Brain Food Over Buzzwords: What Science Says About Diets and Parkinson’s Disease

Written By: Renee Rouleau- B.S. Neuroscience, University of Buffalo

I promised you we’d be back to talk about dieting, one of my favorite and least favorite topics. In today’s world, it feels like there’s a new diet trend every week—keto, juice cleanses, calorie restriction, “no-carb” plans and THE “SHOT” that promise longevity, a trim waistline, and overall better health. But when it comes to long-term brain and muscle health, especially for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), fad diets often do more harm than good. That’s why we’re here to set the record straight on dieting, and how a healthy, balanced diet can help you manage PD.

A healthy, balanced diet is generally more sustainable and supportive for managing PD. Rather than focusing on restrictive trends, prioritizing whole foods, a variety of nutrients, and balanced macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) is often a more effective approach.

A significant issue with fad diets: their tendency to eliminate entire food groups, citing the "carnivore diet" as an example which restricts carbs and emphasizes protein. It points out that while short-term results may be observed, these drastic restrictions can lead to unsustainable lifestyles and nutritional deficiencies. Specifically, a lack of essential nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins vital for brain and muscle function. Furthermore, it notes potential negative side effects such as energy dips, constipation (already problematic for individuals with Parkinson's Disease), muscle weakness, fatigue, and worsened mobility and balance.

Another key issue with fad diets: they often restrict calories, which are essential for the body's energy needs. It emphasizes that cells, muscles, and especially the brain require energy for basic functions. A "fun fact" is provided: the brain uses about 20% of the daily energy intake from food (Padamansey & Rochefort, 2023). It poses the question of whether one wants to deprive their brain of this needed energy, stating that fad diets would not be helpful. Instead, it advocates for a balanced diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats to maintain proper brain energy use.

With all this in mind, I will say that there are a few “diets” (eating plans) that are more science backed, less restrictive, and have genuine benefits. I hesitate to call them diets, because they’re more like lifestyle changes in the foods that you eat, and less following a trend to lose weight. One of these is called the Mediterranean diet, a plan that  emphasizes a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats while minimizing red meat and sugar intake. It has been shown to decrease inflammation in the body and increasing the gut microbiome, an important part of keeping your digestive system healthy, and increased neuroprotection and decreased symptoms like constipation associated with PD (Tosefsky et al., 2024). 

Another eating plan folks are following is the ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carb diet that is often claimed to work wonders. However,  while there have been reports of decreased non-motor symptoms with this diet, it has not shown much effect on motor symptoms in Parkinson's Disease. Additionally, it mentions that the ketogenic diet needs to be sustained for at least 10-12 weeks to see results. I’ve actually seen someone  adding butter to coffee, a practice sometimes associated with the keto diet, does not seem healthy for a long period.

The good news? You don’t need to follow a trendy diet to feel better. Simple changes—like eating more fiber, drinking water, choosing whole foods over processed ones, and spreading protein throughout the day—can have a big impact on your daily life. Working with a nutritionist or dietician is also crucial, and they have even more information than I do on how these diets can affect your body! All in all, diets may come and go, but your body is here to stay, and we want to fuel it with the best food possible for a healthy and happy life, which sounds a lot better than any alternative to me. That’s all for now, and stay tuned for our next article!

References:

Padamsey, Z., Rochefort, N. L. Paying the brain's energy bill. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 2023;78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2022.102668. 

Phillips MCL, Murtagh DKJ, Gilbertson LJ, Asztely FJS, Lynch CDP (2018) Low-fat versus ketogenic diet in Parkinson’s disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Mov Disord 33, 1306–1314.doi:10.1002/mds.27390

Tan, A. H., Lim, S.-Y., & Lang, A. E. (2022). The microbiome–gut–brain axis in Parkinson disease—From basic research to the clinic. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 72, 102668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2022.102668

Tidman MM, White D, White T. Effects of an Low carbohydrate/healthy fat/ketogenic Diet On Biomarkers of Health and symptoms, Anxiety and Depression in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study. Neurodegener Dis Manag. 2022;12(2):57–66. doi: 10.2217/nmt-2021-0033.

Tosefsky KN, Zhu J, Wang YN, Lam JST, Cammalleri A, Appel-Cresswell S. The Role of Diet in Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. 2024;14(s1):S21-S34. doi:10.3233/JPD-230264

Sethi K. Levodopa unresponsive symptoms in Parkinson diseas. Mov Disord. 2008;23(S3):S521–S533. doi: 10.1002/mds.22049.