Written by: Dr. Caitlin A. Bender, OTD, OTR/L
A healthy diet is critical for everyone, but with Parkinson’s Disease, extra focus should be drawn to making sure you are meeting your nutritional needs. Not only is a healthy diet associated with improved brain health and increased energy levels, there are many specific PD symptoms that can be improved by choosing the appropriate foods to eat. Understanding the relationship between Parkinson’s Disease and nutrition as well as implementing strategies for daily management can result in an improved quality of life.
Daily Impact
Unintended weight loss
Weight loss in PD can be due to decreased appetite, increased energy expenditure, or other symptoms like swallowing difficulties and slowed gut transit.
Delayed gastric emptying
PD can slow down food movement through the stomach, causing discomfort, nausea, bloating, and affecting appetite and medication absorption.
Constipation
Constipation is a common non-motor symptom of PD which can occur early in the disease due to slowed food transit in the large intestine.
Difficulty swallowing
People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may experience difficulty swallowing, leading to risks like choking and inadequate food intake. Inadequate food intake can lead to poor nourishment, which can in turn lead to a worsening of motor symptoms and increased weakness.
Strategies for Managing Nutrition
Medication scheduling:
It is recommended to take your medication 30-60 minutes before mealtimes, in order to ensure it does not compete with dietary protein, which would affect how well the dose works.
Take your medications with a full glass of water. It may help your body break down the medication more efficiently.
Meal Planning Tips:
Choose a diet with plenty of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, which provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and complex carbohydrates and can help you lower your intake of fat.
Limit sugar intake. A diet with lots of sugar can have too many calories and too few nutrients. It can also contribute to tooth decay and sleep disruption.
Reduce salt and sodium intake to help decrease your risk of high blood pressure.
Incorporate foods high in antioxidants (which are important for overall brain health) into your diet. These include brightly colored and dark fruits and vegetables.
Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart attack and certain types of cancer.
Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, as they have empty calories and few (or no) nutrients. Drinking alcohol can cause many health problems and accidents. It may not be advisable to mix certain medications with alcohol. Check with your doctor.
Eating to Ease Symptoms:
Drink enough water (6-8 glasses a day) and eat fiber-rich foods, including brown rice, whole grains (breads with 3 grams or more of dietary fiber per slice), fruit, and beans to ease digestive difficulties and constipation. Warm liquids, especially in the morning, can stimulate bowel movements.
If you experience swallowing difficulties a speech therapist can recommend diet changes and other strategies to help. Diet changes might include softening food or adding foods that will stimulate swallowing (such as seasoned, sour, or carbonated foods). Strategies might include taking smaller bites at a slower pace or tucking your chin to your chest when you swallow.
If you experience muscle cramping: eating yellow mustard, which contains the spice turmeric, or drinking tonic water, which contains quinine, may help with muscle cramps. Others say salt, vinegar or pickle juice works for them. Staying hydrated may prevent or reduce cramping.
Types of Diets:
Mediterranean Diet: this diet emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats and encourages people to have no processed foods, sugars, or red meats. This diet has been found to reduce rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Foods that are included in this diet are:
plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds
olive oil as the primary fat source
low to moderate amounts of dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry.
MIND Diet: the MIND diet combines a couple of other healthy diets to maximize on its benefits. This diet has been shown to have great cognitive benefits including supporting a slower decline in cognitive functioning. The main foods that are avoided on the MIND diet are red meat, butter, and cheese. The foods that are encouraged on the MIND diet are:
vegetables
fruits - especially berries
whole grains
beans
nuts
poultry
seafood
olive oil
References
American Parkinson Disease Association. (n.d.). Diet & Nutrition in Parkinson’s Disease | APDA.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. (n.d.). Diet & Nutrition. | Parkinson’s Disease. https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/diet-nutrition
Parkinson’s Foundation. (n.d.-b). Diet & Nutrition. https://www.parkinson.org/living-with-parkinsons/management/diet-nutrition
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