summary: A study is investigating the link between gut health and Parkinson’s disease. The study suggests that constipation, a common symptom that often appears 10 years before being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, may result from an abnormal microbiome in the gut.
Prebiotic bars have been introduced into the diets of people with Parkinson’s disease to help reduce the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms. This study may pave the way for early intervention and improved disease management.
Important facts:
- Constipation can be an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease, appearing 10 years before diagnosis.
- This study introduces prebiotic bars into the diet of patients with the aim of reducing the gastrointestinal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease by promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
- Prebiotic bars appear to relieve bowel symptoms in patients, indicating potential for further research into dietary interventions in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
sauce: Rush University
Constipation can be caused by many factors, not all of which are serious. However, it can be a sign of Parkinson’s disease. A new study by RUSH neurologist Deborah Hall, M.D., looks at how the gut and brain are connected.
Constipation is one of the early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Hall said, and can appear 10 years before the disease is diagnosed.
“In Parkinson’s disease, the gut microbiome, or bacterial composition, is abnormal. We are trying to understand whether the same microbiome abnormalities occur earlier, prior to diagnosis. The earlier we can diagnose it, the sooner we may be able to intervene in the disease.”
Research published in journals Nature Communicationsdiscusses how introducing prebiotic bars into a patient’s diet affects Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The study included both newly diagnosed patients not yet on medication and patients with more advanced disease who were actively being treated.
Dr. Hall found that bars help reduce the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with more advanced Parkinson’s disease and may be an effective strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease.
How Prebiotics Help
Constipation can be caused by leaky gut, one of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Leaky gut occurs when bad bacteria from disease damage the lining of the intestine. To reduce inflammation and combat leaky gut, you need to introduce more good bacteria. That’s where prebiotics come in.
Prebiotics help the growth of good bacteria in your gut. They contain elements called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are nutrients for good bacteria. When a patient ingests a prebiotic compound, good bacteria feed on it and proliferate. When more good bacteria are introduced into the gut, it reduces inflammation and helps normalize a leaky gut.
At this time, there are no similar SCFA ingredients on the market that Hall believes will alter the gut microbiome, so prebiotic snack bars were a good place to start.
“It’s not a drug or a surgical intervention, it’s simple,” Hall says.
Although prebiotic bars showed signs of relieving patients’ bowel symptoms, further research is needed to confirm whether the bars improve patients’ motor symptoms. To that end, Hall said he is considering another clinical trial that will include more patients and last longer than the first study’s 10 days.
Hall also wants to explore other ways to introduce prebiotics into patients’ diets. Patients in the study reported feeling fuller and eating less while incorporating the bars into their diet. In a follow-up study, Hall said he might consider creating some kind of supplement instead.
Overall, Hall says the study’s results are encouraging and will open many doors for further research to help more people with Parkinson’s disease have a better quality of life.
About this Parkinson’s Disease Research News
author: Ariana Baldassano
sauce: Rush University
contact: Ariana Baldassano – Rush University
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: open access.
“An Open-label, Nonrandomized Study Evaluating a Prebiotic Fiber Intervention in a Small Cohort of Parkinson’s Disease Participantsby Deborah Hall et al. Nature Communications
overview
An Open-label, Nonrandomized Study Evaluating a Prebiotic Fiber Intervention in a Small Cohort of Parkinson’s Disease Participants
A pro-inflammatory gut microbiota is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Because prebiotic fibers alter the microbiome, this study aimed to understand the usefulness of prebiotic fibers in PD patients.
Initial experiments demonstrated that fermenting the stool of PD patients with prebiotic fibers increased the production of beneficial metabolites (short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs) and altered the microbiota, demonstrating the ability of the PD microbiota to respond favorably to prebiotics.
An open-label, nonrandomized study was then conducted in newly diagnosed, nonmedicated patients (n= 10) and treated PD participants (n= 10) where the impact of a 10-day prebiotic intervention was assessed.
Results show that prebiotic interventions are well tolerated (primary outcome), safe (secondary outcome), and associated with beneficial biological changes in microbiota, SCFA, inflammation, and neurofilament light chains in PD participants. Exploratory analyzes have shown an impact on clinically relevant outcomes.
This proof-of-concept study provides a scientific basis for placebo-controlled trials using prebiotic fibers in PD patients.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04512599.
