The Must-Knows About the Mediterranean Diet for Parkinson’s

By Melissa Halas, MA, RDN, CDE

3 min read

It’s not another fad diet but a time-tested lifestyle! The Mediterranean diet for Parkinson’s is consistently suggested by dietitians as a preventative and therapeutic approach to disease management.

While it’s commonly known for its heart-healthy and diabetes-friendly benefits, the Mediterranean diet has also shown neuroprotective properties, making it a positive fuel choice for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Check out how the Mediterranean diet can help you eat your best with a brain-boosting approach to mealtime.

What is it?

It’s a lifestyle adopted from the dietary habits of Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy, Greece, and Spain. This plant-forward approach to eating consists of meals rich in whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats.¹

It also includes moderate consumption of fish, seafood, dairy, and poultry. In contrast to the American diet, red meat and sweets are infrequently consumed.¹

Unlike the saturated fat primarily found in the typical American diet, the Mediterranean diet prioritizes heart-healthy alternatives. It heavily relies on olive oil - a monounsaturated fat that can improve cholesterol levels.

Fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines are also widely consumed. These options are rich in omega-3s, which can help improve chronic inflammation, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function.^1,2

What are the benefits?

Research shows that foods consumed in the Mediterranean diet, combined with minimal intake of sugar-containing beverages, may lead to both a healthier and larger brain with age progression. ^3,4

It’s also rich in micronutrients and phytonutrients — plant-based compounds that help combat inflammation, oxidative stress, and decrease the risk of disease. Specifically, phytonutrients can help protect cognitive function by reducing amyloid accumulation, which negatively impacts neurons, the working units of the brain.⁵

Then, with a pronounced inclusion of omega-3 rich ingredients, the Mediterranean diet may also provide protective benefits against Parkinson’s disease due to its docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content. DHA may result in neuroprotective properties by combating oxidative stress and reducing dopaminergic cell death.⁶

Alleviating constipation

The truth of the matter is that the Mediterranean diet helps people with Parkinson’s disease from head to toe. Along with the cognitive benefits, this lifestyle may help alleviate constipation - one of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.⁷

After all, pooping shouldn’t be this hard. But the high-fiber nature of the Mediterranean diet may help stimulate bowel function, improve gastrointestinal health, and boost immune function.

Reducing red meat consumption

However, it’s not only about the foods included in the Mediterranean diet, but also about those that get minimized. For instance, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes a rare consumption of red meat.

While more research is needed, some studies show an association between high red meat intake and incidence of Parkinson’s disease. It has been speculated that the improper digestion of the heme content, specifically found in red meat, may increase free radical production, ultimately leading to mitochondrial damage.⁶

Easy ways to implement the diet

Okay, you are sold on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and want to give it a try. But doing a complete mealtime overhaul may feel overwhelming. Don’t fret! As the saying goes, "Rome wasn’t built in a day."

Whatever your starting point may be, making small positive changes are still steps in the right direction. If you are new to the Mediterranean game, check out these easy-to-implement ways I tell my clients to embrace this lifestyle.

Minimize animal products

While the Mediterranean diet still includes moderate consumption of lean meats, it’s not the star of the show. Instead, give the spotlight to vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds to reach nutritional needs.

Try a new recipe

If fish doesn’t float your boat, perhaps you simply haven’t found a variety or recipe that connects with your tastebuds. Look through your favorite recipe book to find one that makes your mouth water.

Fish tacos anyone? Or adjust a meal in your recipe Rolodex to include fish. Don’t forget to experiment with different food preparation methods to find your favorite. There is a fish for everyone!

Substitute saturated fats

Skip the butter and try olive oil. This simple switch adds a burst of wholesome nutrition and flavor to any dish. Use it on vegetables, lean proteins, legumes, and more.

My favorite is popcorn drizzled with cold-pressed olive oil sprinkled with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast with pepper – bellissimo!

Go with garlic

Mediterranean cuisine is no stranger to vibrant flavors. Create dishes that your tastebuds will love by incorporating garlic or a variety of herbs and spices. Garlic may serve as a brain-boosting ingredient that protects against neurological disfunction and signs of aging.⁸

Its high-sulfur content can also help improve glutathione production, which may help detoxify the body and help protect against Parkinson’s disease. Garlic provides benefits well worth the less than desired breath.⁹

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The ParkinsonsDisease.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Sedona2012 Member
Melissa,, Very informative article. As a PwP I try and follow a Mediterranean diet but hardly exactly. I do notice that the closer I stay to it the better I feel. Binging on mint chocolate ice cream bars does not work well. 
1. Dan Glass Member
 <inline-mention username="Sedona2012" user-id="4214033"/> keep up the good work! Apparently, PWP tend to have a sweet tooth. I know mine is on overload. Keep trying to avoid the temptations of yours. Thanks for reading.
Suzanne Troy Member
<inline-mention username="Melissa Halas" user-id="3085734"/> Thank you for your contribution to a healthy diet for those with Parkinson's! I'll try some of your ideas for my father age 87. All the best, Suzanne Troy, <a href='https://parkinsonsdisease.net' target='_blank'>ParkinsonsDisease.net</a> team member
CommunityMembera5b3da Member
Very good information on Mediterranean Diet.Best is Green vegetables and nuts 
1. Jessica.H Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMembera5b3da" user-id="4137771"/> glad to hear you enjoyed the article. Do you follow a Mediterranean style diet? Wishing you well. -Jessica, Team Member
Arnold Member
 I really like Melissa's article about adopting the Mediterranean diet in order to help those affected due to Parkinson's to improve their condition, most helpfully as concerns their constipation, because serious constipation is undoubtedly due to the adoption of a diet that is largely based on highly processed foods. The adoption of the Mediterranean diet, which includes copious amounts of olive oil, is likely to get but matters moving in the right direction in those regards. This leads me to ask. 'Do Parkinson's patients who live on the Mediterranean diet, experience the misery of constipation?', Then, if so it could demonstrate that it is likely to be Parkinson's related, rather than just a matter of eating rather too much of the wrong stuff. I do fully understand the awful impact of constipation due to eating bucket loads of the wrong, mostly highly processed foods for more years than I care to mention. I did at one time weigh 27 stones. Now that I am older, wiser and very nearly 74 years of age, I now weigh in at 13 stones and as you would expect having lost an incredible 14 stones, the behaviour of my digestive tract, is greatly improved. In a private conversation with a very senior doctor over the dining table, long before I become aware of my Parkinson's, I recall that he told me that everyone would benefit if they treat their dinner plate like an artist's pallet, i.e. full of colour which would be mostly made up of colourful foods, tomatoes, bell peppers, green vegetables and fruits, with only a small proportion of meats on the side, in short, a Mediterranean type diet. Taking his advice in this regard has certainly played a part in my weight loss goals, but I have to balance that by adding that the Mediterranean diet is, badly suited to living well, in the middle of the North east of England's savage, 4 month long winters. However our Mediterranean friends do eat copious amounts of red meats and great quantities of the wrong sorts of fats, in their salami and slices of ham that have more fat than lean meat, but these delights are by and large, I suspect are more right than wrong as a part of a well balanced diet and they do tend to enjoy a longer life. It would be interesting to learn about the incidence of Parkinson's in Mediterranean countries compared to other nations because this would give some clarity about what we can and should eat, better still, should not, eat if affected with Parkinson's. I am certain that diet will play a role in this medical condition, in much the same way that it effects so many other medical conditions. Trying a Mediterranean type diet may well help some folk, I don't imagine that it would do any harm. Thank you Melissa, your well thought out article does hit the right mark. Arnold Baker