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Updated on: September 30, 2026
⏱ 13 min read
The gut is a key factor in our overall health and is linked to chronic conditions such as obesity, sleep problems and depression.
Parkinson's is a disease of the central nervous system. Its hallmark is slowed movement combined with tremor at rest, muscle stiffness or both (Bloem et al., 2021). In most people with Parkinson's, no single cause can be found (idiopathic Parkinson's disease).
Some scientists published their research findings in the specialist journal "Neuron". They believe that Parkinson's may originate in intestinal cells and travel to the brain via the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the abdomen.
If this is the case, completely new ways of prevention and treatment open up, starting with strengthening intestinal health. Of course, other factors that contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease should not be ignored.
In most cases, several factors come together. Only 3 to 5 % of cases can be traced back to a single known gene change. In addition, around 90 genetic risk variants together explain part of the inherited risk. Having a relative with Parkinson's or tremor at least doubles the risk, and so does constipation (Bloem et al., 2021). Environmental factors such as pesticides also play a part (see below). The typical movement problems are often preceded by a long early phase in which other symptoms, such as constipation, already appear.
If you want to support your gut, fiber and lactic acid bacteria are the most important building blocks. In people with Parkinson's and constipation, probiotics improved bowel movements in two placebo-controlled trials (more on this below). The Intestinal Cure Package combines probiotics with psyllium capsules that provide fiber and digestive enzymes, plus vegan omega-3. If you have Parkinson's, talk to your neurologist before you start taking it.
Alpha-synuclein is a protein that is naturally present in the human body. If proteins are folded incorrectly, they can clump together and damage nerve cells. These protein deposits inside nerve cells are called Lewy bodies. When nerve cells die as a result, Parkinson's symptoms such as movement and speech disorders develop.
In 2003, research by German neuroanatomist Dr. Heiko Braak suggested for the first time that Parkinson's could have its origins in the gastrointestinal tract.
The study presented was conducted on mice and provides "the first experimental evidence that Parkinson's begins in the gut and spreads via the vagus nerve," study author Dr. Ted Dawson, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told the Guardian.
Researchers injected misfolded alpha-synuclein into the intestines of healthy mice and then tracked its path through the body. The abnormal deposits appeared first in the brain stem and only much later in the amygdala and in the substantia nigra, the area of the midbrain where dopamine-producing cells die in Parkinson's. Dopamine nerve cells were lost in the same order, and the animals developed movement problems and other symptoms (Kim et al., 2019).
Next, the researchers injected the misfolded proteins into the intestines of mice with a severed vagus nerve. After seven months, there were no signs of cell death in the brains of the mice. Apparently, the proteins were unable to reach the brain. The study also examined behavioral changes in the individual groups of mice, such as their nest-building abilities.
After seven months, it was found that the mice that had received the misfolded proteins and had an intact vagus nerve built smaller, messier nests - a sign of problems with movement control. Mice that did not receive the injection, as well as the mice that received the injection but had their vagus nerve severed, consistently scored higher in nest-building activity.
Mice with an intact vagus nerve that received the proteins showed memory difficulties and anxiety. The scientists were unable to detect these symptoms in mice in control groups. "Our study supports the Braak hypothesis in the genesis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease," the researchers concluded.
Dawson added to Medical News Today: "In this model, the disease originated in the gut. This allows scientists to study the full spectrum and time course of Parkinson's pathogenesis" and potentially find ways to halt the progression of symptoms.
Further evidence that Parkinson's can begin in the gut and reach the brain via the vagus nerve comes from a study of people whose vagus nerve had been surgically cut (vagotomy). This operation used to be common in patients with stomach ulcers to reduce the production of stomach acid.
Using the national registers in Sweden, researchers compared the data of 9,430 people who had a vagotomy between 1970 and 2010 with the data of 377,200 people who did not have this operation. Although the scientists found no difference in the total number of people who developed Parkinson's over time, after further analysis they discovered an interesting correlation.
