Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that affects brain cells or neurons responsible for muscle movement. Symptoms of Parkinson's may include trembling hands, jaws, legs or fingers, slow movement and poor balance and coordination. Diet may play a role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules within the body that assist with protecting healthy cells and destroy damaging molecules. In Parkinson's disease, the neurotransmitter dopamine loses its ability to function well. A study published in the 2007 "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" assessed the effect of antioxidants on dopaminergic neurons in rats. The researchers supplemented the rats with extracts of tangerine peel, cocoa, grapeseed and red clover, since these contain antioxidants, for four days. No protection was seen with cocoa and grapeseed, but there was benefit from the red clover and tangerine peel extract. Researchers think potentially the amount was too small to see benefit, but more research needs to be done in this area.
Urate
Urate or uric acid may lower the risk of Parkinson's disease. Urate is a strong antioxidant that scavenges free radicals associated with dopamine. A study published in the March 2008 "American Journal of Epidemiology" assessed the effects of a high urate diet on risk for Parkinson's. The researchers found that a high urate diet had a protective effect upon developing the disease by dampening oxidative stress. Research in this area is new and attempts to increase uric acid may increase the risk for kidney stones. Therefore, a high urate diet should be tried only with a physician's supervision in a clinical environment.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 regulates homocysteine metabolism. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that, when elevated, may speed damage to dopaminergic cells in the brain, contributing to the progression of Parkinson's. Ideally, if B6 levels are increased, then homocysteine would not be able to elevate to damaging levels. A 2010 study in the March issue "British Journal of Nutrition" looked at risk of Parkinson's with intakes of various B vitamins. Low intakes of B6 were associated with an increased risk of the disease, but not folate, riboflavin or B12. Sources of B6 include asparagus, broccoli, spinach, turnips, garlic, crimini mushrooms, tuna, bananas, cod and brussels sprouts, to name a few.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 or coQ10 is a molecule found in nearly every cell of the body and has several roles. Primarily, it assists with energy production and as an antioxidant in mitochondrial and lipid membranes. CoQ10 has shown benefit to preventing Parkinson's. A June 2005 study in the "Journal of Neurochemistry" explains coQ10 is neuroprotective by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage. CoQ10 food sources include salmon, tuna, organ meats and whole grains.
References
- MedlinePlus: Parkinson's Disease
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Short-Term Supplementation with Plant Extracts Rich in Flavonoids Protect Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease; Krishna Datla, et al.; 2007
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Diet, Urate and Parkinson's Disease Risk in Men; Xiang Gao, et al.; 2008
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Dietary Intake of Folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Riboflavin and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: A Case--Control Study in Japan; Kentaro Murakami, et al.; 2010
- "Journal of Neurochemistry"; Mitochondrial Membrane Depolarization and the Selective Death of Dopaminergic Neurons by Rotenone: Protective Effect of Coenzyme Q10; Y. Moon, et al.; 2005 (PDF)
