Many scientific studies show that specific foods and diets can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease and slow down its progression.
Science-based neuroprotective diets deliver substances from foods that have neuroprotective effects. For example, these substances:
- reduce (neuro)inflammation
- reduce oxidative damage (e.g. antioxidants)
- improve mitochondrial function
- reduce protein accumulation
- improve gut health
- have epigenetic effects (improving activation of healthy genes)
- have many other beneficial effects.
Substances like flavonoids, curcuminoids, sulforaphane, vitamin K, lutein, carotenoids, nitrates, kaempferol, salvionic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and many others have been shown to have significant neuroprotective effects (R).
The brain is very susceptible to damage. One reason for this is the brain’s very high metabolism. Brain cells (neurons) need many minerals, vitamins and other micronutrients to function properly.
The neurons that die off in Parkinson’s disease (mostly dopamine-producing neurons) are even more susceptible to brain damage. These neurons have an even higher metabolism than many other brain cells, and they contain dopamine, which is very prone to oxidation.
A healthy diet is very important for a healthy brain.
Specific foods can reduce risk and slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (R,R,R). For example, adhering to a more healthy diet was associated with 70% less risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Such diets also protect against other forms of neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia, given these diseases have many causes in common (e.g. protein accumulation, lysosomal dysfunction, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidation, etc.).
So what are the best foods to slow Parkinson’s disease?
1. Vegetables, especially green leafy ones
Eating more vegetables has been associated with a lower risk and a slower progression of Parkinson’s disease (R). A higher intake of vegetables was associated with a 28% reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Vegetables can slow cognitive decline. People who were in the 20% of people with the highest intake of green leafy vegetables (1.3 servings of vegetables per day, blue line) had significantly lower progression of cognitive decline compared with people in lowest quintile (20%, red line), corresponding with brains that were 11 years younger (R):
Vegetables contain many substances that protect the brain, by reducing oxidative, mitochondrial and inflammatory damage, while also having epigenetic effects, including upregulating neuro-protective genes (R).
Vegetables contain brain-healthy substances like folate, an important B vitamin, vitamin K, lutein, carotenoids, and sulforaphane, which neurons need to function properly and protect themselves.
Try to consume especially (green) leafy vegetables, like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard, or Romaine lettuce.
2. Blue and red fruit (especially blueberries)
Men who consumed diets containing lots of flavonoids had 40% reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease, especially for flavonoids coming from berries (R).
Studies show that people with Parkinson’s who consume a diet with lots of fresh fruits (and vegetables) have a slower progression of the disease (R,R,R).
Try to consume ideally blue fruits (like blueberries); these contain many brain-protective substances, such as anthocyanins.
3. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds protect the brain, and have been associated with reduced cognitive decline.
People who regularly ate nuts, had 31% risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Nuts like walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important components of the membrane of neurons, and which also reduce inflammation.
Some nuts, like almonds and hazelnuts, also contain high doses of vitamin E, an important antioxidant that protects the brain membranes and reduces oxidative damage.
Nuts are generally super healthy. Nut consumption has been associated with a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality and 14% cardiovascular disease mortality (R).
4. Fish and other omega-3 rich foods
Omega-3 fats are very important for brain health. These fats are components of the membranes of brain cells, improving their fluidity. Omega-3 fats also reduce inflammation, improve blood flow to the brain, and promote neurogenesis (R,R,R,R)
Omega-3 fats improve outcomes in rodent models of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Parkinson patients receiving 1,000 of omega-3 fatty acids per day had a significant improvement on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (R). In this study, vitamin E was also given. However, given that vitamin E didn’t impact Parkinson’s progression in other studies, it could be likely that the positive effect was mainly caused by the omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids could also improve depression in Parkinson’s patients (R).
Rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fatty fish and fish roe, like salmon, mackerel, anchovy, sardines and herring.
You can take extra omega-3 via supplements, but it’s important to make sure the supplement is high-quality (in many supplements, the omega-3 is too oxidized/damaged).
5. Tea and coffee
A large study following 30,000 people found that people who drank 1 - 5 or more cups of coffee had 45-60% less risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Drinking 3 or more cups of black, green or white tea was associated with a 40% reduced risk of getting Parkinson’s disease (R).
