Parkinson's Disease - James Duke, Ph.D.

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Parkinson's Disease

JoAnn Guest

Dec 29, 2006 15:31 PST

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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 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.

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets