12 Proven Ways to Fight Parkinson’s Disease

Shubhankar Dutta walked into my Clinic on a crisp autumn morning. The fallen leaves outside mirrored the changes this man in his early 60s, was experiencing within himself. A once robust and active life was slowly yielding to the relentless progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Shubhankar had first noticed a tremor in his right hand while gardening. He didn’t know it was one of the early signs of Parkinson’s, and dismissed the tremor as mere nuisance. But it later grew into a persistent companion, affecting his daily activities. He began to struggle with the simplest tasks, like buttoning his shirt, or pouring himself a cup of tea.

The silver lining was that Shubhankar recognised his problem and approached us at Wellfinity, where we take the functional medicine approach to understand and treat the root cause of the disease, rather than treating Parkinson’s symptoms with medication.

Shubhankar’s is not a rare case. In India alone, there are at least 70 lakh cases of Parkinson’s disease. And with time, the number will only grow. The need of the hour is to understand Parkinson’s disease, the importance of a holistic, integrated functional medicine approach in treating it, and some proven ways to fight against the disease progression.

Here are 12 recommendation that we gave Shubhankar to fight Parkinson’s disease

There are certain tried and tested to reduce the progression of Parkinson’s disease, especially after the early signs of Parkinson’s. They are enlisted below:

1. Optimising mitochondria health: Natural anti-oxidant phytochemicals such as Resveratrol, Luteolin, and Quercetin can potentially help in regenerating mitochondria. These antioxidant compounds are naturally found in food sources like carrots, berries, fermented papaya preparations, red wine, and oregano.
2. Dietary changes: Eliminate inflammatory foods like wheat, sugars, simple carbs, dairy, white rice and processed foods from your . Include clean proteins and healthy fats in every meal. Recent research suggests that intake of nutrient-rich foods in the form of fruits, vegetables, fish, and fiber, correlate with enhanced cognition.
3. Regular exercise: Exercise is known to reduce inflammation in the body by releasing certain hormones. Clinical trials have indicated that power training benefits motor systems and muscle strength. Treadmill training enhances balance, gait and velocity. Resistance training improves sleep quality and cognition. Pilates improve functional mobility and balance performance. Yoga is best for motor function, and dance is the most effective for alleviating depression among adults with Parkinson’s disease.
4. Stress management: Parkinson’s patients often find themselves anxious, depressed and their movement problems getting worse when they are stressed. Stress management techniques can ensure that cortisol levels are not always on alert mode as that can lead to inflammation. These techniques include physical exercise, mindfulness, journaling, spending more time outdoors in the nature, yoga, breathing, restful sleep or even counselling.
5. Sleep optimization: You should have a fixed and regular sleep schedule. Go to bed early and avoid blue light devices like smart phones, minimise exposure to light at bedtime, and remove digital alarm clocks.
6. Detoxification: Heavy metal and pesticide toxicity exacerbates Parkinson’s symptoms. Check your residence for mould and minimise exposure to pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. Be mindful of compounds like Bisphenol (BPA) and decrease the use of plastic and plastic containers. Avoid harmful home cleaning and personal care products. Consult a clinician to determine the severity of the toxic load to safely undertake detoxification protocols.
7. Hydration: Water transports nutrients, removes waste, and influences the nervous system and blood flow. Increase structured water intake and stay hydrated throughout the day. Limit alcohol, caffeine, and dehydrating foods, and consume water-rich foods.
8. Brain boosting supplements: There are several plant compounds, botanicals and supplements that have neuroprotective effects. Some such supplements that support cognitive function and mitochondrial health are Omega-3 fatty acids, Lion’s Mane mushroom, Phosphatidylserine, Tyrosine, B6, N-acetyl carnitine, CoQ10, magnesium, Vitamin D, B-complex and the broad spectrum of antioxidants.
9. Medical Cannabis: CBD can alleviate anxiety, pain and sleep issues. It can also promote weight loss, ease nausea, and improve motor function. However, it may not work for everyone.
10. Sunlight: Sunlight boosts serotonin production, and address Parkinson’s symptoms like depression, poor sleep, and fatigue. Exposure to sunlight can also help in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and promoting better sleep. It also boosts dopamine and improves movement, emotional responses, mood, attention, and motivation. Expose your skin to the sun light for a good 1-2 hours daily.
11. Grounding: Grounding (earthing) steadies the human body by removing free radicals, just as in the case of telecommunication and electrical wires. It enhances bodily functions, increases strength, reduces stress and inflammation and improves the impaired posture and balance.
12. Mindfulness, breathing and meditation: Be mindful of your breath, particularly during moments of strong emotions. Observe and truly acknowledge your present sensory experiences, including sights, sounds, and smells that often go unnoticed. Understand that your thoughts and emotions are temporary and liberate yourself from negative thought cycles.

