"DAIRY" and PD... Should you...or shouldn... - Cure Parkinson's

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"DAIRY" and PD... Should you...or shouldn't you?

PDWarrior1900 profile image
37 Replies

I've been on the O.M.A.D. lifestyle (one meal a day, all calories eaten within 2 hours) for day #337!

I average between 1,000 and 1,400 calories for the one meal.

If you let "veggies" be your main meal... you fill-up fast!

Yes, almost one full YEAR of... ZERO snacks... no cheating, ever!!!

I've lost 60 pounds... no more "stiffness" ... I move around so much more easily -- and yet I still eat... in moderation .... (cauliflower crust) pizza, potatoes, fruit, nuts, chips, meat .... and ... DAIRY.

I just started into dairy again about a month ago when I found this company at my local grocery store: TRIPLE ZERO yoghurt: zero added sugar... zero artificial ingredients ..0 fat...

AND... their website says that they add the good bacteria AFTER they pasturize/ferment the yogurt to avoid killing the good bacteria.

oikosyogurt.com/greek-yogur...

Absolutely the BEST TASTING (sweeeeeeeeeeeet!) yoghurt I've ever had!

-------------------------------------------------------

Now on to 'dairy and PD' ....

I found this FANTASTIC article on 'dairy and PD.' ...

scienceofparkinsons.com/202....

This was the BIG TAKEAWAY for 'me' ... since I re-started eating cottage cheese and yoghurt this last month (after eating none of this for 10 months!):

"Dairy product consumption was positively associated with risk of Parkinson’s, 1.8 times that of normal in men and 1.3 times in women. "

"However, when the dairy products were divided into milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream, only milk remained significantly associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s. "

BOTTOM LINE: I can eat my cottage cheese and yoghurt WITHOUT GUILT!

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PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900
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37 Replies
PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900

here's a picture of the MOST DELICIOUS yoghurt (sweeeeeet!) you will ever eat! and NO added sugars!

yogurt
Jalia profile image
Jalia

I'm very impressed! Such willpower . Well done.

I could never imagine my husband existing on one meal a day and nothing else for the best part of a year! However is it not the 60lbs you have lost that contributes to your great improvement rather than the OMAD which wouldn't be a good idea for those taking certain meds.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toJalia

you know, if you had asked me before I started OMAD, could i do it for 337 straight days? I'd have said: "noooooooooo way!" ... But amazingly, I have found it very easy to do (especially when I think of the consequences if i don't do OMAD which is (hopefully) curing a "leaky gut" which I think is causing my PD-like symptoms (internal tremors, foot and leg cramps, left face numbing, eyelid tremors, constipation...) ... All my symptoms are extremely mild (but still, tiny bit by tiny bit... progressing). ... and losing the 60 pounds (I have another 30 to lose but my metabolism has really slowed down the last 3 months despite the great reduction in calories) is a great health bonus...

Jalia profile image
Jalia

You obviously had 'your head in gear' for this. Wishing you all the best for your last 30 lbs which will obviously take alot longer but with your determination you will do it!

Best wishes

J

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900

Thanks... and if you and your husband want some motivation (including ME!) watch this short video of a 97 YEAR OLD woman performing gymnastics! INCREDIBLE!

-----------------------------------

youtu.be/H8Pgfu25jrE

Buckholt profile image
Buckholt

if dairy was a real problem, why aren’t millions more afflicted with PD in the west? What is it about milk anyway? Could the lactose be inflammatory? I’ve gone lactose free anyway as I can’t get on with plant based milks and think the high level of processing in them isn’t like to be good either.

Sun_and_flowers profile image
Sun_and_flowers

But earlier today you posted this video, saying it's one of the best videos you've seen on neurology experts, and if you go to minutes 24 and 48:40, she says that people with PD who have dairy do worse than those who don't...

For those who haven't seen the post, here's the video (great video, by the way):

youtu.be/S9riSD7cl2o

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toSun_and_flowers

you are VERY SHARP! yes, that's the 'one area' that i still question from the good doctor.... that's why i did addtional research on "dairy and PD" and i posted another link... check this out...

scienceofparkinsons.com/202...

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toSun_and_flowers

and by the way, the good doc has several videos on YouTube and I started watching a second one...

