Supplements For Parkinsons Research Explained
Eating a balanced diet is usually the best advice for getting all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients we need to keep our bodies healthy and working well.
Theres no clear scientific evidence that people with Parkinsons should take supplements but it is an active area of research. So in this blog we round up the current research on the supplements we get asked about most.
As always, please bear in mind that the information provided here describes emerging research and should not be treated as medical advice, so before deciding to take supplements of any kind, speak to your doctor or specialist.
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Search Results And Study Characteristics
Figure 1 displays the study selection flowchart. Our initial search yielded 151 studies, 19 of which were eliminated because of duplication. The remaining 132 studies were subjected to title and abstract screening, and 118 were excluded. The final 14 studies were entered in the full text review. Two studies were excluded because they were conference posters, and another four were excluded because they reported on ongoing clinical trials. The remaining eight clinical trials, including two open-label, single-arm studies and six eligible RCTs , were included in the review. These studies were published between 2011 and 2021 and had sample sizes ranging from 25 to 120 PwP. All eight studies recruited PwP who had idiopathic PD diagnoses, and five of the studies specifically enrolled patients with functional constipation. The composition, amount, and treatment duration of probiotics varied, but Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium were administered in most of the studies. Adverse events were reported in 6 studies, including bloating, abdominal distention, dizziness and lethargy. All of the adverse events were reversible and there was no serious adverse event noted .
Figure 1.Study selection flowchart .
Table 1. Characteristics of the included clinical trials.
Should You Take A Probiotic For Parkinsons
Though research on probiotics for treating Parkinsons is a relatively new topic, taking a probiotic may be beneficial in some cases.
If you are experiencing constipation related to PD, you may benefit from taking a probiotic supplement. Though, which formulations are best is yet to be determined.
Beyond this, there isnt enough evidence to provide specific recommendations. Scientists are just beginning to understand the role of the gut microbiome and probiotics and their role in PD. So, its too early to recommend probiotics as a treatment .
If youre interested in probiotics to help alleviate some of your PD symptoms, you should speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
Summary
Since research is still in its early stages, its too soon to recommend probiotics to help manage or treat PD symptoms.
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How Is The Microbiome Different In People With Pd
Based on numerous studies comparing the microbiome from the gut of people with PD with the microbiome from the gut of people without PD, there appear to be some differences. The studies are not consistent in their findings, but there are similarities across studies. These include an increase in certain families of bacteria such as Lactobacillaceae and Verrucomicrobiaceae, and a decrease in the family Prevotellaceae.
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Should I Take A Commercially Available Probiotic Product
There are a tremendous number of products that are commercially available, containing different strains with different CFUs. As you can see from the very small list of clinical trials that have been performed, only a limited number of strains and CFUs were tested in people. So, we do not have the information necessary to recommend one probiotic product over the others. As always, discuss with your doctor whether you should be taking a probiotic product and if so, which one you should take.
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Samples Collection And Clinical Parameters
The treatments continued for 3 months. Clinical improvement was the primary outcome of this study, while changes in the fecal microbiota and serum metabolites were the secondary outcomes. Patients were assessed by Unified PD Rating Scale-III for the overall condition of PD Mini-mental State Examination , Hamilton Anxiety Scale , and Hamilton Depression Scale-17 for their mental state Parkinsons Disease Sleep Scale for sleep quality Visual Analog Scale for the degree of pain Activities of Daily Living for their daily living ability and Patient-Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life for their GI symptoms and other constipation-related issues, including Bristol scores, difficulty in defecation, feces hardness, incomplete defecation, assisted defecation by hand, number/week of spontaneous and completed defecation.
Causes & Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease: An Overview
On the neurological level, PD is thought to be the result of a buildup of toxic proteins that kill off neurons in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Certain neurons in this part of the brain are responsible for making dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone that is vital for many important functions, including movement, memory, and motivation.
Scientists believe that lower dopamine levels cause the motor symptoms of PD, as well as many psychological disorders. Unfortunately, clinical studies have not been able to pinpoint the reason why the toxic proteins begin to build up in the substantia nigra in the first place. It is theorized that this occurs due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
There are two types of PD. In one type, the damage is first observed in the brain as a loss of neurons. In the other type, symptoms originally present as inflammation in the intestinal lining.
The gut-brain axis is also involved in the pathogenesis and symptoms of Parkinsons disease. The loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain results in the reduction of dopamine which, in turn, leads to an onset of neurological symptoms. In some cases, inflammation of the intestinal lining plays a role in the progression of PD, and gastrointestinal symptoms may be present for years prior to neurological symptoms.
- A tremor in the hands, limbs, jaw, or head
- Difficulty with balance and coordination
- Muscle stiffness
- A slow, shuffling gait
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Downsides Of Probiotics For Parkinsons
Although probiotics are generally considered safe, there are some potential concerns with probiotic supplementation in people with Parkinsons disease .
