What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder and the symptoms are tremors, rigidity, slow movement, poor balance and difficulty in walking. In the most common idiopathic Parkinson’s disease the cause is unknown and in the other forms, a cause is known or at least suspected.

Parkinson’s disease results from the degeneration of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain and dopamine is the neurotransmitter which stimulates motor neurons, those nerve cells which control the muscles.

Millions of people in our world are affected by this disease, the average age of onset of this disease is sixty, but 5% to 10% patients experience symptoms before the age of forty.

A genetic predisposition for Parkinson’s disease may be possible and the risk increases with age.

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is not known, but many researchers believe that several factors like oxygen and other free radicals, environmental toxins, genetic predisposition and accelerated aging together may be the culprits.

Any oxidation in our body can damage nerve cells and the antioxidants from our food normally protect cells from oxidative stress and damage. Drugs, chemicals and other environmental toxins such as pesticides which inhibit dopamine production can produce huge amounts of free radicals which can cause oxidation damage and the genetic factor plays a role in 20% of the patients.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease and the treatment is the administration of drugs to relieve symptoms.

The drugs and drug groups used are levodopa and carbidopa, dopamine agonists, amantadine, MAO-B inhibitors, anticholinergics and catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors.

What are the foods that make me alert?

Meals which contain protein, low fat foods and carbohydrates with fibres are the best foods for alertness. During midday the concentration of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine are low in brain and if we supply tyrosine from protein and the brain becomes alert.

What are the foods good for brain alertness? Foods which are rich in protein are poultry without skin, turkey, lean meat, low fat cheese, skimmed milk, low fat yoghurt, dried beans, fish and shellfish.

Milk, eggs and meat contain choline and adults performed better memory tests after eating foods containing choline. If you have an interview, presentation or examination, think of these foods.
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Prunes contain antioxidants and this can scavenge the reactive oxygen free radicals linked to memory loss and mental deterioration better.

Whole grains carbohydrates can give you brain memory-enhancing simple sugar.

Broccoli, avocadoes, grape juice and apples contain boron, which is responsible for hand-eye co-ordination, attention and short term memory.

Apples, soya milk, yoghurt and oranges have slow digesting carbohydrates and can supply a steady source of energy to our body.

Sardine, salmon and other young cold-water fish contain proteins which can supply tyrosine to produce the two alertness neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine. This has vitamin B12 as well as omega-3 fatty acids which may help in preventing depression. Omega-3 fatty acids raise also serotonin level in the brain which can regulate mood and reduces irritability.

Sunflower seeds contain magnesium and it helps to maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps the heart rhythm steady and is also important in energy metabolism.

Capsaicin, the hot substance in the hot chillies can lift our mood because chilli produces pain in the nerve endings of the tongue and mouth, and getting this false information, the brain secretes the natural painkillers or endorphins. Each bite of the hot chilli gives one more dose of the mood lifting endorphins.

Chocolates can release endorphins into the brain which contain phenyl ethylamine.

Iron deficiency makes you very tired and so do not forget to include these foods in your meals which are red meat, poultry, turkey, raisins, dried apricots and legumes.

Caffeine in moderate amount helps you to improve your mood and performance but too much gives only a negative result.

Selenium may also improve our mood but the exact mechanism is not yet clear.