Truly Understanding Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. That is, it is a result of slow deterioration of dopaminergic neurons, or brain neurons responsible for producing dopamine (a crucial neurotransmitter that regulates muscle movement).

It is usually accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, neuro-inflammation, and protein accumulation, which we will talk in detail below.

The disease is a persistent, advancing disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS) and is marked by Parkinson’s symptoms such as tremor, rigid muscles, postural instability, and challenges in walking, movement, and coordination.

New research has suggested that Parkinson’s may also be linked to dysfunction and inflammation in parts of the body, other than the brain. The role of deteriorating mitochondria and metabolism are often undermined in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Mitochondria are the power houses of our cells. When they do not work well due to environmental factors (epigenetic modifications), prolonged stress, and/or higher oxidative stress levels, it can cause multiple problems in the brain.

Metabolic syndrome includes several health issues such as insulin resistance, belly fat, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, inflammation, etc. These factors can lead to serious conditions like heart disease and stroke, and are also known to be contributing factors to the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease.

The conventional approach looks to ‘manage’ Parkinson’s disease with surgeries and/or medications. However, it seldom manages to arrest the disease progression and comes with a host of unpleasant side-effects.

On the contrary, recent research as identified risk factors associated with Parkinson’s that can be modified by evidence-based dietary and lifestyle changes and help in the prevention of the disease.

Holistic approach to managing Parkinson’s disease

There is no miraculous cure for Parkinson’s disease. In fact, this disease is of such a complex nature that it cannot be cured by a single therapy. The trick is to address the numerous underlying causes to improve the patient’s condition and quality of life significantly.

At Wellfinity, our team of practitioners understand your history and design a holistic, integrated and personalized plan to get you back to feeling happy, healthy and in control of your mind, body and life. The goal is to fist identify and address the root cause(s) of the degeneration, and then work on regeneration for a better quality of life. You are likely to see one or more of the following benefits:

• Enhanced speech abilities
• Increased energy levels and vitality
• Minimal tremor and better handwriting
• Improved posture and movement with less rigid muscles
• Better body balance
• Reduction in stress and fatigue

A holistic, integrated functional medicine approach with access to a varied set of experts such as a primary care doctor, neurologist, physical therapist, nutritionist, caregiver etc. is quintessential to tackle Parkinson’s disease effectively. A collaborative and varied approach works best for managing Parkinson’s and supporting those affected by it, rather than relying on one magic pill, which often does not work.

Our team of experts at Wellfinity designed a personalized protocol for Shubhankar to follow, based on these 12 recommendations. Today, he is a healthier, happier man, in better control of his mind and body. His gracious wife in particular, is very thankful for our recommendations and treatment.

Mrs. Namrata Dutta –

“I was so worried when we first noticed the tremors in Shubhankar’s hands. Life seemed like as though we were staring into a dark tunnel with no light at the other end. But the treatment suggested by Wellfinity has worked like magic on him. We had no idea that such simple changes in diet and lifestyle could show such drastic improvements. I am pleasantly surprised. Thank you, Wellfinity!”