Other large studies show similar reductions in disease risk (R).
Tea like green tea contains many neuroprotective substances, including EGCG. Green tea protects the brain from cognitive decline (R), including Parkinson’s disease (R).
In various rodent studies, green tea or green tea components protect the brain against Parkinson’s (R).
Coffee contains various substances that protect the brain. Make sure you consume coffee with caffeine, given also caffeine is healthy for the brain (R), for example by reducing neuro-inflammation.
Caffeine also inhibits the adenosine A2A receptor, which is expressed on dopaminergic neurons. Inhibiting this receptor leads to reduced calcium influx, which reduces neurotoxicity and neuro-inflammation (R,R).
In various rodent models of Parkinson’s disease, caffeine slowed the progression of Parkinson’s disease or improved symptoms (R,R,R,R).
6. Vitamin E-rich foods for Parkinson’s disease
Consuming foods rich in vitamin E could help people with Parkinson’s disease (R).
Interestingly, a study found that taking vitamin E via supplements didn’t impact Parkinson’s disease risk, but taking vitamin E via food did (R).
There could be many reasons for this, one being that vitamin E in supplements is often (semi)synthetic and just one form of vitamin E (see further down).
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, reducing oxidative damage.
An important contributing factor in Parkinson’s disease is oxidative stress happening in the substantia nigra, the part of the brain responsible for movement.
In this brain area, specific neurons produce dopamine (“dopaminergic neurons”). These neurons are very susceptible to oxidative damage.
Therefore, it’s recommended to consume foods that contain antioxidants, like vitamin E.
However, the problem is that most foods are very low in vitamin E. Even “vitamin E-rich” foods do not contain that much vitamin E, and one would need to consume quite large amounts of them to get enough vitamin E (at least 15 mg per day).
These foods highest in vitamin E are:
- Almonds
- Sunflower seeds
- Hazelnuts
Avocado and green leafy vegetables (broccoli, Brussel’s sprouts, etc) also contain vitamin E, but around ten times less than hazelnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds.
Therefore, try to eat at least two handfuls of almonds, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds each day (make sure the nuts and seeds are not roasted, and do not contain added salt and/or vegetable oils).
Also, consume regularly (this means: every day) avocado and green leafy vegetables.
Be careful with taking vitamin E via supplements. Nearly all “vitamin E” in supplements is very different from the real, natural forms of vitamin E found in food.
Most vitamin E supplements:
- Are (semi)-artificial: they are for example “alpha-tocopherol succinate” or “alpha-tocopherol acetate” (natural vitamin E would be “alpha-tocopherol”). Alpha-tocopherol succinate can actually be a pro-oxidant, which can damage cells (R,R).
- Most supplements contain only one form of vitamin E (e.g. alpha-tocopherol acetate), while in nature 8 different forms of vitamin E exist (alpha-tocopherol, beta-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, alpha-tocotrienol, etc).
- Vitamin E in supplements is often oxidized (which happened during the production and storage process).
- Some vitamin E supplements contain too high doses (too much vitamin E can also be damaging, especially when it’s artificial or oxidized)
- Etc.
Therefore, we recommend consuming vitamin E not via supplements, but via daily intake of vitamin-E rich foods like almonds, sunflower seeds and/or hazelnuts, containing the natural, different forms of vitamin E with co-factors which improve absorption and protect the vitamin E against damage and oxidation.
7. Avoid canned foods
Consumption of canned fruits and vegetables could be a strong predictor of Parkinson’s disease progression (R).
Initially scientists thought this can be explained by socioeconomic status (less affluent people eat more canned food, and less fresh foods), but the association remained after adjusting for income.
The inner coating of canned foods can contain a resin called bisphenol A (BPA), which could disrupt metabolism and damage neurons (R,R).
Many canned food manufacturers now avoid using BPA in the resin of their cans. However, researchers still doubt if other resins currently used are safer than BPA-containing resins (R).
For example, resins can contain polystyrene, PVC and other toxic compounds that can be possible human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and could damage (brain) cells (R).
Aluminum in cans could also leak into the food. Aluminum is a neurotoxin and may contribute to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease from consuming canned foods (R).
Therefore, try to consume foods from glass jars instead of canned foods, and try to use fresh (non-canned) foods.
