Parkinson's disease is an age-related degenerative brain condition. It occurs when the Nerve cells predominating found in the substantia nigra become impaired and are no longer able to produce adequate amounts of the neurotransmitters dopamine’s, a chemical in the brain that plays an essential role in the control of movements and muscle coordination. Reduced dopamine levels lead to movement-related problems, such as tremors, rigidity, slow movement, a shuffling gait and poor balance. The symptoms are barely noticeable or may be asymptomatic in the early stages but worsen over time.
Overall maintenance of good health, reasonable activity, and a good diet play a key role. This blog focuses on the importance of nutrition for Parkinson's and offers several nutritional strategies for managing Parkinson's symptoms. It also discusses its symptoms, the challenges you may face regarding nutrition, and the significant factors related to the caregiver's role.
Parkinson’s disease is named after the London-based physician, James Parkinson who published a detailed medical essay, “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy” in 1817. This established the disease as a recognized medical condition. However, it was only in the 1870s that the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot recognized and honored Parkinson’s research as the foundational text for the disease and named the condition after him.
Today, Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease in the U.S. with nearly one million patients. Almost 90,000 people are diagnosed each year and this number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. Globally, over 10 million people are suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
A balanced diet rich in vital nutrients positively impacts your overall wellness. Proper nutrition equips you to manage the symptoms better by helping to:
Parkinson’s disease patients often benefit from personalized health strategies for maximum improvement depending on the severity of their symptoms. In general, your nutrition must aim to:
Your diet must include energy-rich foods, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and fibers. Whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, lean proteins, and whole grains offer overall health benefits and enable you to handle the disease better, as do foods with good fats, including nuts, fish, eggs, and olive oil.
The foods that are known to enhance your health and slow the disease's progress include:
Antioxidants
An abnormally high number of free radicals in the body can cause oxidative stress, which impacts Parkinson's progression. Having an antioxidant-rich diet helps limit oxidative stress levels. A few foods rich in antioxidants are:
Fava Beans
Fava beans contain levodopa, a compound used in several Parkinson's medications.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These healthy fats that improve brain function and slow neurodegeneration are found in fatty fish such as salmon and halibut, oysters, flaxseeds, soy, and kidney beans. Fish oil may also reduce the rate of progression of your condition.
Other Nutrient-Rich Foods
Foods rich in minerals such as iron and zinc and vitamins B1, C, and D are essential as their deficiencies may facilitate neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
However, there are several foods that you must avoid:
Staying adequately hydrated must be an essential aspect of your nutritional strategy. You need 6-8 glasses of water daily. Dehydration is known to cause higher mortality risks among Parkinson's patients. This is partially due to drops in blood pressure and falls. It can impact your cognitive function ability and balance.
Tremors
Parkinson's disease is classified as a movement disorder, and tremors are its first motor symptoms. These involve rhythmic shaking when the limbs are at rest. They usually start with your hands or fingers and involve “pill-rolling” movement of the index finger and thumb. You may experience tremors in other parts of the body, including the lower lips, jaws, or legs.
Bradykinesia
Another primary Parkinson’s symptom, bradykinesia, means “slowed movements”. It includes:
Muscle Rigidity
Nearly 90% of people with Parkinson's experience rigidity. The muscles in your arms, legs, neck, back, and even smaller facial muscles can stiffen and tighten involuntarily, causing pain and limiting your range of motion.
Impaired Posture and Balance
Posture changes such as stooped or rounded shoulders, decreased low back curve, or forward lean of the head or whole body occur as the disease progresses. They may lead to postural instability or imbalance when standing.
Reduced Automatic Movements
You may experience loss in automatic or unconscious movements, such as blinking or reduced arm swinging while walking.
Speech Anomalies
Low-volume voice with slurring words, mumbling, or trailing off at the end of a sentence is a standard Parkinson's symptom. Other speech changes include speaking in a monotone and not appearing to convey much emotion through facial movements. You may also sound breathy or hoarse.
Writing Challenges
You may find writing challenging due to other Parkinson's symptoms, such as tremors, dystonia, and dyskinesia. The writing is often small and cramped.
While maintaining a proper diet is essential to living a wholesome life, it can become challenging as Parkinson's disease progresses. Your motor movements are impacted, due to which you may face several nutritional issues, including:
Also, several side effects of your medicines can adversely affect your nutritional intake. They include:
As the disease progresses over time, a Parkinson's disease patient's dependence on their caregiver or family members’ increases. So, the caregiver's role is also a crucial aspect of their care. To be able to provide optimum care to the patient, caregivers must consider particular factors such as:
We, at Michigan Neurological Associates & Pain Consultants, provide advanced diagnostic and treatment options for Parkinson's disease in Clinton Township, MI, and St. Clair Shores, MI. Our comprehensive and personalized treatments enable you to manage your symptoms better. For more information on our array of treatments, contact us today.
