Diet and Parkinson’s: A powerful partnership

Imagine my surprise when I read the first sentence of this article…

“Interest is growing in the role of nutrition as means of slowing, or even preventing, neurodegeneration in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).”

Finally! But what took so long?

Let’s talk about it…

“Nothing can be done?”

For basically my entire career, it seems conventional docs have told their patients that “nothing can be done” to treat certain ailments, like PD.

As a result, some of you might sit back and wait for something to come along—usually in the form of a prescription drug—that may or may not help. All while trying to accept your fate.

Or—perhaps you go for a second (or even third) opinion. In fact, that’s how many of you end up in my office (or the office of another alternative medical doctor).

After all, so much of conventional medicine relies on cookie-cutter protocols—not out-of-the-box dogmatic thinking.

So, let me be clear…

You have MANY options to consider, no matter the diagnosis. And a simple place to start with your doctor is to ask them to treat you as a whole person.

Go over your current medications to see if any are unnecessary or causing more harm than good. Discuss your sleep, diet, digestion, and pooping habits. Talk about your exercise routine (or lack thereof) and your social network.

It might sound silly, but those are the fundamental pillars of good health. And it’s only then when you can discover a complementary approach to anything that ails you—including PD.

Your dietary choices always matter

While there are no randomized controlled trials on diet and PD, there’s plenty of scientific data supporting a positive association between the two.

Studies show that a healthy diet can delay Parkinson’s onset of 8.4 to 17.4 years. (Not too shabby for simply watching what you eat. Especially when there certainly aren’t any pharmaceuticals that can offer that type of protection.)

One study specifically showed that eating a healthier diet helped control common symptoms of PD, like constipation, excessive daytime sleepiness, and depression.

And yet another interesting finding points to the role of the gut microbiome, suggesting that gut dysbiosis might even cause PD. This thinking stems off the finding that gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms often occur years before the motor symptoms of PD (like tremors and slurred speech).

I don’t know about you, but I’d say those findings point to a powerful partnership.

See, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are harmful to our health in countless ways. But in the case of PD, one study shows that those who consume higher amounts of UPFs face a 56 percent higher risk of the neurodegenerative disease!

If that doesn’t get you to rethink your dietary choices, I’m not sure what will.

Indeed, it’s high time to ditch UPFs and adopt a balanced diet full of fresh, whole foods. It’s one of the best things you can do for your health—especially if you’re faced with a PD diagnosis.

Focus on lean proteins (like grass-fed and -finished beef, organic poultry, and wild-caught fish and seafood), healthy fats (from nuts, avocados, eggs, and dairy), and antioxidants and flavonoids (from plenty of organic, seasonal produce).

For more insight, check out my very own Mediterranean-style diet, called the A-List Diet. Order yourself a copy of this best-seller by clicking here!

Source:

“Food as Medicine: Diet’s Role in Parkinson’s Disease.” Medscape, 11/21/2024. (medscape.com/viewarticle/food-medicine-diets-role-parkinsons-disease-2024a1000l9u)