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4 Natural Ways to Prevent Parkinson’s Disease

Help your brain with these everyday tips.

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Every year, 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s — a nervous system disease that makes things we usually take for granted like washing dishes, using a fork and even talking extremely difficult. Thankfully, new research has uncovered some powerful — yet simple — preventive strategies.

Take vitamin D and fish oil.

Taking 3,000 IU of vitamin D plus 2,000 mg. of fish oil daily cuts your risk of Parkinson’s disease in half. “These nutrients activate hundreds of protective, healing enzymes inside your brain,” explains neurologist David Perlmutter, M.D. Click here for some of our favorite vitamin D supplements.

Eat fruit.

Apples, oranges and berries are rich in flavonoids — compounds that help repair damaged brain cells before they can form the clumps that often precede Parkinson’s disease. Enjoying a heaping one-cup serving of these fruits daily cuts your Parkinson’s disease risk 35 percent, say Harvard researchers.

Snack on red-skinned peanuts.

They’re one of nature’s richest sources of resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps prevent Parkinson’s disease by strengthening your brain’s defenses against environmental toxins, Stanford University research shows. The study-proven dose: one to two ounces of peanuts (with the resveratrol-rich red skins) daily. Other top sources of resveratrol: red wine, purple grape juice, and purple and red grapes.

Drink coffee or tea.

Sipping two cups of caffeinated coffee or three cups of strong tea daily cuts your risk of Parkinson’s 30 percent, say Harvard researchers.

Avoiding caffeine? Taking one regular-strength painkiller daily also works. “Caffeine and painkillers both prevent nerve-damaging brain inflammation,” says Dr. Perlmutter.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Woman’s World.

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