ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

[Guest guest]

ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

By

Special to DG News

HELSINKI, FINLAND -- August 1, 2001 -- Absorption of levodopa from the gastrointestinal tract of patients with Parkinson's disease is not impaired by a normal protein diet, says Francois Viallet, MD, of the Centre Hospitale and Faculty of Medicine in Marseille, France.

"A low protein diet is often recommended to PD patients," said Dr. Viallet at the 14th International Congress on Parkinson's Disease in Helsinki, yesterday, July 31st. Levodopa is absorbed via an amino acid transporter in the gut, and high protein diets can slow uptake. However, said Dr. Viallet, "actual improvement of motor fluctuations remains modest" on a low-protein diet when compared to a normal protein diet.

Since this hypothesis is counter to the conventional wisdom, Dr. Viallet compared pharmacokinetic parameters in 20 PD patients eating a breakfast containing 7.5 mg protein, and lunch with 40 mg, each accompanied by the patient's normal levodopa dose, followed by periodic blood sampling. Neither the maximum plasma concentration nor the time to that maximum were different between the two tests, while the "area under the curve" was slightly higher following the noon meal, "probably due to the slightly higher noon-time levodopa intake," Dr. Viallet explained.

Given these results, Dr. Viallet speculated that the observed changes of levodopa pharmacodynamics with high concentrations of dietary protein probably are due to impaired transport into the brain, rather than from the gut, and suggested that low-protein diets may not be a significant aid to improvement of levodopa uptake.

[Guest guest]

Bill:

I'll take your word on it )

Hey! isn't it pass your bed time? Been out partying again I see ;o)

Take Care

Vera

***********

Vera,

I hope someone takes that researcher to task for wasting money. The problem is

NOT getting levodopa into the blood, it is getting the levodopa into the brain

before it turns to dopamine. Protein slows the levodopa from entering the

brain and allows more to turn into dopamine before getting into the brain.

Since dopamine can not cross the blood/brain barrier, it does no good in the

blood.

He makes that statement in the last paragraph, but then draws a dumb

conclusion. You do NOT want a low protein diet as that is bad for the body,

you want to eat the protein at the correct time and eat more at night when you

want to lie down and can afford an "OFF" period. Most patients eat their

protein after 6 PM or 45 minutes after taking the levodopa and at least two

hours before taking the next levodopa.

There have also been studing which show that eating protein in the ratio of 1

gram protein to 7 grams of carbohydrates seems to lessen the effect of the

protein on the ability to get it into the brain. This has all been documented

before, so I see no earthly good to this research.

Take care, Bill Werre

[Guest guest]

Vera,

I hope someone takes that researcher to task for wasting money. The problem is

NOT getting levodopa into the blood, it is getting the levodopa into the brain

before it turns to dopamine. Protein slows the levodopa from entering the brain

and allows more to turn into dopamine before getting into the brain. Since

dopamine can not cross the blood/brain barrier, it does no good in the blood.

He makes that statement in the last paragraph, but then draws a dumb conclusion.

You do NOT want a low protein diet as that is bad for the body, you want to eat

the protein at the correct time and eat more at night when you want to lie down

and can afford an " OFF " period. Most patients eat their protein after 6 PM or

45 minutes after taking the levodopa and at least two hours before taking the

next levodopa.

There have also been studing which show that eating protein in the ratio of 1

gram protein to 7 grams of carbohydrates seems to lessen the effect of the

protein on the ability to get it into the brain. This has all been documented

before, so I see no earthly good to this research.

Take care, Bill Werre

================================================

>

> From: FVJAMES@...

> Date: 2002/08/10 Sat AM 02:07:00 CDT

> To: shydrager

> Subject: ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

>

>

>

>

> http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/202732.htm " >ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not

Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

>

>

> ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

>

> By

> Special to DG News

> HELSINKI, FINLAND -- August 1, 2001 -- Absorption of levodopa from the

> gastrointestinal tract of patients with Parkinson's disease is not impaired

> by a normal protein diet, says Francois Viallet, MD, of the Centre Hospitale

> and Faculty of Medicine in Marseille, France.

> " A low protein diet is often recommended to PD patients, " said Dr. Viallet at

> the 14th International Congress on Parkinson's Disease in Helsinki,

> yesterday, July 31st. Levodopa is absorbed via an amino acid transporter in

> the gut, and high protein diets can slow uptake. However, said Dr. Viallet,

> " actual improvement of motor fluctuations remains modest " on a low-protein

> diet when compared to a normal protein diet.

> Since this hypothesis is counter to the conventional wisdom, Dr. Viallet

> compared pharmacokinetic parameters in 20 PD patients eating a breakfast

> containing 7.5 mg protein, and lunch with 40 mg, each accompanied by the

> patient's normal levodopa dose, followed by periodic blood sampling. Neither

> the maximum plasma concentration nor the time to that maximum were different

> between the two tests, while the " area under the curve " was slightly higher

> following the noon meal, " probably due to the slightly higher noon-time

> levodopa intake, " Dr. Viallet explained.

> Given these results, Dr. Viallet speculated that the observed changes of

> levodopa pharmacodynamics with high concentrations of dietary protein

> probably are due to impaired transport into the brain, rather than from the

> gut, and suggested that low-protein diets may not be a significant aid to

> improvement of levodopa uptake.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

ICPD: Levodopa Uptake Not Impaired by Normal Protein Diet

By

Special to DG News

HELSINKI, FINLAND -- August 1, 2001 -- Absorption of levodopa from the gastrointestinal tract of patients with Parkinson's disease is not impaired by a normal protein diet, says Francois Viallet, MD, of the Centre Hospitale and Faculty of Medicine in Marseille, France.

"A low protein diet is often recommended to PD patients," said Dr. Viallet at the 14th International Congress on Parkinson's Disease in Helsinki, yesterday, July 31st. Levodopa is absorbed via an amino acid transporter in the gut, and high protein diets can slow uptake. However, said Dr. Viallet, "actual improvement of motor fluctuations remains modest" on a low-protein diet when compared to a normal protein diet.

Since this hypothesis is counter to the conventional wisdom, Dr. Viallet compared pharmacokinetic parameters in 20 PD patients eating a breakfast containing 7.5 mg protein, and lunch with 40 mg, each accompanied by the patient's normal levodopa dose, followed by periodic blood sampling. Neither the maximum plasma concentration nor the time to that maximum were different between the two tests, while the "area under the curve" was slightly higher following the noon meal, "probably due to the slightly higher noon-time levodopa intake," Dr. Viallet explained.

Given these results, Dr. Viallet speculated that the observed changes of levodopa pharmacodynamics with high concentrations of dietary protein probably are due to impaired transport into the brain, rather than from the gut, and suggested that low-protein diets may not be a significant aid to improvement of levodopa uptake.

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