUTELY: You can slow disease progression and improve symptoms!
Increasing evidence suggests the way you eat may impact not just the development of Parkinson’s, but the progression and management. Even better, it’s the same way of eating that has been proven to reduce the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, intestinal problems, stroke, and cancer. It has been shown to boost energy and promote heart and brain health. And it is also recommended by countless Parkinson’s experts. So, what is it? A plant-based, whole-foods eating plan.
Recent studies focus on the connection between Parkinson’s, the microbiome, and the brain. The study authors compare the microbiome to “a giant factory that produces beneficial chemicals”. What you eat determines which microbes grow. When you select primarily plant-based foods, the microbiome can flourish and inflammation, suggested as a contributing cause of Parkinson’s, can be reduced.
The gut’s impact on Parkinson’s also plays a role in managing and possibly slowing the progression of Parkinson’s. The Davis Phinney Foundation’s theory is that alpha-synuclein, the protein that clumps together in the brains of people with Parkinson’s, may actually first misfold and accumulate in the gut. Recent studies have also shown that a chain reaction, started by misfolded alpha-synuclein, could travel from the gut all the way up the vagus nerve, which connects directly to the brain.
It’s possible, the researchers report, that diet could influence that process, and eating a plant-based diet could prevent or slow this misfolding and accumulation process.
Other studies have found lower levels of Prevotella, a “good” gut bacterium, in people with Parkinson’s, along with higher levels of inflammatory bacteria Further research has demonstrated that adopting a whole-food plant-based diet fosters a gut environment conducive to the flourishing of beneficial bacteria like Prevotella. The more good bacteria present, the better your overall health and your ability to live well with Parkinson’s every day.
Eating a whole food plant-based diet not only improves general well-being and can help you manage multiple symptoms of Parkinson’s, but the research has shown that these modifications can help you slow the progression of this disease.
Watch for my October Blog discussing how to eat for Parkinson’s Disease.
More Resources
Diet’s Role in Parkinson’s Disease
By Jamie Santa Cruz, Today’s Dietitian, Vol. 25 No. 7 P. 32
Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s
Nutrition, Hydration & Parkinson’s
Fighting Parkinson’s Disease with Exercise and Diet, Hopkins Medicine
