7 Step Plan to help Parkinson’s patients.

• Food types are critical in managing Parkinson’s Disease symptoms.

• 1/ Eat organic foods to minimise pesticide and herbicide intake which will worsens Parkinson’s symptoms.

  2/ Avoid certain Probiotics - as certain strains can destroy Levodopa pills in the gut through the enzyme Tyrosine Decarboxylase thus reducing efficacy of Parkinson’s pills, such as in yoghurts - so Parkinson’s pills can stop working! - good strains of yoghurt bacteria include some strains of Lactobacillus Plantarum, certain Bifido Bacterium. These positive effects are highly strain specific. Avoid Lactobacillus Brevis.

   3/ Avoid unbound (free) Glutamate – excess levels accumulate in the brain causing “excitotoxicity”- this causes neuronal death can induce dyskinesia. Foods such as seaweed, yeast extract spreads, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, walnuts, tomatoes, mushrooms, delicatessen preserved meats, aged cheese including cheddar and parmesan,  MSG are all bad for Parkinson’s.    

  4/ Avoid  high Tyramine - aged cheeses, delicatessen preserved meats, canned fish, avocado, bananas, yeast, aged or fermented foods, soy sauce, fish sauce, teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce, cause spikes in blood pressure and drug interactions.

  5/ Make sure your diet is Low GI. High GI (GIycaemic Index) foods cause “energy crashes” which worsen Parkinson’s symptoms and insulin resistance, like baguettes, white bread, white rice, potato, chocolates and sweets.  High GI foods can cause insulin spikes and energy crashes which makes Parkinson’s symptoms suddenly worse. High GI foods worsen neurodegeneration, Parkinson’s motor symptoms and cognitive decline. High GI foods reduce the brain’s use of glucose then causing accelerated dopamine neuronal death.

  6/ Avoid preservatives and certain 400 series food additives and Titanium Dioxide - are in many products including prescribed medications, supplements, artificial sweeteners and foods which are neurotoxins and can worsens Parkinson’s disease - always look at the ingredients label of processed foods, supplements, cosmetics, toothpaste and medications.

  7/ Whilst regular exercise and activity is good, sometimes Parkinson’s patients need a rest after an “energy crash”. Overdoing exercise and activities can deplete brain neurones of vital nutrients resulting in brain dopamine cell death and worsening Parkinson’s symptoms.

For more information read Dr Peter Lipski’s book “Your Elderly Parents Failing Health. Is It Ageing Or A Treatable Condition”.