In a truncal vagotomy, the main trunk of the nerve is cut, while a selective vagotomy only cuts individual branches. If a truncal vagotomy had taken place at least five years before diagnosis, the risk of Parkinson's was 41 percent lower. Selective vagotomy was not linked to the risk in any analysis (Liu et al., 2017).
Further research published in 2016 also established a functional link between gut bacteria and Parkinson-like symptoms in mice. Using mice in which overexpression of alpha-synuclein was initiated, the researchers found that "gut microbial flora is required for motor deficits, microglial activation and αSyn[protein α-synuclein] pathology."
The study also showed that antibiotic treatment eased the symptoms in adult animals, while recolonization with gut bacteria made them worse. This suggests that signaling between the gut and the brain influences the course of the disease (Sampson et al., 2016). The study also made further findings, including:
The researchers came to the following conclusion: "These results show that gut bacteria can regulate movement disorders in mice and suggest that changes in the human microbiome are a risk factor for Parkinson's disease." This link makes sense, as digestive symptoms such as constipation often appear years before the movement problems.
Constipation is one of the earliest symptoms of Parkinson's. People with constipation are at least twice as likely to develop Parkinson's later on (Bloem et al., 2021).
Two placebo-controlled trials have tested probiotics for constipation in Parkinson's. In an Italian trial with 120 participants, a fermented milk drink with several bacterial strains and prebiotic fiber led to more complete bowel movements than placebo after four weeks: on average 1.2 extra bowel movements per week compared with 0.1 (Barichella et al., 2016). In a trial from Malaysia with 72 participants, multi-strain probiotic capsules increased spontaneous bowel movements by one per week, while they fell slightly with placebo. Stool consistency and constipation-related quality of life also improved (Tan et al., 2021). The Intestinal Cure Package brings both building blocks together: probiotics and fiber from psyllium.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is common in Parkinson's. In a meta-analysis of eleven studies with 973 participants, around half of the people with Parkinson's tested positive, and SIBO was about five times as common as in healthy people (Li et al., 2021). Whether it needs to be treated is decided by a doctor after a breath test.
Stool transplants (fecal microbiota transplantation) are being tested in studies. In a Finnish trial with 48 participants, a single transplant did not improve Parkinson's symptoms more than placebo but caused more digestive side effects (Scheperjans et al., 2024). A meta-analysis of eight studies with 220 participants found improvements in movement and constipation, but they were short-lived. The authors call for larger trials (Pereira et al., 2026).
Dietary protein is broken down into amino acids in the gut, and these compete with levodopa for absorption into the blood and the brain (Rusch et al., 2023). When levodopa was taken after a meal, it reached the blood later, and its effect started later and wore off sooner (Contin et al., 1998). That is why the timing of levodopa and protein-rich meals matters. Your neurologist sets the exact schedule. Simply cutting out protein is not the answer, because a very low-protein diet can lead to unwanted weight loss (Rusch et al., 2023).
The seeds of the velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) naturally contain levodopa. In a small study with eight people with Parkinson's, a high dose of mucuna powder led to peak levodopa levels in the blood that were more than twice as high as with a standard tablet (Katzenschlager et al., 2004). Taken on top of Parkinson's medication, mucuna can therefore raise the amount of levodopa in the body in an uncontrolled way. Only take mucuna and other supplements after talking to your neurologist.
Parkinson's cannot be cured so far, and no therapy can slow down or stop its progression. Medication relieves the symptoms, and levodopa is the most commonly used first-line drug (Bloem et al., 2021). If Parkinson's medication is stopped suddenly, an akinetic crisis can follow: mobility collapses, the body becomes rigid, and fever and impaired consciousness often follow. This is a rare but life-threatening emergency (Pötter-Nerger et al., 2024). Only change doses and timing together with your doctor, even when you change your diet or start taking supplements.
