Very often, I come across some bit of news that might give a hint about the cause of and/or ways to mitigate (live better with) PD. Sometimes (as is the case with the one below) it's about a review of studies on Alzheimer's. Of course, Alzheimer's isn't the same as PD, but I think many of us recognize some similarities. And, if you're like me, we notice theories that might apply to both, even if PD isn't explicitly mentioned.
So, I've started this topic as a place where we can share these interesting and potentially important articles, etc. This first one has to do with how fructose might possibly cause AZ. At first, I rejected the idea out-of-hand, because I love fruit and believe in its health-promoting goodness! But, as I read on, I saw their point, which can be summed up succinctly: our brains are programmed to be curious and to explore. We are, after all, "curious apes"! If we have a never-ending supply of everything we need, parts of our brain might shut down since "wandering" is no longer useful. Normally, the shutdown is temporary, as we (and one can imagine, especially our ancestors) never have everything we want or need. If shut off for longer times, however, those parts of the brain may develop problems (such as misfolded proteins and inflammation) that lead to AZ.
Researchers found exactly this type of physical brain deterioration in animal studies. Others have found high levels of fructose in the brains of deceased AZ patients. Can't we just stop eating fructose then? No, our bodies can produce fructose naturally. They do this in order to use fructose as a signaling molecule, which signals the rest of the brain to shut down certain brain sections.
Quoting the article: "Fructose can also be produced by the body naturally, for example by pathways that are stimulated by the consumption of a high salt diet. So how did fructose help our ancestors? The presence of fructose inhibits certain parts of the brain's metabolism: blocking distractions, such as recent memories and paying attention to the passing of time."
In the past, this short-term shutdown would just stop the wandering temporarily. If our distant ancestors became lucky enough to find a good supply of some very good (and pre-historically speaking, very rare) staple of life (maybe an apple tree for instance), it might've been to their benefit to stop wandering around looking for other things because it would've been highly unlikely for them to find anything better. It would've been best for them to turn off the wandering impulse and instead focus on consuming the apples. (The brain also triggers this internal production of fructose when we eat a high-fat or high-salt diet; both of which would've been very desirable to our ancient ancestors.)
To recap: the wandering portion of their brains would've been shut down to conserve energy while they gorged on apples. Once the apples were gone, their wandering brains would've started up again, searching for the next source of life-sustaining calories, salt, or other nutrients. This could explain a lot of things. For example, if we can have as much sugary, salty, fatty food as we want, why go anywhere or challenge ourselves to eat boring vegetables? Those of us who (on one level) know we should eat broccoli are, even so, not always successful in overriding this ancient switch.
Quoting the article: "In the latest study, the researchers argue that this 'switch' is now permanently flipped', driving us to take in more high-fat, sugary, and salty food than we need.
"And this in turn could lead to inflammation in the brain and ultimately the conditions that cause Alzheimer's disease, the scientists propose. "We believe that initially the fructose-dependent reduction in cerebral metabolism in these regions was reversible and meant to be beneficial."
(End quote.) Now we finally get to the possibly useful takeaway for those of us with PD: maybe challenges will slow PD's progression by turning that switch back on. Exercise, even when you don't feel like it's possible. Try intermittent dieting so you get a little hungry sometimes.
Exercising my brain is one of my favorite things and my favorite exercise is to remember as many things as possible about the paper route I had as a boy. Not just the houses on my route, but the people who lived there. I also like remembering old TV shows, and newer ones too (which I admit is harder). I'm an artist and my love of art goes back to before I can remember, so another favorite brain exercise is to look at a painting (sculpture, photo, or whatever) and try to retain as much detail as I can. Later, I try to visualize it and ask myself questions about it (how many people were in the photo, etc.)
Now, I'm almost done with this... what?... rant? But I have to point out something: We PWP obviously have difficulties that others - even, perhaps those with AZ - don't. We don't have enough dopamine, which (among other things) is a signaling molecule our brains use to push us to do something or to reward us when we have done something. More on this in my next post.
