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We usually think of Parkinson\u2019s disease as a condition of the brain. After all, it\u2019s the lack of dopamine that causes it, right?<\/p>\nWe usually think of Parkinson\u2019s disease as a condition of the brain. After all, it\u2019s the lack of dopamine that causes it, right?<\/p>\n
Wrong, says a new study in Nature Communications. It\u2019s caused by the food that you eat, and it can be healed by the food that you eat.<\/p>\n
Specifically, it\u2019s one type of food you need to load up on to heal your Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
The researchers recruited 20 participants, all with Parkinson\u2019s diagnoses. Ten were newly diagnosed and not yet medicated, and the other ten had more advanced stages of the disease and were actively receiving treatment.<\/p>\n
In the first part of their study, the scientists fermented the stool samples of their participants with different fibers. They wanted to see whether fiber could increase the amount of short-chain fatty acids in Parkinson\u2019s patients\u2019 stool since Parkinson\u2019s patients\u2019 guts are notoriously low in short-chain fatty acids.<\/p>\n
This part of the study was successful. The fiber did indeed increase the amount of short-chain fatty acids in the Parkinson\u2019s-infected stool samples to the same levels as those of the healthy population.<\/p>\n
In the second part of the study, they gave their subjects prebiotic bars, which are basically fiber bars that feed healthy gut bacteria. They then checked what effects they had.<\/p>\n
These were their findings.<\/p>\n
2.\tThe prebiotic bars did not cause any extra gastrointestinal symptoms beyond what the subjects were already experiencing.<\/p>\n
3.\tThe prebiotics led to a wider variety of gut bacteria in all the participants, which is usually considered to be healthier.<\/p>\n
4.\tThey led to a reduction in pro-inflammatory bacteria that are harmful and unhealthy.<\/p>\n
5.\tThey increased the bacteria that produced short-chain fatty acids.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
Given the ability of prebiotics to remove the most harmful gut bacteria in Parkinson\u2019s patients, produce a healthier bacterial colony, and reduce gastrointestinal symptoms, the researchers felt hopeful that this could eventually delay the appearance of this disease and slow the development its symptoms.<\/p>\n
Eating fiber bars is not enough to completely stop the progression of Parkinson\u2019s development or reverse its symptoms.<\/p>\n