Nutrition and Parkinson’s Disease

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

No one diet can treat Parkinson’s Disease, but medication might require mealtime considerations and dietary changes may help ease certain symptoms. Your physician or a dietitian can design a healthy, balanced diet to fit your needs and improve well-being.

While there is no prescription for a specific Parkinson’s Disease diet. To maintain overall good health most people living with Parkinson’s disease should eat a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products, and protein-rich foods such as meat and beans. Also consider including nuts, olive oil, fish and eggs to your diet, for their beneficial fats.

A balanced diet is a foundation of good health. For people with Parkinson’s Disease a balanced diet is even more important. In Parkinson’s Disease, there are some foods that may help to ease your symptoms and improve brain health, while others can affect the way medications work. While there are many things about Parkinson’s Disease that cannot be changed, an informed choice of diet is a proactive way for people to live better with their disease. TOP

Healthy Eating

There is no one recommended way to eat with Parkinson’s Disease, but a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables promote health and well-being for everyone. One part of a healthy diet is eating foods with antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, dark chocolate, and some beverages, such as red wine, coffee and tea.

A Mediterranean diet is a good choice and supports heart health; it is recommended for high blood pressure and type II Diabetes. Proteins are derived from beans and fish rather than red meat. One cookbook recommendation is, The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins expertise is recognized by the American Heart Assn. She is also an expert in olive oil.

Another nutrition book entitled “Ultimate Guide: Food & Nutrition” by Dr. Andrew Weil’s covers maintaining an “anti-inflammatory Diet and a Food Pyramid that relate to Parkinson’s disease. TOP

Medication and Diet

The medication levodopa (Sinemet) is a protein building block, so it competes for absorption with other proteins. Taking levodopa with high-protein meals, such as meat and fish, may reduce how much of the drug gets into your system and how well a dose works. Early in your disease, especially when symptoms are mild, you may have no problem taking levodopa around mealtime. If medication doesn’t seem to be working its best, or if it’s “wearing off” before it’s time for your next dose, your doctor may recommend taking medication on an empty stomach — 30 minutes before or 60 minutes after a meal. Another option is to save higher amounts of protein for the end of the day, when controlling symptoms may not be as critical. Iron supplements can decrease absorption of levodopa. If you take those, do so at least two hours before or after taking levodopa. TOP

Eating to Ease Symptoms

For some Parkinson’s symptoms, the first step in treatment is to adjust your diet.

Drinking more fluids and eating more fiber can help maintain regularity and relieve constipation. Aim to drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Warm liquids, especially in the morning, can stimulate bowel movements. Dietary sources of fiber consist of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain breads and cereals. Most of these are high in antioxidants, as well.

To improve low blood pressure, increasing fluid and salt intake will boost blood pressure, but talk with your physician, especially if you have heart or kidney problems. Fluids might include water as well as those with more salt, such as Gatorade and V8 juice. Limit caffeine and alcohol as these can be dehydrating and lower blood pressure. Eating frequent, small meals also can smooth blood pressure fluctuations.

Swallowing problems such as coughing, choking or feeling as though feeling food is stuck can develop as your disease progresses.   A speech pathologist can recommend diet changes and other strategies to help. Diet changes might include softening food or adding foods that will stimulate swallowing such as seasoned, sour or carbonated foods. Strategies might also include taking smaller bites, eating at a slower pace or tucking your chin to your chest when you swallow.

To alleviate muscle cramping, eating yellow mustard which contains the spice turmeric, or drinking tonic water, which contains quinine, may help with muscle cramps. Others say salt, vinegar or pickle juice works for them. Staying hydrated may prevent or reduce cramping. TOP

Foods That Promote Brain Health

In the science of brain health, we often use the word neuroprotection: the process by which we can support the health of brain cells and their ability to communicate with one another. Over the years, various food groups particularly nuts have been studied, in animals and in large epidemiological studies of human populations for their potential to promote brain health. Initial research has provided some evidence about possible benefits of certain foods. Although there isn’t yet evidence about the specific benefits for Parkinson’s disease, what we do know is that these foods are part of a healthy diet.

Of all the foods that have been studied for their potential to promote neuroprotection brain health, research into nuts and herbs has shown promise.  Walnuts contain an essential fatty acid called omega 3 and a variety of minerals that early studies associate with a decreased risk for dementia. Try eating five to ten walnuts each day. Emerging evidence shows Pistachios (the vitamin K and antioxidants in them) may have potential for helping to reestablish lost connections between neurons. Pistachios also contain a small amount of lithium, which may help to improve mood. You can eat a few of them two or three times a week.