8. Avoid red meat
Examples of red meat are beef, pork, veal, lamb, mutton, goat and venison. White meat on the other hand is poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.).
Red meat, and too much animal protein in general, accelerates aging, including brain aging.
For example, each portion of red meat increases the risk of a heart attack by 20% (R).
Women who eat red meat every day have double the risk of breast cancer, compared to women who eat meat only 3 times per week (R).
Just replacing one portion of red meat with white meat (poultry like chicken) reduces risk of heart disease by 14% (R).
Beef consumption has been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Meat contains animal-based proteins, which can accelerate (brain) aging, for example by stimulating pro-aging pathways like mTOR (R).
Animal protein intake also suppresses autophagy, which is the process cells use to break down protein and other materials.
Besides protein, red meat can also accelerate (brain) aging in other ways. For example, red meat:
- contains unhealthy, pro-inflammatory fats
- leads to an unhealthy microbiome by “feeding” unhealthy bacteria, and also by “rotting” in the gut
- contains iron (too much iron can damage neurons and increase risk of Parkinson’s disease)
- heating red meat can create toxic by-products
- some red meat is also cured or smoked, which also creates toxic by-products.
Therefore, instead of red meat, try to consume more white meat (poultry), fatty fish, and meat substitutes like Quorn (made of fungi protein), pea protein-based and soy protein-based meat substitutes, or mushrooms.
9. No or little dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream)
Dairy foods have been shown to accelerate aging, including brain aging.
Milk strongly activates various pro-aging mechanisms in our cells, such as mTOR and insulin-like growth factor pathways.
Milk also contains galactose, a milk sugar scientists actually use to accelerate aging in lab animals, especially brain aging.
Galactose causes oxidative damage, mitochondrial damage, neurodegeneration and memory loss in lab animals, leading to accelerated aging (R,R,R).
Independently-funded, long term studies show that milk increases mortality in humans. For example, women who drink 3 or more glasses of milk per day had double the risk of dying (R).
A meta-analysis study including more than 300,000 patients showed that people with a high intake of dairy foods had 40% increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (R). The risk was the highest for milk intake (a 45% increased risk).
Milk and cheese products have the highest risk of Parkinson’s disease (R,R,R). Ice cream also increases risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Note: there are many “conflicting” studies about the health effects of milk and dairy. One problem is that many studies are (in)directly funded by the dairy industry; such studies are much more likely to find “no” detrimental effects of milk or dairy consumption.
Additionally, most studies do not last long enough; to find long-term effects of milk consumption, it’s important to look at studies that last many years or even decades (and are done by independent scientists).
Instead of animal milk, one can drink plant-based milk, like almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk. Make sure these are low-sugar.
Compared to milk, cheese and yogurt are less bad. However, we prefer not consuming these, given these are still animal products. Cheese contains many pro-immunogenic proteins that can irritate the gut and immune system.
Regarding yogurt, it's better to consume plant-based (low-sugar) yogurt, such as soy yogurt, almond yogurt or coco yogurt.
When not consuming dairy, it’s important to make sure one consumes enough calcium; ideally one takes calcium supplements (e.g. 500 mg of calcium before bed).
10. No or little alcohol
Alcohol, even small amounts, has many detrimental effects on the body and especially the brain.
For example, alcohol damages the gut lining, leading to leaky gut, which involves toxins leaking from the gut into the blood causing inflammation everywhere in the body, including in the brain.
Alcohol is also broken down into acetaldehyde, which is a neurotoxic substance.
These are just a few reasons why even a low but regular intake of alcohol increases mortality in humans, according to more recent studies (R,R).
Previously, it was thought that a little bit of alcohol could be healthy. But more recent, very large studies show that the risk of mortality and disease starts to increase already from drinking one glass of alcohol per day (and substantially increases from two glasses per day) (R), or even from 3 glasses per week (R).
Various studies show that alcohol increases or accelerates the progression of Parkinson’s disease. However, some studies do not find a negative effect, or even find a small protective effect.
However, scientists believe that there can be many problems and biases in the positive studies (e.g. survival bias, selection bias, recall bias, confounders like smoking and social status, etc.).
Given that alcohol increases disease and mortality in humans and has many deleterious effects on the gut, brain and other tissues, we recommend erring on the safer side, and to reduce alcohol intake to an absolute minimum, which would ideally not be drinking alcohol.