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The gut is a fascinating area of research that should definitely be pursued further in relation to Parkinson's. Other factors are also likely to play a role, including exposure to external toxins such as pesticides. Pesticide exposure is closely linked to Parkinson's: in a study from California, combined workplace exposure to the pesticides ziram and paraquat increased the risk by 80 percent.
It is assumed that pesticides can contribute to dopaminergic neuron death. In people with certain gene changes, even small amounts may cause harm. In one study, researchers exposed dopamine-producing nerve cells, grown from stem cells of Parkinson's patients with a change in the alpha-synuclein gene, to the pesticides rotenone or paraquat and maneb. This prevented the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, from moving properly along the nerve fibers (Stykel et al., 2018).
People exposed to ziram, maneb and paraquat together at work had about three times the risk of Parkinson's in the Californian study (Wang et al., 2011).
"Until now, the established link between pesticides and Parkinson's was primarily based on animal studies and epidemiological studies that showed that farmers and other people exposed to agricultural chemicals are at increased risk. We are one of the first to study what happens in human cells," says study author Scott Ryan from the University of Guelph.
In addition, people with a genetic predisposition to Parkinson's may be more affected by exposure to pesticides and may be at risk from lower levels. "People with a predisposition to Parkinson's are more affected by this low-level exposure to agricultural chemicals and are therefore more likely to develop the disease," Ryan explains. "That's one of the reasons why some people near agricultural areas are at higher risk."
Avoid the use of pesticides by not using them in your home or garden and eating as much organic or biodynamically grown food as possible. This lowers your own pesticide exposure. Improve your gut health with the following tips:
Eat plenty of fermented foods - healthy products include lassi, fermented kefir made from pasture milk, natto (fermented soy) and fermented vegetables.
Take probiotic supplements - Even if you're not a big proponent of taking many supplements, probiotics are an exception, especially if you don't regularly consume fermented foods. If you have Parkinson's, talk to your neurologist before you start.
Increase your intake of soluble and insoluble fiber and focus on vegetables, nuts and seeds, including sprouted seeds.
Get your hands dirty in the garden - contact with bacteria from the environment trains your immune system.
Ventilate! - In a study in a hospital, the air in rooms ventilated through open windows contained a greater variety of bacteria than the air in rooms with mechanical ventilation. Indoor air also contained many bacteria that are rare outdoors, including close relatives of potential pathogens (Kembel et al., 2012).
Wash your dishes by hand instead of in the dishwasher now and then. - In a Swedish study with 1,029 children, allergies were less common in children from families who washed their dishes by hand. The researchers suspect that more contact with microbes gets the immune system used to harmless triggers (Hesselmar et al., 2015).
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Antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Never stop a course of prescribed antibiotics early on your own, though. After a course of antibiotics, fermented foods and/or a high-quality probiotic supplement help to recolonize your gut with good bacteria.
Conventionally farmed meat and other animal products, as animals in conventional farming receive antibiotics more often. In the EU, however, antibiotics have been banned as growth promoters since 2006.
Processed foods usually contain a lot of sugar, salt and artificial additives. Refined wheat and sugar, for example, have a negative effect on the gut.
Glyphosate (Roundup) blocks a metabolic pathway that not only plants but also many bacteria have. Whether residues in food harm beneficial gut bacteria in humans is not yet clear.
As it kills both good and bad bacteria and contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance
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Yes, there is growing evidence for it. In mice, misfolded alpha-synuclein travelled from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve, and in Sweden people who had the main trunk of this nerve cut at least five years before diagnosis had a 41 percent lower risk of Parkinson's. Constipation often appears years before the movement problems.
For constipation, probiotics are a sensible option: in two placebo-controlled trials in people with Parkinson's, they led to more bowel movements within four weeks. They do not replace Parkinson's medication. Talk to your neurologist before you start.
