Parkinson's Disease Treatments

Around 120,000 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson's disease, with those over 60 being most at risk. Parkinson's disease affects a part of your brain called the 'basal ganglia', which controls movement.

Cells in the basal ganglia begin to degenerate as a result of the condition, and lose their ability to produce a neurotransmitter (a chemical that carries messages between brain and nerve cells) called dopamine. As dopamine levels drop, the production of another neurotransmitter, called acetylcholine, increases. The balance between these two is critical, because they have opposite effects; acetylcholine stimulating muscle contraction, and dopamine damping it down.

When the balance shifts in favour of acetylcholine, your muscles become rigid and your movements increasingly jerky and difficult to control - this is often accompanied by tremors in your hands. These symptoms are typical of Parkinson's disease and affect posture, gait, dexterity, speech, facial expression and swallowing. In addition, sufferers often experience excess saliva production, constipation, poor memory and circulation problems.

Whilst conventional drugs can be used to control symptoms, they have a range of unpleasant side-effects and cannot cure the disease or limit its progression. Natural alternatives can be extremely beneficial and, while they may not replace medication completely, they may mean that it can be reduced or postponed.

Inherited defects in liver enzymes and protein breakdown may be to blame
One cause of Parkinson's disease may be the ineffective breakdown of toxic substances by enzymes in your liver (J. Appl. Nutr. 51(1): 3-13, 1999). This leads to a chain of events resulting in the production of highly reactive free radicals in your brain, which destroy cells in the basal ganglia, so decreasing dopamine levels.
The faulty metabolism of certain sulphur-containing amino acids (derived from proteins in food) is also thought to be involved (Neuroscience Letters 110: 216-220, 1990). Collections of protein substances, called Lewy bodies, typically show up in brain scans of people with Parkinson's disease, possibly as a result of abnormal protein breakdown - thought to be caused by an inherited inability to produce the right enzymes.

Other causes may involve physical damage to your brain, narrowing of your cranial arteries, heavy metal poisoning, nutritional imbalances, viral infection or the use of 'recreational' drugs. Similar symptoms to those of Parkinson's disease occur as side-effects of some medications, particularly anti-psychotic drugs, tranquillisers and also with the drug Reglan - used to treat heartburn (Health Facts V.XXI (202): 6, 1996). A condition called 'Parkinsonism' is seen in some people taking these drugs, but it is not true Parkinson's disease and is usually reversible once the drugs are stopped.

Medication comes with a heavy price to pay in terms of your health
During the early stages of the disease, conventional drugs, called anticholinergics, can reduce symptoms of muscle rigidity and excess salivation by blocking the action of acetylcholine. However, they can cause dry mouth, constipation, anxiety, drowsiness and blurred vision.

When serious movement problems start, the standard treatment is a drug called levodopa, or L-dopa, which is converted to dopamine in the body. Dopamine itself cannot be given as a drug because it is unable to pass through your blood-brain barrier, whereas L-dopa can. It has dangerous side-effects, including nausea, internal bleeding, palpitations, dizziness and depression - which result from its being converted to dopamine before it reaches your brain.

Natural alternatives can delay the progression of the disease by up to 3 years!
L-dopa is found naturally in certain plant foods, particularly broad beans - which one study found to replenish brain levels of L-dopa even more quickly, and for longer periods, than conventional medication! (Int. J. Comp. Med.: 11-13, Sept 1992).

Vitamin B6 is essential to stimulate the conversion of L-dopa to dopamine. This and the other B-group vitamins may become deficient in people taking L-dopa drugs for long periods, and so a supplement of 50-100mg of vitamin B6 a day (in a B-complex formulation) is recommended.

NADH, which the body makes from vitamin B3, can also stimulate the production of L-dopa in your brain (New Trends Clin. Neuropharm. 4(1): 7-24, 1990). Its key role in cellular energy production makes it an essential nutrient for maintaining the function of ageing or damaged brain and nerve cells (Ann. Clin. Lab. Sci. 26: 1-9, 1996). Take 5 to 10mg a day.

Vitamin E and folic acid (found in seeds, whole grains and dark green vegetables) are important as they are involved in the conversion of phenylalanine (an amino acid) to L-dopa in your brain. Some scientists believe Parkinson's disease may be linked to a deficiency of these nutrients in early life (J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 49: 920-7, 1986). Supplementing with 400-800iu of vitamin E and 400-800mcg of folic acid may be beneficial. Increase your intake of phytochemicals, from fresh vegetables and salads, too.

The free radical damage that destroys cells of the basal ganglia can be reduced with antioxidant nutrients - and can even delay the progression of the disease. A seven-year study of early-stage Parkinson's patients found that 3g of vitamin C and 3,200iu of vitamin E daily, delayed the need for drug treatment by up to three years (Ann. Neurol. 32(S): 128-132, 1992). Strong antioxidants that can cross the blood-brain barrier, such as grape seed extract or pine bark extract, may be even more effective.

Essential fatty acids, found in nuts, seeds and oily fish, are needed to maintain the integrity of cell membranes, which appear to become disrupted in sufferers of Parkinson's. Taking 1,500mg of evening primrose oil each day, which is high in omega-6 essential fatty acids, has been shown to reduce tremors in Parkinson's patients (Horrobin DF, Clinical Uses of Essential Fatty Acids: 205-8, 1982).

Steer clear of problem foods that can make your symptoms worse
It is important to keep your blood sugar levels stable (because insulin affects brain hormones and makes symptoms worse), so cut out sugar, white flour products, potatoes, coffee and alcohol.

Artificial additives in processed foods place a detoxification burden on your liver, particularly monosodium glutamate (which may be shown on packaging simply as E621 or E622) and the sweetener aspartame (NutriSweet) - both are implicated in the premature death of brain cells and should be avoided (Russell L & Blaylock MD, Excitotoxins: the Taste that Kills, 1995).

Proteins containing the so-called 'neutral amino acids' affect the way L-dopa medication works, resulting in involuntary movements of the face or limbs, called dyskinesia. They are found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy produce (except butter), soya, pulses, peas, spinach, avocado, asparagus and gluten grains (wheat, barley, oats and rye). If you are currently taking L-dopa medication it is important that you do not eat these foods within two hours before, and one hour after, taking your medication. Many patients find symptoms improve if they avoid beef, pork and lamb completely and eat other high-protein foods, such as fish, chicken and eggs, at their evening meal only.

Because the role of diet is so important for Parkinson's disease sufferers, it can be beneficial to seek the advice of a qualified nutritionist to devise an eating plan that is right for you. If you are presently taking medication, it is important you consult your doctor before making any changes to your treatment programme.