Monday, January 11, 2010

And The Book Says . . .

Luckily, I already knew about most of the "natural cures" for PD.  Here are a few I have recently been enlightened about:

From Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb:

Nutritional Supplements Can Help Slow Parkinson's Disease

THIAMIN:  Boost Your Dopamine
     High levels of the B vitamin thiamin may help the brain produce dopamine, says Dr. Brauer.  He recommends 3,000 to 8,000 milligrams daily. 

ANTIOXIDANTS:  E, C, and Gluthathione to the Rescue
     One theory about the cause of Parkinson's disease says that free radicals (molecular monsters produced by a wide variety of biochemical and lifestyle factors) are oxidizing or destroying the receptor cells in the substantia nigra, a relay station in the brain between the body's muscles and the cerebellum, the area in the brain that controls movement.
     Antioxidants can block that free radical damage and perhaps slow the progress of Parkinson's.  But, says Dr. Miller, to be effective, several antioxidants must work together.
*  Vitamin C:  1,000 to 4,000 milligrams daily in three divided doses with meals.
*  Vitamin E:  600 1,200 international units daily in three divided doses with meals.
*  Glutathione:  The product Thiodox, from Allergy Research, which Dr. Miller recommends, provides a daily intake of 200 milligrams of flutathione and the nutritional co-factors necessary to make it work.

TYROSINE:  Another Dopamine Booster
  The amino acid tyrosine is an essential precursor of dopamine formation.  Dr. Miller recommends taking 500 to 1,000 milligrams of the supplement once in the morning on an empty stomach.

Great.  Just a few more things to obsessively research and pester Keith about.

2 comments:

One Life said...

LOL If you can get him to try new treatments, you're doing better than me! I still have a box of Omega-3's in the cupboard gathering dust. I think he took one as a personal favor to me. ;-)

But I keep looking, just like you. *sigh* The things we do...

Mary said...

I pretty much have to break open capsules and hide it in his food for Keith to take anything! (not that I've actually done that)