A Balanced Diet in Parkinson's Disease

While no diets have been proven to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), there are also no special dietary restrictions. Remember to always check with your healthcare provider before changing your diet.
A healthy diet is important.
It's particularly important to stay active and energetic if you have Parkinson's disease. Eat a variety of foods from every major food group, including fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy products, meat, fish, poultry, and beans.
A balanced diet can keep you healthy and help manage digestion. This is important because PD can affect the muscles and nerves that control the digestive process. People with Parkinson's disease sometimes experience problems including constipation and gastroparesis (slowing of the muscles that help move food through the stomach and intestines).
Additionally, certain foods can slow digestion and delay, or reduce the amount of levodopa that your body can use. This can cause your treatment to work less effectively.
Try these tips for eating a balanced diet, managing digestive problems, and maintaining an effective treatment plan:

• Eat meals at the same time every day
• Include high-fiber foods like whole grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, and beans
• Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol; they act as diuretics and can aggravate constipation
• Manage your protein intake. High protein foods may lessen your body's ability to absorb levodopa
• Avoid iron salts (usually found in multi-vitamin tablets), they may reduce the amount of levodopa in your body