Nutrition for Parkinson’s Disease
Proper Nutrition for Parkinson’s Disease
There is no specialized diet for PD But this does not mean that there are no dietary recommendations for Parkinson’s disease.In fact, you need to follow 3 main principles:
Principle 1. Nutrition should be balanced
Patients with Parkinson’s disease should adhere to a balanced, rational, and complete diet. This means maintaining the right balance of nutrients, eating regularly throughout the day in good (not too small) portions, and consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables of different colors daily.
- About the importance of vitamins in a balanced diet for Parkinson’s disease can be read here
- About probiotics, prebiotics, yogurts, dysbiosis, and microbiota in Parkinson’s disease here
Drink enough fluids (6-8 glasses a day, not necessarily water). Many people with Parkinson’s disease avoid drinking water because they find it difficult to reach the toilet. To avoid this problem, it is recommended to plan toilet visits at specific times to get there before you urgently need to empty your bladder. Drink water in the morning and afternoon to avoid nighttime urges to urinate.
The next feature of nutrition in Parkinson’s disease is the amount of salt consumed. Too little salt is bad, and too much salt is also bad. Many people with Parkinson’s disease experience orthostatic hypotension. This is a drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting or lying position. The heart and blood vessels do not react as quickly as they should, which can cause dizziness, even leading to loss of consciousness, which may result in injury. If you do not have orthostatic hypotension, you may need to limit sodium intake to 2300 milligrams per day. If you have been diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension, it is not recommended to significantly reduce salt intake.
Principle 2. Nutrition as Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease
Remember that sometimes we can use nutrition and diet as medicine.
For example, in cases of constipation, we can increase the amount of fluid intake (water, juices, milk, tea, soups), increase fiber in the diet (whole grain products, bran, cereals, seeds, and legumes), fruits and vegetables (more than five servings per day). Read a separate article about constipation in Parkinson’s disease here.
When blood pressure is low – eat frequent and small meals throughout the day, not hot, with increased fluids and salt, reduced carbohydrates, and limited alcohol. For swallowing problems – choose softer and moister (not dry and crumbly) foods, take small bites, and don’t rush. We dedicated a separate article to swallowing problems in Parkinson’s disease.
Principle 3. It is important for patients with Parkinson’s disease to properly combine food intake and medications, such as levodopa preparations.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease need to properly coordinate their food intake with medication. This mainly concerns levodopa drugs—during absorption, levodopa competes with other dietary proteins, so taking the medication with meals may not yield the desired effect.
Intervals must be strictly observed: levodopa intake should be
- 40-60 minutes before meals
- 1.5 – 2 hours after eating,
- or immediately after non-protein, light food.
Sometimes you can shift protein intake to the evening (when symptom control may not be as critical)
Good health to you!