Macadamia nuts have oils that may increase the production of neurotransmitters. They are high in calories, but a few a day is good for you. Cashews are strong in Iron, zinc and magnesium and may boost serotonin — a neurotransmitter linked to good mood. Cashews may also reduce memory loss.

Almonds have limited effect on brain health; however, almonds contain fiber, that helps relieve constipation. Brazil nuts contain selenium, a mineral that may have the potential to counteract environmental toxins like pesticides and herbicides. Eat no more than one or two a day.

Ceylon cinnamon, this spice has shown potential for normalizing neurotransmitter levels and other Parkinson’s Disease brain changes. Look for Ceylon cinnamon, which is grown in Sri Lanka and labeled as such. Organic cinnamon is also preferable. Rosemary added to soups, quiches or grilled chicken contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, that early animal research shows may be beneficial for brain health.

Fighting inflammation can be another important strategy for keeping the brain healthy. The types of fats you consume may play a role in reducing inflammation in the body, and those known as “medium-chain triglycerides” may be particularly helpful. Coconut oil contains this fat. You can cook with it just as you would with olive oil. Other anti- inflammatory foods include oily fishes like salmon, tuna and mackerel; dark leafy green vegetables like kale, collard greens and spinach; and soy products. Kale has been shown to have high levels of pesticides occurring.  Prompting us to only eat organically grown kale.

Benefits of eating Purple and Red Foods that contain antioxidants may also protect brain health. Antioxidants neutralize molecules known as “free radicals,” which can damage healthy cells including neurons. Fruits that are purple and red, like blueberries and raspberries, contain pigments called anthocyanins, which are well-known antioxidants. Some studies suggest that drinking green tea (three cups a day) is neuroprotective, because EGCG, found in green tea, is both an anti-inflammatory agent and an antioxidant. TOP

Foods for Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms

Nutrition adjustments can help ease some of Parkinson’s Disease most common symptoms, both of a motor and a non-motor nature.  If you experience digestive difficulties, especially constipation, try to drink more fluids, and increase your fiber intake with cereals, fruits and vegetables such as kiwi, apples, prunes, dates, figs, radishes, berries, nuts and beans.

If drinking more water leads to urinary incontinence or urgency, increase your fluid intake by eating foods with a high-water content such as tomato, cucumber, radish, celery, and broccoli. If you struggle with weight loss or loss of appetite, try increasing your calorie intake by eating nuts and foods that contain healthy fats, like coconut and avocado. To stimulate your appetite, try bitter greens like collard and beet greens, or spicy foods.

Fatigue and sleep difficulties are also common symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. The culprit of these problems may be sugar. When eaten during the day, sweets briefly boost energy, but make you sleepy later. When eaten in the evening, they may keep you awake. Another reason to limit sugar is that it causes a spike in blood glucose, which contributes to inflammation. When reaching for a snack, try foods that offer a balance of protein and fat, like nuts or avocado, or whole-grain complex carbohydrates. TOP

How Foods Affect Parkinson’s Disease Medication

People with Parkinson’s Disease need to eat a balanced diet in order to feel their best and maintain energy. Eating more nuts and berries, cutting back on fried food and sweets, and cooking with herbs are all elements of sound nutrition and they may also help you manage your Parkinson’s Disease. Taking medications at mealtime can affect how quickly they are absorbed into your body, and the rate at which your body uses, or metabolizes them.

If you take carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet®), for Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, you may find that protein-rich foods such as meat, fish or eggs or high-fat foods, lengthen the time it takes for the medicine to kick in, or make the medication less effective. The latter result can also be triggered by foods that contain vitamin B6 (e.g., meats, bananas, egg yolks or lima beans). The solution? Talk to your doctor about taking levodopa 30 to 60 minutes before meals, to give it a head start. Your doctor or a nutritionist can also give advice on how to distribute the protein you eat, to avoid having it interfere with levodopa.  Take your medications with a full glass of water. It may help your body break down the medication more efficiently.  Balance the food you eat with physical activity.

Sinemet®, carbidopa / levodopa extended-release capsules (Rytary®) or carbidopa levodopa entacapone (Stalevo®), which are designed for extended-release work best on an empty stomach. TOP