First, some Enterococcus species found in some probiotic supplements may inactivate levodopa, a dopamine-replacement medication used in the treatment of PD. However, this needs more research and clarification in PD patients .
Further, probiotic supplementation may exacerbate SIBO , common in people with Parkinsons disease .
Its also unknown which probiotic strains are most effective in treating PD symptoms and if theyre more effective in combination or taken as single strains.
An individualized assessment of the microbiome may be warranted to determine the best course of action (
Naturaltreatment For Parkinsons #9 Exercise And Other Alternative Therapies:
Regular exercise has been shown to help Parkinsonssufferers by reducing muscle stiffness, increasing mobility, and enhancing postureand balance. Exercise also increases oxygen levels and neurotransmitters, alongwith releasing potent mood elevating chemicals called endorphins.
The type of exercise performed for PD is crucial. Aqua orwater aerobics can be particularly useful as traditional exercise is usuallyquite difficult for many Parkinsons sufferers. Muscle decline, loss of strength,stiffness and loss of balance can make conventional exercises difficult toperform. The great thing about aqua aerobics is it still has the same benefits as other exercise regimens,but the risk of falling is eliminated.
Other types of exercises that can be beneficial for PDsufferers include Tai Chi, Yoga, dancing, walking, aerobic/jazzercise classes,and general stretching.
For more information on the different exercise programsavailable for Parkinsons patients, you can check out this website Exercise and Physical Therapy for ParkinsonsDisease
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What I Learned The Hard Way
Like many of you, I along with my doctor, thought that taking a probiotic to help keep my digestive system in check and help with the symptoms that usually accompany chronic constipation would be a no brainer. With so many products to choose from, she recommended a probiotic for women which she thought would also help decrease my recurrent urinary tract infections. I had already taken a couple of brands OTC but had not seen any real benefit, so I decided to try the brand she recommended. Shortly after, I began having fever and chills every day which lasted only about an hour or two varying throughout day. Aside from fever and chills, I did not feel ill. This went on for a couple of weeks until I realized that symptoms were occurring about an hour after I took the probiotic. Fortunately, I was able to recognize what was happening quickly. However, recent studies have indicated that many who take probiotics can develop a septicemia which can be dangerous if already frail, elderly, or in some way immune compromised.
It’s Easy To Find Out If Neuralli Works For You
While taking Neuralli, you may notice shorter off times, easier hand movement, improved mood, better sleep.
Continuous and regular use of Neuralli provides the best results.
Neuralli can be taken as easy-to-swallow capsules or opened and mixed into cold liquids or foods.
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The Leaky Gut In Parkinson’s Disease
Aggregation of alphasynuclein in the nervous system is a neuropathological hallmark of PD. Ever since the discovery of syn deposits in the enteric nervous system of PD patients in 1988,9 and subsequent autopsy studies by Braak et al. proposing that synucleinopathy may spread within the nervous system via prionlike celltocell transfer,10 there has been growing evidence that insults acting on the gut could trigger the misfolding and aggregation of syn in the enteric nervous system, subsequently propagating into the brain.5, 6, 11, 12
Peripheral inflammatory states such as GI inflammation have been postulated to contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in PD.17 In a series of welldesigned experiments comparing synoverexpressing mice to germfree mice, gut microbes were shown to promote neuroinflammatory responses, leading to increased motor disability and syn deposition in the brain remarkably, transplantation of human gut microbiota from PD patients enhanced motor dysfunction in ASO mice.21 More recently, tolllike receptor4 has been highlighted to play a role in intestinal and/or brain inflammation in PD. Loss of TLR4 in a knockout mouse model significantly mitigated the effects of rotenone on intestinal barrier integrity, colonic syn deposition, microglial activation, dopaminergic cell loss, and motor function impairment.22
What The Latest Science Tells Us About Probiotics & Parkinsons Disease
People often ask us about the use of probiotics to improve Parkinsons disease symptoms. Probiotics have gained a lot of popularity in recent years, but what exactly are they, and can they make a difference for people with PD? I will answer these questions and provide helpful information so you can decide if probiotics are right for you. It is also wise to consult your own doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.
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Probiotic Inhibits And Reverses Aggregation
For their study, Doitsidou and her colleagues used a nematode worm model that scientists had genetically engineered to express a human version of the alpha-synuclein protein.
These worms normally develop aggregates, or clumps, of alpha-synuclein at day 1 of their adulthood, which is 72 hours after they hatch.
However, when the researchers fed worms a diet containing a probiotic bacterial strain called Bacillus subtilis PXN21, they observed a nearly complete absence of aggregates, as they state in their paper. The worms still produced the alpha-synuclein protein, but it did not aggregate in the same way.
In worms that had already developed protein aggregates, switching their diet to B. subtilis cleared the aggregates from the affected cells.
The team then followed a set of worms through their lifespan and compared a B. subtilis diet with a conventional laboratory diet.