I came across this article today as well. It's a bit serendipitous as I just learned last week about how eating too much fructose leads to uric acid levels that are too high which contributes to inflammation.
As best as I've been able to determine after half an hour on Google, eating fruit is associated with lower fructose though. So, yes, avoid refined fructose added to your diet but don't stop eating fruit. At least that's what I've been reading.
nope, if you dig more you will learn no fruit beyond dark purple and blue (berries) and very green bananas (resistant starch) lemons and avocados
Request a Continuous glucose monitor from your GP. Two weeks of wearing it will reveal the truth. If you feel you must eat fruit beyond what’s mentioned above, at least have protein and fat first bc that’s will reduce your spike. And, move immediately following ingestion (a walk, etc) that will reduce your spike.
Anyone who tells you you need fruit or who throws fruit in the same category as veggies is outdated and misinformed.
I was able to reduce my A1C from 7.5 to 5.6 over a period of a few years by going with low carb high fat diet. That includes abundant low sugar fruit: red raspberries, kiwi, Granny Smith apples, and unripe nectarines and peaches in season. BMI went from overweight to normal range.
I would not say ‘eating too much fructose’. This makes whole fruit a culprit, which it is not as the fiber considerably slows the absorption of fructose, and the fiber/cellulose add bulk to the digestive process and aid elimination.
Additionally you will hardly consume as much as the fiber fills you up.
But you point is well taken. Robert Lustig M.D. in ‘Fat Chance’ writes ‘Our consumption of fructose has doubled in the past thirty years and has increased sixfold in the last century.’ And he credits such a rise to kids being overweight and developing fatty liver disease. So yes there are major consequences for this dietary change.
His advice: ‘eat the fruit, don’t drink the juice’. Been on this path for over 15 years - even before the book’s publication. He just cemented my stand. There are no juices or soda in my home, except at holiday season for visitors.
Just say no to juice and soda pop 🌹
Edit: I have fruit daily. Papaw and Pineapple for their digestive enzymes. And oranges and watermelon when in season. Great source of real Vitamin C 💥
I tried pawpaw once when my in-law offered me the fruit from her garden. I have never tried the fruit before but loved the exotic taste but got me thinking why it wasn’t more commercially available. Naturally I did my research but that ended in a horrible finding as I’ve mentioned to you. Her spouse passed away with PD a while back and loved the fruit while she didn’t care for it much herself. I never ate the fruit again.
I see Wiki has lumped papaw, soursop and custard apples together: family Annonaceae. They contain a class of compounds known as acetogenins, of which Annonacin is a disabling and potentially lethal neurotoxin.
Teas from these leaves and bark of these fruit trees are consumed mainly for their medicinal properties. We call this ‘bush tea’ here in the Caribbean. And Wiki cites the island of Guadeloupe as having a high incidence of atypical Parkinsonism.
The study you cited however notes that ‘this 80 year old patient (who consumed 13.6 kg of raw fruit annually over the five-year period prior to death), did not match the clinical syndromic presentation (akinetic-rigid, postural instability) of previously studied populations’.
So this is far from conclusive. But It could be that the level of Annonacin in these teas, make them neurotoxic. The dose makes the poison.
We give papaw - to babies. And consumption is widespread in Trinidad & Tobago, with no such incidence as reported in Guadeloupe. (We probably make less ‘bush tea’)
Finally Wiki asserts that ‘an adult who consumes a fruit or can of nectar daily over the course of a year is estimated to ingest the same amount of annonacin that induced brain lesions in the rodents receiving purified annonacin intravenously.’
If this is accurate many of us are walking around Trinidad and Tobago with annonacin induced brain lesions, myself included.🤯
I believe SOP (edit, not SOB typo on iPhone earlier) also wrote an article on it. The case study simply verified the cause, not necessarily large amounts. I also read about a pawpaw expert also developed parkinsonism after regular consumption while testing pawpaw varieties. Definitely avoid regular consumption to be safe and certain genetic differences could contribute to worse outcomes for some but not others.
