Objective: The Plants for Parkinson trial aims to investigate whether prolonged adherence to a plant-based and whole foods-derived dietary pattern can alleviate motor- and gastrointestinal symptoms in PD.

Background: The gastrointestinal tract is implied in the aetiology and progression of PD through prodromal emergence of gastrointestinal symptoms, suggested involvement in body-first spreading of a-synuclein pathology, and contribution to neuroinflammation and subsequent neurodegeneration through intestinal leakage of inflammatory cytokines. 

The potential of dietary intervention as non-pharmacological treatment in PD is underscored by its potential in alleviating dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and intestinal permeability. By rescuing delayed gastric emptying in PD through adequate fiber intake, this intervention also works to improve the uptake of levodopa. Despite this, no large long-term clinical trials investigating plant-based diets in PD have thus far been conducted. To this end, the Plants for Parkinson trial was designed to report on the potential of plant-based dietary intervention in PD.

Method: In this trial, 118 early PD patients will follow a dietary pattern consisting of plant-based and largely untreated foodstuffs for 6 months. Dietary adherence will be supported by regular consultations with a dietician, exemplary recipes, a cooking workshop, and practical and theoretical information about plant-based diets in PD.

118 PD patients will function as control and continue to follow their original dietary pattern. Participants will receive vitamin supplements to prevent deficiencies. After 6 months, dietary guidance will cease, and long-term effects and implementation of the diet will be assessed through an intention-to-treat analysis during a 6-month follow-up. In addition to motor and neuropsychological tests, blood and fecal samples will be taken for analysis of biomarkers, aiming to elucidate the biological pathways underlying symptomatic changes.

The primary outcomes are clinically relevant changes on the MDS-UPDRS part III and the Wexner Constipation Scoring System. Additional parameters include the MDS-UPDRS parts I & II, PDQ-39, and digital biomarkers.

Taken together, the Plants for Parkinson study provides an educated and thorough investigation of the potential effects of plant-based dietary interventions on PD pathology and progression.

Results: –

Conclusion: –

References: Ó Breasail, M., Smith, M. D., Tenison, E., Henderson, E. J., & Lithander, F. E. (2021). Parkinson’s disease: the nutrition perspective. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 81(1), 12-26. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665121003645

Knudsen, K., Fedorova, T. D., Bekker, A. C., Iversen, P., Østergaard, K., Krogh, K., & Borghammer, P. (2017). Objective Colonic Dysfunction is Far more Prevalent than Subjective Constipation in Parkinson’s Disease: A Colon Transit and Volume Study. Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, 7(2), 359-367. doi.org/10.3233/jpd-161050

Boertien, J. M., Murtomäki, K., Pereira, P. A., van der Zee, S., Mertsalmi, T. H., Levo, R., … & van Laar, T. (2022). Fecal microbiome alterations in treatment-naive de novo Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson’s Disease, 8(1), 129.

Hurley, M. J., Menozzi, E., Koletsi, S., Bates, R., Gegg, M. E., Chau, K.-Y., Blottière, H. M., Macnaughtan, J., & Schapira, A. H. V. (2023). α-Synuclein expression in response to bacterial ligands and metabolites in gut enteroendocrine cells: an in vitro proof of concept study. Brain Communications, 5(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad285

Xie, Y., Cai, L., Ding, M., Shan, K., Zhao, D., Zhou, G., & Li, C. (2023). Plant-based meat analogues enhance the gastrointestinal motility function and appetite of mice by specific volatile compounds and peptides. Food Research International, 174, 113551. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113551

Mischley, L. K., & Murawska, M. (2025). Beyond MIND and mediterranean diets: designing a diet to optimize Parkinson’s disease outcomes. Nutrients, 17(14), 2330.

« Back to 2026 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-clinical-and-biological-effects-of-a-whole-foods-and-plant-based-dietary-intervention-in-parkinsons-disease/