4 Food for the Brain Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's disease

February 4, 2016

WHAT IS PARKINSON'S DISEASE?

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurological disorder that is caused by a degeneration of cells in the part of the brain that produces the neurotransmitter dopamine (chemical messenger). It is characterised by loss of motor control such as slowness of movement, rigidity, tremor and balance problems as well as non-movement type symptoms including constipation, low mood, fatigue, sleep and memory problems.

Conventional treatment can involve medication which is primarily aimed at increasing dopamine activity. As dopamine is made in the body from amino acids which are the building blocks of protein, diet can play a key part in ensuring that the right nutrients are available to support the body’s ability to produce dopamine. Optimising nutritional status and addressing co-morbidities such as constipation, depression, fatigue, and insomnia is also an area that can benefit through diet.

Key dietary factors discussed below include reducing toxic load, reducing homocysteine with folic acid, vitamins B12 and B6, zinc and tri-methyl-glycine (TMG) and increasing Omega 3 fats, Vitamin D and Magnesium.

Read on for more information on Parkinson’s Disease and how it can be influenced by nutrition. Also see our nutritional action plan for managing Parkinson’s Disease.

WHAT CAUSES PARKINSON'S DISEASE?

Parkinson’s is caused by the degeneration of brain cells (neurons) in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These neurons are responsible for the production of a particular neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the brain) called dopamine and it is the lack of this neurotransmitter that is responsible for the main Parkinson’s symptoms. The cause of the disease is not known. However, like most degenerative illnesses, it is likely to be due to a range of factors including interactions between genes and environment. Contributory factors may include environmental toxicity, physical trauma, genetics, drugs, disease (including tumours), nutritional deficiency, mitochondrial insufficiency, enzyme deficiency and unremitting stress.

 CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurological disorder which affects around 120,000 people in the UK. Progressive (or degenerative) means that it typically worsens over time and neurological means that it affects the nervous system (this system includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves throughout the body). The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are slowness of movement (bradykinesia), rigidity, tremor and postural instability (balance problems). While Parkinson’s is typically described as a ‘movement disorder’, a person with Parkinson’s may experience a range of other symptoms including constipation, low mood, fatigue, sleep and memory problems. Symptoms of Parkinson’s can be grouped into two major categories – motor symptoms (those that affect movement) and non-motor symptoms (those that don’t). WHAT CAUSES PARKINSON'S DISEASE? Parkinson’s is caused by the degeneration of brain cells (neurons) in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These neurons are responsible for the production of a particular neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the brain) called dopamine and it is the lack of this neurotransmitter that is responsible for the main Parkinson’s symptoms. The cause of the disease is not known. However, like most degenerative illnesses, it is likely to be due to a range of factors including interactions between genes and environment. Contributory factors may include environmental toxicity, physical trauma, genetics, drugs, disease (including tumours), nutritional deficiency, mitochondrial insufficiency, enzyme deficiency and unremitting stress. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT Conventional treatment may involve medication which is primarily aimed at increasing dopamine activity either by providing the precursor (raw material) in the form of levodopa (L-Dopa), or by stimulating dopamine receptors (essentially mimicking dopamine) through the use of a dopamine agonist drug. Also used are drugs called COMT inhibitors which can help the levodopa to be more effective and MAO-B inhibitors which prevent dopamine from breaking down so the limited supply is longer lasting. Other therapies may include physiotherapy, osteopathy, remedial movement, massage, speech therapy, psychological therapy and in some cases surgery (deep brain stimulation). There is no cure for the condition, but these treatments can relieve symptoms. NUTRITION AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE So, what does nutrition have to do with Parkinson’s? DIET AND NUTRITION...KEY FACTORS Optimise your diet, reduce your toxic load While the cause of Parkinson’s is not known, environmental toxins such as pesticides and herbicides are implicated. Researchers have found levels of these chemicals to be higher in the brains of Parkinson’s sufferers and incidence of Parkinson’s is higher in areas with greater use of these chemicals. It makes sense to avoid any environmental toxins that you can. Also, consider your intake of dietary toxins such as alcohol and caffeine – avoiding or reducing these may reduce the load on your body’s detoxification pathways. Homocysteine Homocysteine is an amino acid which is toxic if elevated, and some studies have found that it is elevated in people with Parkinson’s. At this stage it isn’t known whether higher levels of homocysteine contribute to the development of Parkinson’s or whether the Parkinson’s (or Parkinson’s medications) contributes to higher levels of homocysteine, or both. Either way, reducing homocysteine to a healthy level is a good idea. The nutrients needed to reduce homocysteine include folic acid, vitamins B12 and B6, zinc and tri-methyl-glycine (TMG). Some of these nutrients are co-factors for dopamine production too. Increase your omega-3 fats The omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory which may be beneficial as neuro-inflammation is a feature of Parkinson’s. Mood problems are also a common feature and there has been a lot of research into the mood-boosting properties of the omega-3 essential fats. A small placebo-controlled pilot trial reported significantly greater improvement of depression in Parkinson’s patients treated with omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation versus placebo. The richest dietary source is from fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout, pilchards and anchovies. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hot topic for research since it was discovered that we have receptors for this vitamin in the brain, and that it enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF – think of this as akin to a growth hormone for neurons), and is anti-inflammatory. This nutrient is mainly provided by the action of sunlight on the skin. Up your magnesium Magnesium is a mineral that acts as a natural relaxant. Some indications of deficiency are: muscle tremors or spasm, muscle weakness, insomnia or nervousness, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, constipation, hyperactivity, depression. Magnesium’s role in supporting good sleep may also be quite important here, since many people with Parkinson’s experience poor sleep patterns.

http://www.infocreations.org/2016/02/04/4-food-for-the-brain-parkinsons-disease/