What Are the Best Natural Remedies for Parkinson’s Disease?
About Parkinson’s Disease
Living with Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative illness that effects one’s nervous system. Those who have the disease can find that they struggle with tasks that should be simple but have become complicated like walking, talking, swallowing and even sleeping. Controlling one’s body movements can be tough and one’s dopamine level can be low which causes depression for a lot of patients. It can be especially tough for those who were active in their younger years.
Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s but the disease can be slowed down and even maintained with a variety of natural remedies.
What You Should Be Eating
They say you are what you eat and in the case of Parkinson’s, those who want to get better (or avoid getting worse) need to eat better. Whenever possible, eat a variety of whole foods rather than processed. Often processed foods contain toxins and additives that don’t do good for anyone, but they can also make ones symptoms worse. Look for foods that are nutrient-dense. Be sure to read labels and avoid foods that contain preservatives or synthetic ingredients.
Eat plenty of fresh organic fruit and vegetables. Frozen is okay, but avoid anything canned as they just don’t contain the nutrients one needs even for healthy people and often they contain too much sodium and added sugars. Some experts recommend eating a lot of fruits and vegetables raw as they can contain antioxidants which is good for reducing free radicals and inflammation. Fresh juices taken in moderation can serve one well too. They can give a nutrition boost of vitamins and minerals. Just look at the label to make sure that the juice inside didn’t come from a concentrate. Also be sure that the label says the juice you’re consuming is 100 percent juice and not a “cocktail” made with water, sugar and little actual juice. Making juice with a juicer is a great nutrition idea as well since one will usually consume more fiber this way.
It’s not fun to talk about, but a common problem among people struggling with Parkinson’s is that they find themselves with constipation often. One can offset that by consuming lots of fiber and balancing that with a good intake of water. Keeping hydrated will help improve one bowel functions.
What used to be considered “bad” is good again. In the case of fats, those with Parkinson’s should get plenty of fat in their diet. But of course, it needs to be healthy fats like the kind that can be found in wild fish, avocado, coconut, butter, seeds, walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, etc. By taking in more healthy fats (and avoiding saturated fats) one’s neurological health as well as one’s moods, can be improved. Olive oil is good for providing vitamin E and coconut oil and palm oil are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Seeds and nuts are good too as they are rich in Omega-3.
Getting enough protein, but not too much protein can be a bit tricky, but it can be done. Eating seafood many times a week can significantly raise dopamine levels and reduce one’s inflammation. Some patients find that they benefit by only consuming protein during dinner rather than all day long. By cutting down the amount of protein one takes in can reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
For beverages, green tea with its polyphenol antioxidants, help to fight off free radicals and the theanine it contains is good for elevating one dopamine levels in one’s brain. Some doctors say that it takes about three cups of the stuff in order for one to see the benefits. Not surprisingly, one should avoid alcohol at it can disrupt one’s neurologic functioning which will cause moo changes and not in a good way.
Green Tea: Green tea contains polyphenol antioxidants that help fight free radicals. It also contains theanine, which elevates dopamine levels in the brain. Try drinking three cups a day to reap the most benefits.
While there is no hard and fast rule, some people with Parkinson’s have found that they actually benefit from eliminating all grains from their diet. Often the reason is because they were allergic to the stuff to begin with. It is good idea to know which, if any, foods one is allergic to and then avoid them whenever possible. Consuming foods that one is allergic to can make one’s gut heath worse. Common food allergens include gluten, dairy, shellfish and peanuts.
Supplementing with Good Supplements
While it might be tempting to pop many different pills down the wind pipe, it is best to be mindful about taking supplements. There are quite a few that have been shown to help reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s including:
Coenzyme Q10: Taking about 1,200 milligrams a day of this antioxidant has been shown to slow down the progress of Parkinson’s disease.
Vitamin C: Is a great antioxidant that not only builds up a strong immune function, it can help prevent free radical damage as well. Take about 750 milligrams four times a day.
Vitamin A: This is another good antioxidant that helps support the brain. Aim for about 400 IU daily.
Vitamin D: This vitamin is good at keeping one’s bones healthy especially when taken with calcium. Aim for about 800 IU of Vitamin D along with 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily. Of course, some Vitamin D can be consume by just sitting out in the sun.
Green Vegetable Powder: A combination of spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass can really help with detoxifying one’s body.
Omega-3 Fish Oil: Consuming fish oil used to be bothersome for those who didn’t care for fishy tasting burps. Fortunately, “non burp” formulas have been created. Either way, about 1,000 milligrams of fish oil a day will help reduce one’s inflammation while also supporting neurological health.
Keep Moving
While the idea might sound unreasonable to some patients, doctors have seen significant improvement in those who continued to exercise. Exercise can help fight inflammation, ward off depression, and reduce the risk of one developing dementia.
Pins and Needles
While acupuncture has been use for many years for the treatment of pain, anxiety, insomnia and more, doctors are now seeing that the practice can help relieve symptoms in Parkinson’s patients by reducing one’s inflammation.