Proteins and their interaction with Parkinson‘s medication
It is worth noting that protein intake in your nutrition can interact with oral Parkinson’s disease medication. Levodopa, one of the most common prescribed medication for Parkinson’s disease, relies on the absorption of amino acids from the diet. Consuming high-protein meals alongside with levodopa may reduce its effectiveness, as proteins can compete with the medication for the absorption in the duodenal system. Therefore, it is important to maintain a time interval for taking levodopa before a meal for at least 30 minutes and after a meal for about 90 minutes.
It’s not recommended to reduce the daily protein intake or even avoid it in meals. It is absolutely important and needed to build muscle fibres, hormones and to maintain a functioning immune defense. High-protein meals can be shifted to moments, when not much movement is need – e.g.in the evening, after work….
Please note, that it makes no difference for your nutrition if the protein comes from animal products such as meat or cheese, or from vegetable sources like legumes or oatmeal. Regarding the effect of the medication, both protein sources inhibit the absorption of Levodopa.