Sun_and_flowers profile image
Sun_and_flowers

Dr Laurie Mischley also stresses it on this video:youtu.be/tY1MIDeRHnM

Sun_and_flowers profile image
Sun_and_flowers

On this one, again by Dr Mischley, on minute 47:30 she goes through the foods that, on their study, make people's progression better or worse: (and says that on the updated list of foods that make PD worse will be —if they're not included already —"ice-cream, yogurt, cheese, milk and butter", and, "... the more dairy you eat the faster it [PD] progresses"). youtu.be/qWwzETazR5U

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toSun_and_flowers

you might want to google this: "are dairy products bad for parkinson's?"

at the top of the page the lead return says:

"Dairy product consumption was positively associated with risk of Parkinson's, 1.8 times that of normal in men and 1.3 times in women. When the dairy products were divided into milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream, only milk remained significantly associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson's.May 10, 2022"

And you can find the full article here and that's why I'm not giving up my dairy (yet)!

scienceofparkinsons.com/202...

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toSun_and_flowers

i know you'll reply with... "But the results you posted for eating dairy, Google displayed as "increased risk for PD" and not those of us who actually HAVE PD..." ... That's why you should read the entire article here:

scienceofparkinsons.com/202...

Sun_and_flowers profile image
Sun_and_flowers in reply toPDWarrior1900

Thanks for your replies, will read the articles.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900

well i think she is very sincere and has great experience in the field ... yet... i'm a "one man clinical trial" and i'll know in another few weeks how my dairy intake is affecting me ..

WinnieThePoo profile image
WinnieThePoo

It's worth remembering "it only rains when the pavements are wet"She is not claiming a causative link. So, with tinned fruit, it might have been something in the metal in contact with the food, or it might have been people who ate tinned fruit were from low income households who had a generally poor diet, we're obese, or smoked or drank a lot of alcohol

1/2 a litre of milk a day is a fair bit of milk. I maybe drink a half litre a week

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toWinnieThePoo

are you seeing any negative consequences by eating/ drinking dairy? ... in my case... since i started eating yogurt about a month ago (almost no dairy for 10 months... some cheese)... i have noticed the last two weeks that my tremors have increased... remember i'm the guy whose "brilliant" (not) neuro MDS says that i do NOT have PD and ordered blood tests.... which i never took...

WinnieThePoo profile image
WinnieThePoo

It's hard to know because the fairly small amount of dairy I consume is fairly constant. Certainly there are no obvious adverse responses.I have a splash of milk in a cup of tea in the morning. Maybe twice a week 2 cups of tea. I have a yoghurt, with honey (don't tell the sugar monitor). Recently that has been made with ps128. We eat maybe a packet or two of organic "cru" (probiotic) cheese a week. On a Sunday, organic free range scrambled eggs.

Not pots of ice cream, cream on waffles, endless flavoured milk shakes. And milk in the EU is all what I think is equivalent of "grass fed" in the USA. No growth hormones. No antibiotics.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toWinnieThePoo

i consume much more dairy than you... but i go on 'eating binges' (under 1,500 cals per day) -- LOL...and these last few weeks my 'go to comfort food' has been cottage cheese and fresh pineapple... or one cup of yoghurt (0 added sugars) ... plus blueberries and one ounce of brain-nourishing walnuts

WinnieThePoo profile image
WinnieThePoo in reply toPDWarrior1900

Ahh. No added sugars. Trouble is, in addition to being a sweetener, honey is good for you

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/356...

(In moderation). I daresay the sugar monitor would argue you should get all those benefits from the bit of honey that isn't fructose, from a shelf-ful of fructose-free commercial supplements, but I prefer nature's real food.

CRMACK1948 profile image
CRMACK1948

My husband has lost 3 stone in weight,and is now down to 9 stone 10lbs.His consultant tells me to feed him up,butter cream full fat milk,cheeses etc…….Do these people ever read anything??

Michel0220 profile image
Michel0220

Really interesting topic! I have decided to go totally dairy free 2 years ago. As is often the case, it is hard to identify benefits to this specific decision but I am generally doing well (only dx 3 years ago but symptoms for 5).