If you really want to keep drinking alcohol, try to consume a maximum of one glass of alcohol per day, and include alcohol-free days.
11. No fried foods
Fried foods are foods like French fries, potato chips, fried chicken, fried onion rings, churros, etc.
Fried foods contain very unhealthy, pro-inflammatory fats, which damage the body and especially the brain.
Fried foods increase the risk and progression of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Frying foods causes various substances to accumulate in the food, such as:
- Acrylamide: frying starchy foods at high temperatures produces acrylamide, a carcinogenic compound linked to nervous system damage and an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
- Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs): these are compounds created when proteins or fats combine with sugars. AGEs can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage to tissues, accelerating (brain) aging and contributing to chronic diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease.
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs): these are formed when food is fried or grilled at high temperatures. These compounds cause DNA damage, neuronal damage, and are associated with an increased risk of cancer.
- Lipid Peroxidation: frying oils, especially those rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, degrade these oils into oxidized lipids. Consuming oxidized lipids increases oxidative stress, damaging cells, lipids, proteins, and DNA.
Acrylamide, AGEs, PAHs, HCAs, lipid peroxides and other substances in fried foods cause inflammation in the brain, insulin resistance of the brain, impaired blood flow to the brain, a dysregulated gut microbiome, and many other problems, increasing the risk of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive decline.
12. No soda, including diet soda
Soda and diet soda are associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Soda contains sugars, which cause glucotoxicity, inflammation and a dysregulated metabolism in the brain.
Diet soda we also don’t recommend. These contain artificial sweeteners, which can change the gut microbiome, which can also negatively affect the brain.
13. Herbs & spices
Herbs and spices contain neuro-protective substances, which reduce inflammation, DNA damage, improve mitochondrial function and the gut microbiome, among many other things.
Examples are black pepper, parsley, oregano, thyme, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, and many others.
Herbs and spices can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
For example, ginger reduces inflammation and even improves the epigenome (which genes are switched on or off).
Curcumin, a substance found in turmeric, can reduce protein agglomeration (proteins clumping together plays a role in Parkinson’s disease). Curcumin can improve outcomes in various rodent models of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Components in garlic can protect against induced parkinsonism in mice (R).
Carvacrol, a substance found in thyme, oregano and pepperwort could mitigate various processes involved in Parkinson’s disease (R).
A study in which oregano was given to patients improved non-motor symptoms and depressive symptoms; however, the study lasted only one month (R).
14. Less bread, potatoes, pasta and rice
Starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice are made of glucose and cause high sugar peaks in the blood. This leads to glucotoxicity and brain damage, especially in the long-term.
These starchy foods have been a recent invention (bread was invented around 10,000 years ago, rice around 9,000 years ago, and pasta around 4,000 years ago). Prior to that, people didn’t consume bread, pasta or rice. They consumed fibrous tubers, legumes, vegetables, and mushrooms instead.
Our bodies are not made to process starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta and rice in the quantities and on a daily basis, as we currently do in this day and age.
Even whole grain pasta or brown rice, despite being “healthier” than white bread or pasta, still cause high and/or prolonged glucose levels in the blood.
The brain is exceptionally susceptible to high glucose (and insulin) peaks, increasing the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
Adhering to a high glycemic load diet doubles the risk of stroke according to a study with 44,099 people (R).
People consuming diets with a high glycemic index have more deposits of amyloid beta in their brain, which is the protein that accumulated during Alzheimer’s (R).
Another study found that people with a relatively higher intake of carbohydrates are at more risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia (R).
People following a diet with a low glycemic index had 40% less risk of Parkinson’s disease (R).
Replace your potatoes, pasta and rice more with legumes, legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and mushrooms.
14. Dark chocolate
Chocolate contains beneficial substances such as flavanols, which improve brain and vascular health. Chocolate also contains caffeine and phenethylamine, which improve neurological function (R).
Dark chocolate is especially rich in these substances. Dark chocolate has been shown to improve brain flow, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and improve cognitive function (R,R).
So despite chocolate containing sugar, its health benefits outdo potential detrimental effects of sugar (also, given most people don’t eat that much chocolate, the total amount of sugar is quite low).
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