Here's the mentioned article. The genetic predisposition matters, and it makes me wonder if the predisposition causes extra love/taste for the fruit. 🤔
For you it would be experimentation, but for me it is just a food our community consumes.
We here in Trinidad & Tobago have probably been spared the poisoning we see in Martinique because we have moved away from traditional medicine (bush teas, yes teas - we have many of them).
We are a gas & oil economy, with more resources than most Caribbean islands and can afford conventional medicine and a metropolitan lifestyle.
As such our diseases mirror that of any metropolitan area 🌹
I'll leave you to it, but aren't you a migrant to a Caribbean region? I'd hypothesize those who have survived eating the fruits for generations without incident probably have a better chance of handling regular consumption of the exotic offering than not. If you're a native, a moot point.
Will have to change that mental construct again: that’s a photo of the original peoples - the Amerindians.
Trinidad & Tobago is a potpourri of peoples. It is possible to have a Hindu surname and have solid African ancestry.
Discrimination based on names sometimes have hilarious results.
We are enjoined to dispense with hyphenations here in this beautiful land, but will relent to help you form a better mental construct. I am an Afro-Caribbean male.✨🥂✨
I think the main culprit of high fructose in most people's diet (at least in the US) is high-fructose corn syrup. Eliminate that from your diet and you've made a big improvement. Eating fruit itself, not juice, you get fiber and polyphenols. The easiest and biggest impact (low hanging fruit ) is to stop consuming things with high fructose corn syrup.
Lest not we forget that our demands for fructose were in response to our "sweet tooth" and a need for Vit C and of course a means to store energy for the winter season. The consumption for sweet fruits in Autumn would spur the production of fat to store the energy acquired from.sweet fruits as a ready source of fuel. One of Nature's tricks as it goes hand-in-hand with the fact that we, unlike members of the animal kingdom, lack the ability to produce Vit C
"A recent review suggests that high levels of fructose, particularly those derived from added sugars, such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, could alter brain metabolism and cause degeneration of brain regions associated with Alzheimer’s disease."
If Mediterranean diet is ideal for PwP and everyone else, then don't follow it as it comprises of FRUITS and veggies, fish, and legumes. Fruit is the desert after lunch and dinner, not COOKIES and PASTRIES. You confuse fructose in fruits with added fructose to everything edible in the US! Whole fruits are full of vitamins and minerals.
Yup. Dr Laurie Mischley is (I thought) pretty well known for her research on this. Doubtless others here know better, because instead of carrying out original research in their clinic, they've googled something. Dr Mischley , in 2017 observed
Fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, fish,
olive oil, wine, coconut oil, fresh herbs, and the use of spices
were all associated with statistically significant lower rates of
disease progression.
These foods largely comprise the Mediterranean diet,
which has been associated with reduced PD incidence and
later age of diagnosis
She has collected further data since, and it has broadly remained consistent. Beware "it always rains when the pavements are wet". This is observation of outcomes - and doesn't necessarily imply a causative link. She is not saying "if you remove fruit from your diet your PD will be more severe and progress faster, nor is she saying "If you remove fried food and diet soda from your diet, your PD will be milder and progress more slowly. Just that from a big group of people, those who ate fresh fruit had milder slower progressing PD than average
Thanks. He has been fighting UTIs since he left the hospital and rehabilitation after the fall. Previous urologist was worthless. We found a good one, but one of his nurses, during a special test, ruptured the catheter's balloon, and he suffered another (almost) systemic infection. I rushed him back to ER. He stayed at the hospital 4 days until the infection cleared.
I made an appointment with Vanderbilt Urology. He is going to have a cystoscopy for proper diagnosis and treatment. He's been unable to void on his own, he is still on a catheter. It was supposed to be temporary. . .
