What to Eat and Avoid with Parkinson’s Disease

Medically reviewed by Heidi Moawad, M.D. — Written by Ellen Landes, MS, RDN, CPT and Kathryn Watson — Updated on July 22, 2025

Key takeaways

• There is no specific diet for Parkinson’s, but including foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids may help ease symptoms and slow disease progression.
• Foods high in saturated fats and heavily processed items may worsen Parkinson’s symptoms, so consider limiting or avoiding them.
• Embracing dietary strategies like the Mediterranean or MIND diets, along with staying hydrated and exercising, may benefit those managing Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease affects nearly 1 million people in the United States, and the number of new diagnoses each year is rising.

Symptoms vary from person to person but commonly include muscle spasms, tremors, and soreness. Researchers are still investigating the causes and triggers that activate Parkinson’s.

Since there’s no cure for Parkinson’s, and the drugs prescribed to manage symptoms sometimes have side effects, some people may be interested in complementary remedies.

Here, we’ll explore how diet can affect people with Parkinson’s, as well as which foods may help or worsen symptoms.

The role of diet in Parkinson’s

While diet won’t cure Parkinson’s, early research suggests that certain dietary changes may help relieve symptoms for some people.

Because research links Parkinson’s to a lack of dopamine in your body, scientists are looking for ways to increase dopamine naturally through your diet.

Diet may also help your body handle Parkinson’s medications better. Research suggests that diet may play a role in boosting the efficacy of drugs like levodopa and in helping to manage side effects.

Lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise, may also help reduce cognitive symptoms of Parkinson’s, like dementia and confusion, and slow disease progression.

Foods high in antioxidants may also help reduce oxidative stress in your brain, which may be responsible for some of the mental decline seen in Parkinson’s.

Additionally, you may be able to relieve constipation — another potential symptom — with fiber supplements and probiotics, although research is mixed.

Finally, taking magnesium may relieve muscle cramps that can occur in Parkinson’s, though supporting research is lacking. Still, scientists think low levels of this mineral may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s, so magnesium remains important.

Overall, further research is necessary.