I maybe too drastic with my health choices but I intend to stick to my dairy free diet, largely because I believe it to be generally healthier (no more binging on cheese or ice-cream 😀) but also because there are so many plant based alternatives nowadays.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toMichel0220

i suggest you read the "plant based" labels very carefully -- from what I've seen they pack too much junk ingredients into something they purport to be "healthy"... try watching this channel on YouTube: FlavCity ... funny name for a GREAT channel hosted by "Bobby" who visits Whole Foods... Costco... Trader Joes ... and reports on what is really good and what is 'hidden' and very bad... he also have a great app you should check out

rescuema profile image
rescuema in reply toPDWarrior1900

I'll add an example. I tried the overpriced "Impossible Burger" on a sale simply out of curiosity, and the plant based meat actually tasted like meat - IMPRESSIVE. However, reading the label and seeing how my body responded to eating the toxic frankencreation, I'd say it's more harmful than other most refined foods out there. Plant based refined foods do not equate to healthy substitutes.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply torescuema

correct! and yes, it was delicious for me as well (I was a vegetarian for 27 years -- but stopped 10 years ago) ... Here's the 2 best pieces of "food advice" that I picked up from watching 100s of health videos on YouTube:

1. eat real food

2. eat 5 or more "colors" per meal (combo of fruit and veggies)

rescuema profile image
rescuema

When your body is starved of a nutrient for long time, it’ll often respond with hyper palatability for overdue exposure. What you think taste amazing at the time will often taste mundane to others. Vegans, for example, will think cream cheese frosting is the most amazing thing they tasted upon reintroduction for health reasons, and I’ve seen this over and over. Dairy is fine occasionally in small amounts but I would avoid regular consumption. I would place dairy in the indulgent category.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply torescuema

i'm really getting 'mixed signals on dairy' ... this was in my inbox today from BeatheTremor.org -- look at the last recommended dietary intake for PD...:

DAIRY!

-----------------------------------

Best PD diet

Some of the foods can assist in keeping the PD symptoms in control. Following are some of the food

items recommended by the researchers.

• Antioxidants: Nut (walnut pistachios), berries, Nightshade vegetables (pepper, tomato),

Leafy vegetable (spinach)

• Fava Beans

• Omega-3 acids: Salmon, Halibut, Oysters, Soy beans, Flaxseed, Kidney beans

• Certain nutrient-dense foods:

• Iron: Spinach, tofu

• Vitamin B1: Beans, Lentils,

• Zinc: Whole grains, Chicken

• Vitamin D: Salmon, Cod liver oil

• Calcium: Dairy products, green leafy veggies

rescuema profile image
rescuema in reply toPDWarrior1900

Current science is seesawing on dairy as a whole. There are findings for undisturbed dairy fat globules being beneficial precursor for healthy myelin sheath (as hugely important in breast milk), while we also know disturbed fat such as butter can be taxing on the liver lipid metabolism for rising LDL/triglyceride. You should resort to enjoying it occasionally in smaller amounts relative to the rest of your balanced healthier diet. If you overdo it on dairy, you'll notice growing inflammation so again, the amount counts.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply torescuema

i was never good at "moderation" -- LOL ... i'm a guy who does "extremes" ... that's why the O.M.A.D. diet/ lifestyle change works for me... it is ... extreme ... so when i eat daily... i have the WHOLE carton of cottage cheese (450 calories) with my sliced, fresh pineapple... I chart my health daily... so I'll know more in a few weeks if this volume of dairy is OK for me... or not... thanks for your input

amykp profile image
amykp

I was IN Dr. Mischley's study and the problem was, in the survey she asked: how much dairy do you eat? She didn't ask: How much full fat? How much skim? How much fermented? Do you buy organic? etc. So it might very well be that the problem is only w/skim...or added hormones... or pesticides... or whatever.

That being said, I agree with the wet pavement argument--observational studies prove pretty much nothing. When I was a student there was a silly research paper "proving" that pajamas caused cystic fibrosis. They found kids with cystic fibrosis wore pajamas more often than kids without.

Obviously. They were sick in bed more often. (The paper was a joke--to prove a point)

Laurie Mischley has also suggested that PWP who use fresh herbs do better than PWP who don't. Well, in general, who buys fresh herbs? Wealthy people, who probably get get better care all around!

I eat a ketogenic diet and prefer not to eat processed foods (like "plant" alternatives) for the most part. (I won't say never! :o) I eat tons of dairy in the form of butter, heavy cream, cheese, etc. It SEEMS to slow my PD progression, but keto causes weight loss, not gain.