She has done no research, none on if having only low glycemic fruit and in limited quantities would be even better.
Obviously fruit is better than other sources of sugar. Duh. But, is it better still to avoid high sugar fruits and get the vitamins and fiber elsewhere, yes. Mischley, excellent wonderful woman she is, has limitations to the scope of her research.
Loss for words 🤡🧸💩? Missing my point for over two years now. Fruit is obviously a healthier source of sugar than other options. Duh. But, it raises glucose and often to an extent that is detrimental to PWP. Keep banging that outdated drum BP.
”Grams of sugar in one large apple: 25.1.Sweet treat sugar equivalent: A Hershey’s milk chocolate bar.”
“Grams of sugar in 1 cup of cherries: 19.7.Sweet treat sugar equivalent: A regular-sized Snickers bar. “
“Grams of sugar in one mango: 46.Sweet treat sugar equivalent: 50 pieces of candy corn.“
not.“Unless you have diabetes or another health condition where you need to monitor blood sugar levels, you’re probably not eating enough fruit for the sugar in it to be a concern,” states Czerwony.
PWP fall in the category of “another health condition.”
Fruit is not natural. It does not even resemble the fruit of a century ago in its sugar content. The “I don’t eat sugar, I just eat fruit.” Trope is pure cognitive dissonance. A glucose monitor will tell you the truth but fruit lovers won’t like it. Yes it’s better for you than eating processed sugar but that is setting the bar really low when you have a disease made worse by insulin spikes.
“Food with higher sugar content still means consuming more sugar, after all. Being in a healthier overall package doesn’t erase that fact”.
“It’s important to be aware of sugar content in what you eat, notes Czerwony — particularly if you have a health condition that calls for monitoring blood sugar levels. “
I was quoting, cutting and pasting from a Cleveland Clinic Article which is linked.
Everyone or almost everyone on here will defend fruit because they can’t handle the thought of giving it up. But, aside from the fruit I already mentioned above, it has more sugar than is optimum for a brain experiencing neurodegeneration. That is a fact.
Partaking in behavior that will worsen your decline is a personal choice. Different standards lead to different choices.
"Partaking in behavior that will worsen your decline is a personal choice. Different standards lead to different choices".
Dr Mischley , in 2017 observed
Fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, fish, olive oil, wine, coconut oil, fresh herbs, and the use of spices, were all associated with statistically significant lower rates of disease progression.
These foods largely comprise the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with reduced PD incidence and later age of diagnosis
No. It's not my argument. It's Dr Mischley's observation from research she carried out in 2017. She has updated it several times, but the results are broadly unchanged. All the data says is, in the round, consumption of fruit is associated with a slower PD progression, and less severe manifestation of the disease. It is not potty enough to claim that fruit is the ultimate solution to PD. Just that eating fruit is directly correllated in a statistically signficant way with slower progression and less severe symptoms. Like I said - you're in "De Nile".
And, as you said - "Partaking in behavior that will worsen your decline is a personal choice." Dr Mischley advocated trying to eat more of the green bars, and less of the red bars. I do just that. If it works - keep doing it. If you are struggling, and posting incessant cries for help - remember Einstein.
Results in bar graph format of Dr Mischley's research into the affect of food on PD
With my lymphoma I had pain around my gallbladder that was not food connected. Using a "heal your gallbladder" book at the library, I cut out the frozen fruit I was eating as an ice cream substitute and most fruit. Switched from chicken to fish (mostly canned mackerel in olive oil) added apple cider vinegar and a few mild supplements.
The pain stopped.
After a few months, I added them back in, the pain returned.
A few months later a tremor while walking appeared. What must have been the usual long developing PD, crossed the threshold to surface.
My diagnosis didn't include any of the usual primordial symptoms such as constipation. I'd found over the years that I need to eat wet stuff to avoid it (fruit, veggies, water).
The pain may have been from the spleen tugging and displacing everything. Could also have been liver inflammation (subclinical, wasn't showing up on labs.)
