Natural Remedies for Parkinson's Disease

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Natural Remedies for Parkinson's Disease

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/bookshelf/Books/41/92.cfm

 

Back in 1991, I spent three minutes on the CBS Morning Show with

Paula Zahn. The show, which was called " Meals That Heal, " was about

one of my favorite topics, using food as medicine.

 

I happened to mention that fava beans have the potential to treat a

variety of conditions, including Parkinson's disease.

 

Shortly afterward, I received the following letter from a young

woman: " Please send me . . . any research pertaining to Parkinson's.

I coordinate a national group called Younger Parkinson People.

 

An increasing number of people are now diagnosed in their early

thirties. I am 43, diagnosed at 36. Please send any new information

that might help us. "

 

I sent the woman information on my top choice herb for treating

Parkinson's disease--fava beans. But before I discuss these tasty

and versatile beans in detail, I'd better say a word about

Parkinson's disease.

 

It's actually a group of neurological disorders characterized by

trembling and shaking, slowing of movement, loss of muscle control

and muscle rigidity.

 

An estimated 450,000 Americans have Parkinson's; most are over 60.

Among the elderly, about 1 in 200 people has Parkinson's. There are

approximately 50,000 new diagnoses each year. Men are more

susceptible than women. Parkinson's is a serious condition. Anyone

who has it should be under a naturoopathic physician's care.

 

Green Pharmacy for Parkinson's Disease

 

In addition to following your physician's advice, there are several

herbs that you might want to investigate. But if you're under a

doctor's care for Parkinson's, you'll certainly want to confer

before trying any natural therapies.

 

Here are some options.

 

Fava bean (Vicia faba). These beans are one of Nature's best plant

sources of a compound called L-dopa, the natural precursor of

dopamine in the brain. In Parkinson's, an imbalance develops in the

brain between two chemicals, dopamine and acetylcholine, usually due

to degeneration of the cells that produce dopamine. If your brain

makes less dopamine, taking L-dopa can help things along. L-dopa is

a standard therapy for Parkinson's.

 

The trouble with L-dopa is that as a pharmaceutical it's very

expensive, and lots of people with Parkinson's can't afford it.

 

But fava beans are cheap. According to my calculations, it takes

about a 16-ounce can of fava beans to get enough L-dopa to have a

physiological effect on Parkinson's.

 

At my supermarket, a 16-ounce can costs $1.15. Try buying

pharmaceutical L-dopa for anywhere near that.

 

Even more intriguing, the latest news is that fava bean sprouts

contain ten times more L-dopa than the unsprouted beans. That

reduces the cost of a physiological dose to just over 10 cents--the

cost of a handul of sprouts.

Even though I've discussed the potential of fava beans with dozens

of people over the last five years, I know of no one with

Parkinson's disease who has taken the food approach seriously.

 

If you'd like to add fava beans to your diet, it's vitally important

that you let your doctor know that you are doing so, and why. (It

might help to take along a copy of this book.)

 

Most cases of Parkinson's get off to a slow, mild start, and doctors

don't usually prescribe L-dopa until the disease is more

advanced.

 

I suspect that eating more fava beans at this early stage would be

really helpful. If you are already taking L-dopa, however, do not

start eating these beans unless you discuss it with your doctor.

 

In addition to L-dopa, fava beans (and other legumes) also contain

choline and lecithin.

 

Some research suggests that these compounds might have positive

effects in preventing Parkinson's or might help relieve some of its

symptoms.

 

Fava beans are also high in fiber, which helps prevent constipation,

a common problem in Parkinson's.

 

But as I mentioned, to get a physiologically meaningful dose of L-

dopa from fava beans, you have to eat a pound of them (or about two

ounces of sprouts).

 

If you do decide to go with the beans, you have to deal with their

notorious problem--gas.

 

For some people, beans get easier to handle intestinally as you eat

more of them. In preparation for the CBS morning show, I ate a 16-

ounce can of fava beans one day at lunch. Within two hours, the

expected side effect ensued. The next day, I ate a second can. Again

I became gassy, but not until four hours later. By the third can, on

day three, my gut seemed to have adjusted, and gas wasn't much of a

problem.