The maximum number of aggregates reached in animals fed with B. subtilis was far lower than that observed on the diet, indicating that B. subtilis does not simply delay aggregate formation, the authors explain in the paper.
B. subtilis PXN21 inhibits and reverses aggregation in a model, they note.
Is this effect specific for B. subtilis PXN21, though? To answer this question, the team compared a number of different strains of the bacterium and found that they had similar effects.
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The Pros Of Probiotics
One strategy to try and reintroduce good bacteria is to use a treatment called faecal transplantation. This involves collecting bacteria that live in the gut of a healthy donor from a stool sample, and preparing and transplanting them via a tube directly into the gut of the recipient. But while this may work for some conditions where the gut microbiota is abnormal, the process is difficult and still needs regulatory approval and safety checks before it could be made available more widely. So, researchers have been investigating other ways to get good bacteria back into the gut.
A faecal transplant may provide a more direct route for live bacteria to reach the gut but what about oral probiotics? Unfortunately, the bacteria in many commercial probiotics are unlikely to reach the lower gut, where they are needed, as most types of bacteria are wiped out on route by the acidic environment in the stomach. However, with the right combination of good bacteria and delivery mechanism, this may not be inevitable.
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Natural Remedies And Treatments For Parkinsons Finalnote
So there you have our top 10 natural remedies andtreatments for reversing Parkinsons disease. We believe this is one of the most informative andthorough health articles on this disease youll find anywhere on the internet. Ifyou follow these 10 tips to-the-letter and continue to use them consistently,we guarantee that in 3-6 months time you will be truly astounded at themiraculous level of improvement youll see. In 12 months time you will scarcely recognize yourself! . But of course, you must stickwith them and follow through with each remedy every day if you want them towork. We sincerely hope you do.
Good luck and best wishes.
P.S. Because Parkinsons is closely linked to Alzheimers disease and actually goes under the dementia umbrella, we recommend you take the time to read our Powerful Natural Remedies for Dementia and Alzheimers article for a more complete and comprehensive understanding on the causes and treatments for these diseases. You can click on the link below to go there
Are There Probiotics For Parkinsons Disease
Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Our digestive systems are home to trillions of bacteria. Each type of bacteria has a slightly different genetic composition and function. Some of them serve essential roles, such as assisting with digestion, preventing inflammation, and fighting off more harmful types of bacteria. Some of them, however, can cause or exacerbate illness. Maintaining the harmony of good bacteria in the gut can improve the functioning of the enteric nervous system and the gut-brain axis.
A large body of research has suggested that probiotics serve a wide range of functions in promoting health even outside the gut. More and more evidence is stacking up in support of the beneficial effects of certain probiotic bacteria in clinical studies of neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. Of these, two species in particular are standing out as having potentially neuroprotective effects: Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum.
Lactobacillus plantarum, often designated as L. plantarum, is a type of lactic acid bacteria naturally found in fermented food and in plants. It is believed to increase the shelf life of fermented foods by suppressing the growth of bacteria that causes spoilage. Furthermore, many L. plantarum strains have the ability to produce bacteriocin, which can inhibit and even kill off spoilage-related bacteria.
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Potential Roles And Mechanistic Effects Of Probiotics
Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits to the host.37 The therapeutic and prophylactic effects of probiotic administration are thought to be mediated through a wide assortment of mechanisms, which have been well described elsewhere,37, 38, 39 and are briefly summarized here.
The host gut microbiota can be impacted by probiotic supplementation through competition , antagonism, and crossfeeding.37, 38 The formation of biofilms by probiotic bacteria promotes colonization and longer permanence in the mucosa of the host and avoids the attachment of pathogenic bacteria.40 Many probiotic strains are antagonistic toward other microorganisms due to the production of organic acids , which lower luminal pH, and also bacteriocins, which inhibit pathogens in the human gut and urinary tract.41 Interestingly, supplementation with Lactobacillus probiotics during Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy has been found to improve eradication efficacy, presumably due to their antagonistic activity against H. pylori.42 Crossfeeding between probiotic bacteria and host microbiota can promote the production of SCFAs such as butyrate in the gut, with benefits as described above.38
Currently Enrolling Clinical Trials
Additional clinical trials are needed to give more information on how to optimally use these products for PD symptoms. Quite a few are currently underway. To learn more about each trial and see if you can participate, please click each link below:
- NCT03968133 is studying a multi-strain probiotic and its effects in treating anxiety in PD
- NCT05568498 is studying a multi-strain probiotic and its effects in treating depression in PD
- NCT04293159 is studying Lactobacillus casei and its effects in treating constipation in PD
- NCT04871464 is studying Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus and their effect on motor symptoms, constipation, and sleep in PD
- NCT04722211 is studying Lactobacillus Plantarum PS128 and its effects on motor symptoms of PD
- NCT05576818 is studying Lactobacillus acidophilus and prebiotic fibers and their effects on motor symptoms of PD
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