No idea what it all means.
______
I had CFS for 13 years. There were so many theories. One pointed out that digestion caused CFS since it took up energy. Had good arguments except the obvious, that it's not a problem for most people. Same with the cause being excess advertising that wears out our brains.
Fruits are sweeter than they used to be, but eaten till satiated is usually 1-2 fruits.
A fruit or 2 a day help me avoid candy & helps keep things moving.
So FWIW that's the experiences that come to apply to this whole topic that come to mind for me.
What is CGM? Everything in moderation, eat a variety of fruits and veggies. Don't overload on fruits. I eat an orange and a few grapes after dinner daily. Best for digestion, too.
No, not everything in moderation. That is not true and especially not for everyone and especially not PWP and or autoimmunity. It’s simply not true.
The same conversations on here after two plus years not supported by science or CURRENT research on how the PD brain works. How about ask Dr. Matthew Phillips how much and which fruits are optimum for PD?
It depends on the individual. I am not suggesting to load on fruits, just eat them after lunch and/or dinner. They promote digestion. I have been doing this all my life, and I suffer no heart problems, I am not diabetic either. Our glucose levels are optimal.
My husband does, but still his glucose level is optimal. He has been following Mediterranean diet ever since we got married. His PD was caused by Agent Orange and he was diagnosed in his seventies. Lived a good life before then.
I've been wanting to understand the Mediterranean diet better. Do you have any resources? I suspect I largely eat it except for my eating what I know better than, lol.
First and foremost a mediterranean diet involves fresh ingredients - not processed foods. It usually grills any meat or fish, and has less of it, particularly red meat. Olive oil is used for frying and dressings. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruit are prominent. Salads and meze are a significant part. Honey is the main sweetner (in moderation) This is a good starter resource - but living in the mediterranean helps!
Hi Little_apple, I hope you're doing well, also because I haven't seen any messages from you for a year! While just watching the video "The Biggest Lies You've Been Told About Dieting, Nutrition & Gut Health | Prof Eran Segal," I couldn't help but think of our discussions about glucose. Checking your glucose levels, which you emphasized, does indeed seem to be very important. Not necessarily to derive general guidelines, but rather to measure the individual impact of food on your glucose levels. The differences, as it turns out, are quite significant. In this case, CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) can be essential in creating your ideal personalized diet.
You can find the videos on this post from JayPwP that may also be of interest to you:
I eat fruits for numerous benefits and phytonutrients /micronutrients I can’t get elsewhere naturally but eating too much will absolutely spike insulin and contribute to inflammation. The amount an individual can handle depends on their insulin sensitivity but those who’re on strict low carb diets will tend to react much worse with drastic physiological insulin sensitivity, which could get resolved over time as their gut bacteria and other metabolic process catch on slowly with additional reintroduction. Eating whole fruits tend to not spike as much juice because of fiber/bulk but fructose is fructose and it strains the liver and worsen insulin resistance in those who may overindulge. I tend to not assume anyone who’s doing better with Dr. M would live on fruits but eat in small proportions as additives as I do, depending on how they feel.
I do better now with some fruits and additional food varieties including spouted grains, so I try to share this information against extreme science. In the past when I was trying a strictly low carbs diet, I was ultra-sensitive to any carb/sugar (couldn't handle it) while my glucose readings kept trending worse over time. Basically I was limiting myself from some seriously beneficial food compounds that also aid in the delicate mineral balancing and enzymatic activities. Variety matters and getting body trained on hormesis matters to keep the body kicking and alive.
Disappointing Rescuema. The science on leaky gut, a contributor to PD does not support grains for a lot of people at many stages in healing their guts. The stance on sugar in fruit is also too generalized. It’s so much more nuanced than that.
We've had much discussion on this years ago, and I understand when it comes to diet people get very passionate about it. As I've advised you before, do what you feel works for you as this can be very individual. For others, I always promote as much healthy varieties and balanced wholefood organic nutrition. Again, a bit of hormesis helps to train your biological processes, and dose matters in biphasic response.
