Fight Parkinson’s from the produce stand

It’s been a while — too long, really. But after an endless stream of misleading bad press, antioxidants are back in the spotlight. And I’m thrilled to see these old standbys get some credit again. (Instead of being overlooked in favor of the “latest, greatest” mainstream novelty, as per usual…)

In case you missed it, a new study came out recently linking dietary antioxidants to a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

The power of antioxidants

As quick refresher, Parkinson’s disease is a chronic neurologic condition characterized by:

• slow movement
• tremors
• rigidity
• impaired gait (often accompanied by forward-tilting posture, reduced arm movement, and shuffled steps)

But this new research found a few common, time-tested antioxidants can significantly reduce all of these potentially debilitating symptoms — and even help sideline the disease altogether.

Specifically, subjects who ate the most total carotenoids (pigments found in various colorful fruits and vegetables) had a 30 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson’s. And those who ate the most lutein (a type of carotenoid commonly found in egg yolk, bell peppers, kale, collards, spinach, and other leafy greens) had a 44 percent lower risk.

And not surprisingly, researchers found that subjects with the highest dietary intake of the whole range of antioxidants experienced a much slower pace of disease progression, compared to subjects who consumed the least.

Food as medicine

Parkinson’s disease affects roughly half of people over the age of 85. And they represent a steady march toward disability and death.

The U.S. population isn’t getting any younger. So if antioxidants can put any kind of dent in these numbers, that’s a pretty big deal.

But it’s not too surprising. For example, we already know lutein is important for brain health. And studies have linked antioxidants with slower cognitive decline — likely due to their ability to reduce oxidative damage. So it’s not that big of a stretch to expect similar benefits for your motor function.

And here’s the really good news: You can get all the antioxidants you need WITHOUT adding another pill to your supplement regimen.

In fact, follow my A-List Diet, and you’ll be getting a heaping helping of all of these nutrients every single day. And it’s even easier with the 100+ recipes I’ve included, as well as my 30-day meal plan.

So it looks like you can go ahead and add Parkinson’s prevention to the long list of benefits my latest book has to offer.

If you haven’t ordered your copy of The A-List Diet yet, there’s no time like the present. The sooner you start down the path toward prevention, the better. Click here to learn more, or buy a copy today.

 

P.S. I discussed Parkinson’s disease at length in the July 2013 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“Why nightshades aren’t as shady as you think”).

Subscribers have access to that issue and much more in my archives. (Simply log into the Subscribers section at www.DrPescatore.com with your username and password). Not a subscriber? Simply click here.

Source:

medscape.com/viewarticle/895868