What else can Parkinson's disease do besides taking medicine?

When a family member is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, we often put all our hopes on drugs. However, as the disease progresses, the limitations of relying solely on drug treatment gradually emerge: the efficacy of the drug becomes shorter and shorter, the side effects become more and more obvious, and the dosage needs to be continuously increased. At this time, many family members will ask: "Besides taking medicine, is there any other way to help the patient?"

The answer is yes. In recent years, scientific research has found that through precise nutrient supplementation and intestinal flora regulation, important auxiliary treatments can be provided for Parkinson's patients, which can not only improve symptoms but also delay disease progression.

Why are traditional drug treatments limited?

The fundamental problem of Parkinson's disease is the continuous death of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Although the current main treatment drugs such as levodopa can temporarily relieve symptoms, there is a serious problem: long-term use actually accelerates neuronal death.

At the same time, Parkinson's patients also have severe inflammatory reactions in their brains, which further damage the remaining neurons. Therefore, it is not enough to simply supplement dopamine. We need to fight oxidative damage and inflammatory reactions from the root.

Specific nutrients precisely fight diseases

• Omega-3 fatty acids: "lubricant" for the brain

Omega-3 fatty acids are an important component of nerve cell membranes and have multiple protective effects on Parkinson's patients. Studies have found that it can inhibit brain inflammation, increase the secretion of neurotrophic factors, and even improve patients' depressive symptoms.

EPA and DHA in marine fish and fish oil, as well as ALA in walnuts and flax seeds, are all high-quality sources of Omega-3. However, it should be noted that different types of Omega-3 fatty acids have different mechanisms of action and need to be matched according to the specific situation of the patient.

• Selenium: "Bodyguard" of nerve cells

Selenium is an important antioxidant mineral in the human body, which mainly acts through glutathione peroxidase. Studies have shown that Parkinson's disease patients are generally lacking in selenium, and appropriate selenium supplementation can significantly improve the brain's antioxidant capacity and protect dopamine neurons from free radical damage.

Nuts, seafood, and animal offal are all rich in selenium, but the selenium content in food is greatly affected by the environment, so medical-grade selenium supplements can provide a more stable dose.

• Creatine + Coenzyme Q10: "Generator" of Cellular Energy

The brain cells of Parkinson's disease patients have serious energy metabolism disorders. Creatine can increase intracellular ATP levels, and Coenzyme Q10, as a key component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, can directly improve cellular energy production.

Clinical studies have shown that supplementing 1200 mg of Coenzyme Q10 daily can significantly reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease patients. When creatine is used in combination with Coenzyme Q10, it can not only prevent the death of dopamine neurons, but also reduce DNA oxidative damage.

• Natural antioxidants: multiple protective mechanisms

Natural compounds such as curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. They can not only remove harmful free radicals, but also regulate multiple cell signaling pathways to protect nerve cells from multiple angles.

For example, curcumin can inhibit the aggregation of α-synuclein (a typical pathological feature of Parkinson's disease), resveratrol can activate the cell autophagy mechanism to remove harmful proteins, and quercetin also has an iron chelation effect to prevent excessive accumulation of iron ions in the brain.

Why choose medical-grade nutrients?

Many people will ask: "Since these nutrients are available in food, why not just eat more related foods instead of taking supplements?"

The answer involves several key factors:

• Dosage accuracy: The dose of nutrients required to treat Parkinson's disease often far exceeds the amount that can be provided by the daily diet. For example, to achieve the therapeutic dose of coenzyme Q10, you need to eat dozens of kilograms of beef every day.
• Bioavailability: Medical-grade nutrients are specially processed to improve absorption and bioavailability. Nutrients in ordinary foods may not be fully utilized by the body due to problems such as binding form, digestion and absorption.
• Quality control: Medical-grade nutrients have strict quality standards and purity requirements to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Gut flora transplantation: a new treatment from the "gut"

In recent years, scientists have discovered that Parkinson's disease is not just a brain disease, the gut also plays an important role. About 80% of Parkinson's patients have constipation problems, and α-synuclein aggregation appears first in the gut. These abnormal proteins can be transmitted to the brain through the vagus nerve.

The composition of the intestinal flora of Parkinson's patients is obviously abnormal, with a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in harmful bacteria, resulting in impaired intestinal barrier function and increased inflammation. This imbalance not only affects the digestive system, but also affects brain function through the "gut-brain axis".

A clinical trial published in 2024 randomly divided Parkinson's patients into two groups, one group received intestinal flora transplantation from healthy donors, and the other group received fecal transplantation from themselves as a control.

This study found:

• Significant therapeutic effect: After 12 months, the motor scores of patients who received healthy donor flora transplantation improved by 5.8 points, while the control group only improved by 2.7 points. This difference has important clinical significance for Parkinson's patients.
• Lasting improvement: The treatment effect persists and gradually appears over time.
• Good safety: No serious adverse reactions were found in the study, only mild gastrointestinal symptoms, which relieved themselves within a week.

Gut flora transplantation affects the nervous system by rebuilding the balance of intestinal microecology, reducing intestinal inflammation, and improving intestinal barrier function. Healthy intestinal flora can produce a variety of neuroactive substances, such as short-chain fatty acids, neurotransmitter precursors, etc., which affect brain function through blood circulation or neural pathways.

The importance of comprehensive treatment

Nutrient supplementation and intestinal flora regulation cannot replace traditional drug treatment, but serve as important auxiliary means. The best treatment strategy is to organically combine drug treatment, nutritional support and intestinal health management under the guidance of a doctor.

• Individualized treatment plan: Each patient's condition, constitution, and nutritional status are different, and a personalized supplement plan needs to be formulated under the guidance of a professional doctor or nutritionist.
• Regular monitoring and adjustment: During the treatment process, relevant indicators need to be checked regularly, such as nutrient levels in the blood, intestinal flora composition, etc., and the treatment plan should be adjusted according to the results.
• Long-term persistence: These auxiliary treatments require long-term persistence to see the effect, and patients and their families should have reasonable expectations and sufficient patience.

Looking to the future: Parkinson's disease treatment in the era of precision medicine

With the deepening of our understanding of Parkinson's disease, we are shifting from simple symptom treatment to comprehensive disease management, and medical nutrition and intestinal microecological regulation provide new hope for patients.

The treatment of Parkinson's disease is becoming more diversified and precise. Patients and their families should not be limited to traditional drug treatments, but should explore more comprehensive and effective treatment strategies under the guidance of professional medical teams.