Aim: Evidence suggests low-carbohydrate diets (LCHF) may assist in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD); however, gaps exist in the literature. Patients & methods: We conducted a small 24-week pilot study to investigate the effects of an LCHF diet on motor and nonmotor symptoms, health biomarkers, anxiety, and depression in seven people with PD. We also captured patient experiences during the process (quality of life [QoL]). Results: Participants reported improved biomarkers, enhanced cognition, mood, motor and nonmotor symptoms, and reduced pain and anxiety. Participants felt improvements enhanced their QoL. Conclusion: We conclude that an LCHF intervention is safe, feasible, and potentially effective in mitigating the symptoms of this disorder. However, more extensive randomized controlled studies are needed to create generalizable recommendations.
It's low carbohydrate and high fat. So that might mean eating an avocado, or maybe a big leafy salad with a lot of olive oil and spices for the dressing, making sure to eat all of the olive oil even if some is left on the plate after the salad is done.
Yes. I was on this diet to lower my triglycerides about 2 years ago. After about 2 months I eased back to my regular diet. Since then my digestion has been very weird about absorbing my levadopa even if I have 2 or 3 grams of protein
Hi 7springshollow , Keto is defined as “low carb, adequate protein, high fat” eating method. It is not high in protein and we all need adequate protein which forms the building block for our body. Though there may be an initial weight loss on keto and it is popular for that reason, its benefits go far beyond - health is the goal.
Body is like a hybrid engine - for energy, it can use either glucose from carbs or ketones from fat. Why it works for Parkinson’s/Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions is we have brain insulin resistance and so we cannot use glucose but can still use ketones.
The new study authors have used the meal/metabolic therapy plan from Dr Matthew CL Phillips’ randomized control trial for Parkinson’s/Alzheimer’s and ongoing Glioblastoma (an aggressive form of brain cancer) trial. Link to his therapy plan/recipes here.
But if anything, a keto diet should be the same or lower protein than a typical diet. If you were on a diet eating lots of protein, it wasn't a true keto diet! (Though eating fewer carbs would help w/triglycerides.)
I can't imagine anything about either diet that would affect levadopa absorbtion months later, though I do notice that--while I am eating a lot of it--fat makes me absorb my medication more slowly.
One more thing 7springshollow , you did not mean having levodopa at the same time as meals with protein, right? Because of protein-levodopa interaction, it is better to separate meals from meds by at least an hour. For the same reason, levodopa medications (or supplements) cannot be mixed in milk/yoghurt. Some neurologists don't educate their patients on this. My first neurologist did not.
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Keto diet good for certain medical conditions
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