Healthy Eating
For a person with Parkinson's disease, good nutrition is an important part of keeping healthy and active and maintaining good energy levels.

What to eat
A meal plan can help you to maintain a good, balanced diet of fruit and vegetables, some high-protein foods, dairy products, and cereals. It is also important to keep hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, and avoiding too many caffeinated drinks or alcohol.

Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of any healthy diet. The best sources of these are:

	fruit and vegetables
	fruit juices
	nuts
	eggs
	some cereal products

In addition to a balanced diet, multivitamin and mineral supplements can be helpful to certain people. It may be helpful to gain specialist advice from a dietician.

Changes to your digestive system
Parkinson's can change the way your body digests food, and people with Parkinson's can experience problems absorbing the nutrients they need from their food. If you experience any problems with weight loss, it is important to notify your doctor and/or dietician. If you need to put on weight, they can help you with a safe weight gain plan.

People with Parkinson's disease can unintentionally lose weight. This might be due to a combination of factors, such as a loss of taste, sense of smell and/or appetite, feelings of nausea, difficulty swallowing, and increased energy requirements. However, most patients stabilize at a lower weight.

Constipation is another common problem associated with Parkinson's disease. This is because of a slowing down of the muscle action (peristalsis) that moves food through the gut, often as a result of a combination of the condition itself and the medications used to treat it.

Constipation can sometimes be managed with dietary adjustments, such as drinking plenty of water and increasing your fiber intake. Foods such as whole grain cereals, oat flakes, fruit (especially prunes), and vegetables with edible skins are a good source of fiber. However, if you are not used to eating whole grain foods, it is recommended that you increase your intake gradually. If you are suffering from constipation, don't be embarrassed to discuss with your doctor whether medications are needed or referral to a specialist is required.

Advice to improve chewing and swallowing
Difficulty chewing and swallowing (dysphagia) tends to be a problem that occurs after someone has had Parkinson's for many years. If you experience these problems you should be referred to a speech therapist trained in evaluating swallowing disorders, who can provide recommendations tailored to your individual needs.

General measures may include changing your sitting position while eating, taking small bites and chewing well, drinking plenty of water between mouthfuls of food, and avoiding certain foods, e.g. raw vegetables and nuts that may be more difficult to chew and swallow.

Diet and Parkinson's disease medications
Importantly, your diet can also have an impact on the way your Parkinson's disease medications work, particularly levodopa preparations. It is customary for levodopa preparations to be dispensed with instructions to take with food. In fact, they may be better and faster absorbed on an empty stomach, but are often advised to be taken with food if they upset your stomach.

Part of the reason why meals can interfere with levodopa absorption is that the protein in foods may delay levodopa reaching the brain. This is because proteins are broken down into smaller molecules called amino acids, which can compete with levodopa (which is also an amino acid) for transport from the gut to the bloodstream, and from the bloodstream into the brain. Most people tolerate levodopa without nausea and are able to take their levodopa medications before meals; for some people this may be 1–2 hours before eating, whereas others find it better to take their medication 30 minutes before eating.

Some people find that avoiding high-protein foods during the day, and 'hoarding' them until the evening, helps to maintain better mobility during the day. Red meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, and eggs are all high in protein. Other individuals benefit from combining small amounts of protein with a high level of carbohydrate (e.g. fruit, bread, cereal, pasta, and other grains) throughout the day. Keeping fatty foods to a minimum may also help. Consult your healthcare professional and/or a dietician to help establish the best mealtime routine to suit your medications and daily activities.