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toamykp

thank you for this excellent post... I've been on O.M.A.D. for 338 consecutive days... lost about 60 pounds (i need to lose another 30) but my weight loss has 'stalled' the last 3 months.... even though I eat fewer than 1,500 calories during a 2 hour window ... so i fast at least 22 hours daily... I've been thinking about "keto" and about 2 years ago i did a modified keto diet... very low on carbs... low on calories (around 1200 daily) -- lost 48 pounds in 4 months ... (weight came back as i was under a lot of business stress so... EAT EAT EAT EAT....) ... anyway ... i've lost those 48 pounds + 12 ... as i've said i'm... STUCK ... at this weight... i see you are a devotee of keto... how much weight have you lost? are you now at your desired weight? how long have you been on keto? do you measure your level of ketosis? etc... any feedback would be appreciated, thanks

amykp profile image
amykp

I think when you eat very low calorie, that's what makes your metabolism slow down.

I started keto when I was diagnosed with PD, about 8 years ago, and lost about 50 lbs, although that was NOT what I was going for--I was doing the diet only to slow the progression of the disease and I never restricted my calories at all.

I DID fast though, IF every day, sometimes OMAD, and longer here and there--again, for the PD, not the weight.

I've kept off the weight--in fact, I've had a few bouts where I went down too low and my family got angry with me and I had to concentrate on eating to GAIN some weight back. (Keto milkshakes: heavy cream/peanut butter/cocoa powder/monkfruit sweetener/ice cubes!)

Yes I measure, with a blood monitor, though I'm lazy about it now, because I'm pretty experienced with the diet. If you are strict (like under 20-30g carbs/day, medium protein) and keep up the OMAD, I think you can have as much food as you want.

You want some tips? Where do you live? In the US?

PDWarrior1900 profile image
PDWarrior1900 in reply toamykp

good feedback, thank you... i love my potatoes, fruit, yoghurt, cottage cheese -- too much -- to do keto (for now). ... I know from my research that several very respected doctors/ health professionals rave about keto... Sure I love to eat 'fat'... (who doesn't?) ... but i can't reconcile the added "fat calories" (with minimal satiety effects for me, anyway) with my particular O.M.A.D. ... But we'll see... I've hardly exercise for months -- devoting my time to restoring my business after the "China Virus" ... But as the weather improves and i'm nearing the 'finish line' in restoring my business... I expect to resume my 15 mile bike trips to the beach (2-3 times a week) and THAT should assist greatly with further weight loss (and boost autophagy)... I just need to lose another 30 pounds (I've lost around 60 so far). Best to you!

pvw2 profile image
pvw2

The fact that it is only milk eliminates the idea some have of chlordane or DDT causing this risk. Both of these are very permanent, and if in the milk, would be in the cheese and ice cream. The main difference with milk is it is not preserved and can introduce bacteria into the gut, thus some risk to introducing the wrong bacteria. Things like yogurt have the bacteria controlled. As mentioned in other threads, bacillus subtilis is effective in getting rid of undesired bacteria.

Stillstandingstill profile image
Stillstandingstill in reply topvw2

All types of dairy appear to be a factor in faster progression according to Laura Mischley's Pro-PD study. She doesn't explore the why but looks at what people consume vs how high they self report their symptoms. I'll try and find you a link if you are interested. Her excellent talk for Nosilverbullet4pd will be available soon I'd imagine.

Astrojupiter profile image
Astrojupiter in reply toStillstandingstill

well it would be good to see what her methods were in doing the study. I would not trust a study like this without seeing the methods.

AaronS profile image
AaronS

Hey Mate, I have finally gone onto any where between a 2-4 hour eating window, and then fasting for the rest... I do not have dairy although i have never really consumed it in huge amounts priorto PD. It's been a great move for me and one I want to commit to longer term because my body seems to like this arrangement, one thing I have noted is that because my body is not digesting a huge meal when I'm trying to get to sleep is my sleep is deeper and I'm waking up feeling better In the morning.I'm doing the no sugar, grain or dairy thing, and I find this very beneficial for my PD symptom management overall.

From my research dairy is still quite inflammatory to some people and quite highly processed overall , depending on how strict you take your dieI.

Hope your well

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