Keto and Parkinson’s Disease
Keto Medicine
Keto and Neurological Diseases (Parkinson’s Disease)
Article by the Keto doctors Dr. Brigitte Karner and Dr. Wolfgang Karner
Parkinson’s disease (shaking palsy) develops due to a slow, progressive loss of nerve cells in the brain. In addition to motor symptoms such as slowing of movement processes (akinesia), stiffness of the limbs (rigidity), and tremor at rest (resting tremor), further symptoms may occur, including sleep disturbances, autonomic dysfunction, psychological problems, depression, exhaustion, and cognitive changes.
Parkinson’s: One of the Most Common Neurological Diseases Worldwide
About 1% of the world’s population suffers from Parkinson’s disease, making it the second most common neurological disorder after Alzheimer’s dementia. The cause of the disease is the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the substantia nigra, which leads to a dopamine deficiency. As a result, signal transmission in the brain is disrupted, and movement disorders occur. Early symptoms of Parkinson’s can include mood swings, loss of the sense of smell, and constipation. Levodopa is often used for treatment to compensate for dopamine deficiency, but the medication can have many side effects.
Causes and Connection with Insulin Resistance
Although the exact causes of Parkinson’s disease are still not fully understood, there is evidence that a high-carbohydrate diet and increased insulin secretion can trigger dopamine-related changes in the brain. Studies show that people with the highest insulin levels have lower dopamine production. Additionally, the connection between Parkinson’s and insulin resistance is well documented: about 80% of Parkinson’s patients have insulin resistance or prediabetes.
This leads to the idea of combating insulin resistance through a ketogenic diet. This dietary approach has neuroprotective properties and could positively influence the disease. Similar to Alzheimer’s, glucose uptake in the brain is impaired in Parkinson’s disease, which means ketones may help bridge the brain’s energy crisis.
Ketogenic Nutrition as a Therapeutic Approach
In Parkinson’s disease, nerve cells are particularly dependent on ketone bodies because the mitochondria are damaged. An increased supply of ketones has a positive effect on the disrupted metabolic processes and can significantly reduce the loss of nerve cells. A research team led by Dr. Henrich at the University Hospital of Marburg is currently examining the effects of a ketogenic diet on Parkinson’s disease in a three-year research project. The results so far are promising, although more extensive data is still pending.
Dr. M. Tidmann from AT Still University conducted a pilot study with 16 Parkinson’s patients, in which all variables of the UPDRS scores (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale) showed improvement. Among the noted improvements were reductions in brain fog, depressive symptoms, as well as better cognition and mood. A larger, randomized, double-blind study (RCT) is currently in preparation.
Important Supplements and Medical Supervision
For patients with Parkinson’s disease, a ketogenic diet should ideally be enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and MCT oil in order to achieve the best possible therapeutic effect. However, such treatment must always be medically supervised to optimally support disease progression and to monitor any potential side effects.
Our patients with Parkinson’s disease (tremor paralysis) have achieved impressive results with our keto-based medical treatment.
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Scientific studies on ketogenic nutrition and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease
– Parkinson’s disease, insulin resistance and novel agents of neuroprotection
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– Reduced insulin sensitivity is related to less endogenous dopamine at D2/3 receptors in the ventral striatum of healthy nonobese humans
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– Phillips M.C.L., Murtagh D.K.J., Gilbertson L.J., Asztely F.J.S., Lynch C.D.P. Low-fat versus ketogenic diet in Parkinson’s disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Mov. Disord. 2018;33:1306–1314. doi: 10.1002/mds.27390
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– Shaafi S., Najmi S., Aliasgharpour H., Mahmoudi J., Sadigh-Etemad S., Farhoudi M., Baniasadi N. The efficacy of the ketogenic diet on motor functions in Parkinson’s disease: A rat model. Iran. J. Neurol. 2016;15:63–69.
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– Stafstrom CE, Rho JM. The ketogenic diet as a treatment paradigm for diverse neurological disorders. Front Pharmacol. 2012 Apr 9;3:59. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00059
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– Vanitallie T.B., Nonas C., Di Rocco A., Boyar K., Hyams K., Heymsfield S.B. Treatment of Parkinson’s disease with diet-induced hyperketonemia: A feasibility study. Neurology. 2005;64:728–730. doi: 10.1212/01
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– Wlodarek D. Role of Ketogenic Diets in Neurodegenerative Diseases (Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease). Nutrients. 2019 Jan; 11(1): 169.
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