Nutritional Status Matters in Parkinson’s Disease

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and as such I have been studying the condition to see if there is anything new or of interest, especially in the way of natural medicine.

Parkinson’s disease impacts 10 million people worldwide, and each year, 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with it.

Men seem to be more likely to develop the condition, but according to a new prevalence study, as the population ages, the number of people diagnosed with PD increases with age, regardless of sex.

I looked at a prevalence map, and Montana and North Dakota have the fewest number of people with PD (about 1,400 and 2,000 people, respectively), whereas California and Florida top the list with the most people with the disease (85,000 and 64,000 people, respectively).

There are websites offering much more detail regarding symptoms of PD, but a few telltale signs include tremor in the hands, slowed movements, muscle rigidity, poor balance, fatigue, or a

Buddy Pet of the Month

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month

distorted sense of smell.

Among the cognitive signs and symptoms, you may have disturbing dreams, restless sleep, confusion at night, anxiety, dementia, or difficulty with comprehension.

I could write a book on the medications and how to use them properly, but that is not the focus of my article. I’m planning to give you nutritional options and some understanding of vitamin deficiencies and how that impacts your prognosis.

During my research, I discovered some interesting findings about nutrients that might be useful for you. Here are some nutrients that may play an important adjunctive role in your PD protocol:

Vitamin B12 (or methylcobalamin). We know that the B-complex family of vitamins is important for proper nerve health. There is an important relationship between B12 specifically and Parkinson’s.

We also know that people with peripheral neuropathy are often deficient in B12. And it’s not just peripheral; there was a study in 2014 that found that B12 deficiency is one cause of small fiber neuropathy. Test yourself with a methylmalonic acid test along with a serum B12 test.

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Vitamin D. A 2019 study was among several others that determined vitamin D deficiency could impact the outcome for people with PD. Keeping levels of D high enough is difficult for the elderly. It’s hard to get enough sunlight, and even if they do, their body doesn’t sulfate it, or convert it properly, due to mild liver or kidney compromise.

Fish oil. Sometimes tremors respond to DHA fish oil, and this could be a promising strategy to slow down the progression. Remember, even if our PD drugs are useful, they don’t cure it, so this natural omega-3 fatty acid is probably safe and might be slightly effective for the management of tremors and other symptoms in the early stages. Ask your doctor, of course, because fish oils are blood thinners.

If you would like to know more about this, I can email you a longer version of this article; sign up for my newsletter at suzycohen.com.

This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit suzycohen.com.