Diet in Early Stages of Parkinson's Disease

Patrick Namara, Ph.D., has given the following dietary tips for patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Foods like spinach, nuts, and vegetables contain nutrients that may help reduce the loss of dopamine producing neurons.

In the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), no special dietary changes are typically required. However, one may want to increase the intake of foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are those chemicals that scavenge and eat-up so-called ‘free radicals’ –- tiny molecules that circulate in your tissues and damage those tissues. Free radicals have a special affinity for cells that produce dopamine. So the greater the number of antioxidants in the system, the fewer the number of circulating free radicals. Theoretically that should reduce the rate of loss of dopamine cells over time.

So what foods contain a lot of antioxidants? Fruits and vegetables -- especially the darkly colored fruits and vegetables. Some examples include leafy green vegetables (such as spinach), broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, red kidney beans, pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, plums and apples. Tea -- especially green tea and black tea -- contains a lot of antioxidants. Red wine contains antioxidants. Dark juices like pomegranate and blueberry juices are rich in antioxidants.

Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential nutrient for most tissues in the body so one may want to make sure to consume adequate amounts of these nutrients. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is probably a good idea to add fish to the diet if one is not already eating fish on a regular basis.

There is also a need to get adequate sources of calcium, magnesium, and vitamins D and K to strengthen skin and bone. One can usually obtain these nutrients from dairy products like yogurt and milk. A person need some amount of sunlight to get enough vitamin D

Here are some ways to include these healthy foods in one's diet:

• Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries can be stirred into vanilla yogurt for a delicious dessert. Or they can be blended with fat-free yogurt and ice in a blender to make a smoothie. Fruit smoothies can also help prevent the constipation associated with some PD medications.

• Spinach may be combined with foods such as salad or rice or scrambled eggs. These combinations are better than any of the stand alone alternatives. One may stir chopped, fresh spinach, tossed in olive oil into salads or into steamed brown rice. One may also sometimes add raisins to that rice and spinach dish.

• Carrots are loaded with a potent antioxidant called beta-carotene. Cooked, steamed or pureed carrots liberate the antioxidants or somehow make them easier to absorb. Cooked carrots are often more tasty as well. The carrots may be steamed and then slowly cooked in the juices of whatever meat dish one is having.

• Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant and is found in some nuts in whole grains. Although studies on the anti-PD effects of vitamin E have yielded only discouraging or mixed results vitamin E should nevertheless be a part of ones diet. Most of the vitamin E are from whole grains. One may cook and steam some whole grain like brown rice, cous cous or bulgur wheat. Then one may add items like raisins or cranberries, chopped parsley or spinach, and olive oil.

Sources:

Weiner, W. J., Shulman, L.M. and Lang, A. E. (2007). Parkinsons Disease, Second Edition, A Complete guide for patients and families. Johns Hopkins Press Book, Baltimore.

Marczewska A, De Notaris R, Sieri S, Barichella M, Fusconi E, Pezzoli G. Protein intake in Parkinsonian patients using the EPIC food frequency questionnaire. Movement Disorder. 2006 Aug;21(8):1229-31.