We know that anxiety is very common in both Multiple Sclerosis/MS and Parkinson’s disease so I’m sharing this diet research opportunity in case you or someone you know can benefit.
Dr. Terry Wahls, author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (and past speaker on the Anxiety Summit) shared this diet research opportunity via her newsletter: Dr. Laurie Mischley, ND is recruiting patients for this world-wide research opportunity i.e. you can live anywhere.
Dr. Mischley was so impressed with what she had observed [in her MS diet research] that she added the Wahls Diet as one of the dietary variables to her ongoing Parkinson’s study. If any of you have family or friends with Parkinson’s or MS, please encourage them to participate in one of these studies. Dr. Mischley’s studies are unique. Her team at Bastyr University is studying patients with chronic disease and assessing several variables to see if there is a common theme among those who had the best outcomes and the slowest disease progression.
The effort is minimal–you can participate from anywhere in the world by simply completing online surveys. The surveys are given every six months and include questions about medications, diet, herbal supplements, exercise, meditation, and an array of other factors.
This information will give Dr. Mischley’s team an ever-growing data set to analyze, searching for common traits among those who have the best health and function despite having Parkinson’s or MS. Your participation would be a tremendous gift to society because it would help us better understand the impact of dietary and lifestyle factors on health outcomes and functional status for those with Parkinson’s disease or MS.
We are seeing so much promising research on diet and mental health so it makes total sense to be looking at diet for Parkinson’s and MS. Here is some of the research on diet and mental health: anxiety and hypoglycemia and the Western diet and anxiety.
Without published research, clinical practice won’t change. With published research, more clinicians will be willing to utilize diet and lifestyle therapy, restoring health to more patients around the world.
Here is the link for more on the MS study and more on the Parkinson’s study.
My husband J.J. Radley has PD early stages. On medication and I’m looking into natural oils and diet to help him and slow down PD.
Any information will be appreciated. Thank you
Trudy (nice name btw!)
I’m sorry to hear about your husband. Since The Wahls protocol is being considered for this PD study I would use this dietary approach. I’d also suggest working with a functional medicine practitioner who works with PD and get a full functional workup done. As you can see from this great blog from Chris Kresser there is much that can be done https://chriskresser.com/new-research-and-treatments-for-parkinsons-disease/
Also anxiety is a factor in 45% of those with PD so the information and protocols covered here on my blog and in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” http://amzn.to/2kptFWm will provide anxiety relief. Much of it also helps PD symptoms: addressing low zinc/high copper, low GABA (I have one PD client do really well with both GABA and tryptophan).
Any of the essential oils that are calming would be beneficial https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/lavender-roman-chamomile-neroli-essential-oils-anxiety-sleep/
I have several friends with PD. What are your thoughts on the brain surgery they are suggesting. I have one friend who is currently going thru the surgery(1 done 1 to go) and another who is planning to do it. I just wondered your thoughts. I have no medical background I just don’t like having my body cut. So I would not be excited about this option. thank you
Marcia
I assume you’re referring to Deep brain stimulation
http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/treatment/surgery-treatment-options/Deep-Brain-Stimulation
“Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure used to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms—most commonly the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking problems.
The procedure is also used to treat essential tremor, a common neurological movement disorder.
DBS does not damage healthy brain tissue by destroying nerve cells. Instead the procedure blocks electrical signals from targeted areas in the brain.
At present, the procedure is used only for patients whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medications. DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator—similar to a heart pacemaker and approximately the size of a stopwatch—to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain that control movement, blocking the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and PD symptoms.”
As you can see they are only considering medications: “At present, the procedure is used only for patients whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medications”
I don’t know much about this procedure but I would personally look for all possible root causes of the PD before considering an invasive procedure like this. But I can see how a person with PD could be tempted with the promise of a procedure like this.