One more thing, just in case I wasn't crystal clear on why I bother with "sprouted" grains. It removes phytic acids and other antinutrients that disrupt minerals while turning the included proteins (including gluten) more digestible among other benefits.
Try to avoid lumping in organic sprouted grains with the negative findings associated with typical glyphosate-laden refined grains. Doing so would be somewhat akin to mistakenly assuming vitamin D3 supplementation equates to natural vitamin D and associated beneficial studies.
A standard 43 g bar of Hershey's milk chocolate contains 13 g of fat, 24 g of sugar and 210 calories
A 43 g piece of apple contains 0.1 of fat, 4 g of sugar and 25 calories. Apple’s are also very filling, considering their low calorie count. Despite their high carb and sugar contents, their glycemic index (GI) is low, ranging 29–44.
It seems that sometimes we tip over in our ‘cure Parkinson’s’ hipes. It's no longer about balance and versatility. Of course, TOO MANY fruit sugars are not good, but the fact that in another HU post there is something about the importance of vitamins, fibre for the proper functioning of the intestines and the constipation that a few of us suffer from, the large number of bioactive substances, such as carotenoids, lycopenes and flavonoids, are briefly forgotten. Fruit provides (relatively) few calories and a lot of nutrient. Fruit is good for health and is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and lung cancer. As with everything, in moderation. The advice is to eat at least 2 servings (200 grams) of fruit per day and not replace fruit with juice. This contains just as much sugar as soda and often less nutrients and fibre than fruit. Perhaps most importantly, you can also ENJOY fruit. Good for your dopamine and yourself . 🍀
If you break a walnut shell, the seed looks exactly like the brain! Eat it for brain health. Cut an orange in the middle and you will see a woman's breast. Eat it for breast cancer prevention. God created everything with wisdom.
Whole lot of guessing on here could come to an end if you would just wear a CGM for two weeks to see what elevates your glucose. Is a mango as bad as candy? Obviously not. Duh. Two plus years and no progress on this subject from the same bunch banging the eat fruit drum.
No need to beat the eat fruit drum, but I am allergic to misinformation. I'm showing you that the 3 comparisons between fruit and candy are flawed. You are comparing apples to oranges, in fact even worse. Can happen. But no apology, you are biting even more into your own rightness. Again for you it may be better not to eat fruit. Then don't, but use the correct facts and not unproven assumptions that would be valid for anyone with PD. Your statement “Fruit is not natural. It does not even resemble the fruit of a century ago in its sugar content.” is probably more of a feeling? You also used to have in the 17th century sour and sweet apples. See the list below. Nowadays there is a trend here toward the slightly more acidic fresh apples with probably a little less sugar as well. This variety of flavors also applies to other fruits. Try some nuance to get your message across. Like the list below of low-sugar fruits. Or point out the dangers of traditional fruit growing with the piling up of maximum allowed pesticides. Don't make it too personal or say so explicitly and…. keep smiling. I am convinced, even healthier than fruit!!! 🍀
This overview lists some of the very oldest apples varieties, dating from before the year 1700, still available in the Netherlands. Included are sweet (=zoet) and sour (=zuur) apples. If you want you can plant them yourself. In my orchard in France there are only old local varieties. Feel free to come and taste them 🍎🍏
Perhaps I also reacted too negatively to your ‘don't eat fruit drum’. Although research shows that ‘fruit in moderation’ diets currently produce the best results for us, the importance you attach to the CGM values is also justified. However, there are several tricks that limit the impact of the glucose and fructose from fruits and other sinful sweets. Inspiring and very helpful I found Jessie Inchauspe’s book ‘Glucose Revolution’ The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar. A bestseller in the US, but perhaps not so well known in other countries.
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) is to stop consuming things with high fructose corn syrup. 
Hope you are doing well.
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