The effects of Mediterranean diet on severity of disease and serum Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a single center, randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) as one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders may be affected by healthy dietary pattern. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the Mediterranean Diet (MeD) on serum Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and disease severity in PD patients.

Materials & Methods: In this single-center randomized clinical trial, patients with idiopathic PD (n = 80) were selected randomly allocated to either MeD or control group (Iranian traditional diet); an individualized dietary plan based on the MeD was designed. Serum TAC and the motor & non-motor disease aspects using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) were evaluated in two groups. Statistical Analysis of data was performed using SPSS 24.

Results: 70 PD patients with a mean age of 58.96 ± 8.7 and UDPRS of 41.66 ± 20.19 were analyzed in this study. MeD significantly increased serum TAC (P < 0.001). UPDRS score was also lowered in MeD group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Mediterranean diet seems to have some benefits in PD. as well, TAC levels can also be affected by MeD. Anyway, further studies are needed to confirm the mentioned outcomes.

Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials identifier: IRCT20141108019853N4.

KEYWORDS:

• Mediterranean diet
• MeD
• dietary intervention‌
• nutrition
• Parkinson’s disease
• antioxidants‌
• TAC‌
• clinical trial

Acknowledgements

We thank all the participants and their families in this study for spending time and wish them well. Zamzam Paknahad: Designing and conducting the study, writing the manuscript. Elham sheklabadi: gathering the data and Writing the manuscript. Akbar Hasan Zadeh: Performing statistical analyses. Ahmad Chitsaz: Subjects Approving. Amir Reza Moravejolahkami: Critical review of the manuscript for important intellectual content.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethic approval

This study was approved by the School of Nutrition & Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (code: IR.MUI.REC.1395.3.735) and registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20141108019853N4).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zamzam Paknahad

Zamzam Paknahad is a Professor of Nutrition at Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Elham Sheklabadi

Elham Sheklabadi is a M. Sc. of Nutrition at Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition & Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Amir Reza Moravejolahkami

Amir Reza Moravejolahkami is a Ph.D. Student of Nutrition, with a B.Sc. of anesthesiology (at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran). This young researcher works on a specialized Multiple Sclerosis clinic (M.S Isfahan Center) and likes to investigate the effects of nutrition on chronic auto-inflammatory disorders; from MS to Cancers. He is A BIG FAN OF SYNBIOTICS, PROBIOTICS, and PREBIOTICS.

Ahmad Chitsaz

Ahmad Chitsaz is a Professor of Neurology at Department of Neurology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Akbar Hassanzadeh

Akbar Hassanzadeh is a M. Sc. of Biostatistics at Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.