Diet, the gut microbiome, and Parkinson's disease

The gut is a leading candidate for where Parkinson’s disease (PD) begins, and diet is the most direct lever on the gut microbiome. I study how diet relates to PD symptoms and to microbial composition and function in PD.

Diet quality in PD

In a case-control study in central California, PD patients had lower diet quality than household and community controls, with higher intakes of added sugar and trans fats and lower intakes of fiber and unsaturated fat. Among patients, lower diet quality was associated with chronic constipation, and those on higher dopamine agonist doses consumed more sugar.

Diet and the gut microbiome

Among PD patients in central California, higher diet quality and fiber intake were associated with more putative anti-inflammatory, butyrate-producing bacteria, whereas higher added sugar intake was associated with more putative pro-inflammatory bacteria. Predicted metagenomic profiles pointed the same way, with fewer bacterial genes for lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis among patients with healthier diets.

Together, these findings suggest that a healthy diet may support a gut environment with less inflammation in PD.

Selected references

Kwon D, …, Ritz B. Diet quality and Parkinson’s disease: Potential strategies for non-motor symptom management. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. 2023.

Kwon D, …, Ritz B. Diet and the gut microbiome in patients with Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson’s Disease. 2024.