 

So, bean eaters, there is hope. And if your gut doesn't adjust, you

can try Beano, an over-the-counter product that helps reduce

flatulence from beans. It's available at most drugstores; just

follow the directions on the label.

 

Velvet bean (Mucuna, various species). Like fava beans, velvet beans

contain a generous amount of L-dopa, around 50,000 parts per

million. But unlike fava beans, velvet beans have actually been used

in clinical trials to treat Parkinson's.

 

The study with velvet beans was done by researchers at Southern

Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield under the

leadership of B. V. Manyam, M.D. The researchers used a velvet bean

preparation called HP-0, which is derived from the inner part of the

bean. The HP-0 was standardized so that each gram of the preparation

contained 33.33 milligrams of L-dopa.

 

From the trials, researchers concluded that their bean preparation

was effective. Unfortunately, as far as I know, this preparation is

still proprietary and experimental, so it's not available. But plain

old velvet beans are. Like fava beans, they are high in fiber.

 

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). Evening primrose oil (EPO)

improved Parkinson's-induced tremors in 55 percent of those who took

the equivalent of two teaspoons a day for several months. The oil

contains traces of the amino acid tryptophan, which boosts the

effectiveness of L-dopa. (Ground evening primrose seeds contain even

more.)

 

Melvyn Werbach, M.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at

the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine and

author of Nutritional Influences on Illness, suggests taking two

grams of tryptophan three times a day in combination with L-dopa for

treating Parkinson's. Unfortunately, you can't get a tryptophan

supplement because the Food and Drug Administraion banned it some

years ago after a batch turned out to be contaminated. While you can

still get tryptophan in evening primrose seeds, it would take nearly

a quarter-pound of seeds to provide two grams of tryptophan.

 

As far as I'm concerned, every little bit helps. I think taking a

couple of teaspoons of EPO a day or including ground seeds in your

baked goods might be helpful.

 

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Ginkgo is more widely used in stroke

recovery and to treat Alzheimer's disease, but I believe it may also

help with Parkinson's, because it improves blood circulation through

the brain, delivering more L-dopa where it's needed. I suggest

trying three capsules a day, each containing 300 to 500 milligrams

of a standardized 50:1 ginkgo extract with 25 percent flavonoids.

(This information will be on the label.) Just be aware that more

than 240 milligrams a day may cause diarrhea, irritability and

restlessness. If you experience any of these symptoms, try a lower

dose.

 

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). Two herbalists whom I

particularly respect, David Hoffmann, author of The Herbal Handbook,

and Michael Tierra, recommend passionflower for treating Parkinson's

disease. Many other herbalists do, too. Passionflower contains two

reportedly effective anti-Parkinson's compounds--harmine and

harmaline alkaloids. If I had Parkinson's, I would take 10 to 30

drops three times a day of a standardized tincture containing 0.7

percent flavonoids. (Again, you'll find this information on the

label.)

 

 

Passionflower

Passionflower, which is more widely used in Europe than in its

homeland, America, may help combat Parkinson's disease.

 

 

 

St.-John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum). It's a curious thing:

Smokers have an unusually low risk of Parkinson's.

 

Why? Apparently it's because nicotine increases the release of

dopamine in the brain. Meanwhile, the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO)

depresses dopamine, so it would make sense that medications that

inhibit MAO (MAO inhibitors) would boost dopamine and decrease

Parkinson's risk, just as nicotine does.

 

MAO inhibitors are a major class of antidepressant medications, and

St.-John's-wort is one reported herbal MAO inhibitor. If I had

Parkinson's, I'd try a St.-John's-wort tincture standardized to 0.1

percent hypericin and take 20 to 30 drops three times a day.

Remember, though, that if you take an MAO inhibitor, whether

pharmaceutical or herbal, on a regular basis, there is the

possibility of interaction with some foods and medications. You

should avoid alcoholic beverages and smoked or pickled foods, as

well as cold and hay fever remedies, amphetamines, narcotics,

tryptophan and tyrosine. You should not take St.-John's-wort if

you're pregnant, and you should avoid intense sun exposure while

using it, since this herb can make the skin more sensitive to

sunlight.

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