Parkinson Symptom Severity and Use of Nutraceuticals

The Role of Diet in Parkinson's Disease

The aim of this review is to examine the intersection of Parkinson's disease (PD) with nutrition, to identify best nutritional practices based on current evidence, and to identify gaps in the evidence and suggest future directions. Epidemiological work has linked various dietary patterns and food groups to changes in PD risk; however, fewer studies have evaluated the role of various diets, dietary components, and supplements in the management of established PD. There is substantial interest in exploring the role of diet-related interventions in both symptomatic management and potential disease modification. In this paper, we evaluate the utility of several dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean (MeDi), Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), vegan/vegetarian, and ketogenic diet in persons with PD. Additionally, we provide an overview of the evidence relating several individual food groups and nutritional supplements to PD risk, symptoms and progression.

Neuroactive steroids and Parkinson's disease: Review of human and animal studies

The greater prevalence and incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD) in men suggest a beneficial effect of sex hormones. Neuroactive steroids have neuroprotective activities thus offering interesting option for disease-modifying therapy for PD. Neuroactive steroids are also neuromodulators of neurotransmitter systems and may thus help to control PD symptoms and side effect of dopamine medication. Here, we review the effect on sex hormones (estrogen, androgen, progesterone and its metabolites) as well as androstenediol, pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone) in human studies and in animal models of PD. The effect of neuroactive steroids is reviewed by considering sex and hormonal status to help identify specifically for women and men with PD what might be a preventive approach or a symptomatic treatment. PD is a complex disease and the pathogenesis likely involves multiple cellular processes. Thus it might be useful to target different cellular mechanisms that contribute to neuronal loss and neuroactive steroids provide therapeutics options as they have multiple mechanisms of action.