Fiber is a basic building block for regular bowel movements. In an Italian trial with 120 people with Parkinson's and constipation, a fermented milk drink with probiotics and prebiotic fiber led to more complete bowel movements than placebo. Vegetables, nuts, seeds and fiber supplements such as psyllium add to your daily intake.
Yes. In a meta-analysis of eleven studies, around half of the people with Parkinson's had small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, about five times as often as healthy people. Whether SIBO is present and needs treatment is decided by a doctor after a breath test.
So far, only in studies. A Finnish trial found no benefit over placebo, while a meta-analysis of eight studies found improvements in movement and constipation that did not last. Stool transplants are therefore not a standard treatment for Parkinson's.
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Kim, S., Kwon, S. H., Kam, T. I., Dawson, V. L., Dawson, T. M. & Ko, H. S. (2019, August). Transneuronal Propagation of Pathologic α-Synuclein from the Gut to the Brain Models Parkinson’s Disease. Neuron, Volume 103, Issue 4, P627-641.E7, doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.035
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Kembel, S. W., Jones, E., Kline, J., Northcutt, D., Stenson, J., Womack, A. M., et al. (2012, August). Architectural design influences the diversity and structure of the built environment microbiome. The ISME Journal, 6(8):1469-79, doi: 10.1038/ismej.2011.211
Pinto-Sanchez, M. I., Hall, G. B., Ghajar, K., Nardelli, A., Bolino, C., Lau, J. T. (2017, August). Probiotic Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 Reduces Depression Scores and Alters Brain Activity: A Pilot Study in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Gastroenterology, Volume 153, Issue 2, doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.05.003
Liu, B., Fang, F., Pedersen, N. L., Tillander, A., Ludvigsson, J. F., Ekbom, A. et al. (2017, May). Vagotomy and Parkinson disease. Neurology, 88 (21), doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003961
Sampson, T. R., Debelius, J. W., Thron, T., Wittung-Stafshede, P., Knight, R. & Mazmanian, S. K. (2016, December). Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson’s Disease. Cell, Volume 167, Issue 6, P1469-1480.E12, doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.018
Perez-Pardo, P., Dodiya, H., B., Engen, P. A., Forsyth, C. B., Huschens, A. M., Shaikh, M. (2018, December). Role of TLR4 in the gut-brain axis in Parkinson’s disease: a translational study from men to mice. BMJ Journals, 68:829-843, doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2018-316844.
Wang, A., Costello, S., Cockburn, M., Zhang, X., Bronstein, J. & Ritz, B. (2011, July). Parkinson’s disease risk from ambient exposure to pesticides. European Journal of Epidemiology, 26: 547, Volume 26, Issue 7, pp 547–555, doi: 10.1007/s10654-011-9574-5
Stykel., M. G., Humphries, K., Kirby, M. P., Czaniecki, C., Wang, T. et al. (2018, September). Nitration of microtubules blocks axonal mitochondrial transport in a human pluripotent stem cell model of Parkinson’s disease. The FASEB Journal, Vol. 32, No. 10, doi: 10.1096/fj.201700759RR
Bloem, B. R., Okun, M. S. & Klein, C. (2021). Parkinson's disease. The Lancet, 397(10291):2284-2303, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00218-X
Barichella, M., Pacchetti, C., Bolliri, C., Cassani, E., Iorio, L., Pusani, C. et al. (2016). Probiotics and prebiotic fiber for constipation associated with Parkinson disease: An RCT. Neurology, 87(12):1274-1280, doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003127
Tan, A. H., Lim, S. Y., Chong, K. K., A Manap, M. A. A., Hor, J. W., Lim, J. L. et al. (2021). Probiotics for Constipation in Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study. Neurology, 96(5):e772-e782, doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010998
Li, X., Feng, X., Jiang, Z. & Jiang, Z. (2021). Association of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gut Pathogens, 13(1):25, doi: 10.1186/s13099-021-00420-w
Scheperjans, F., Levo, R., Bosch, B., Lääperi, M., Pereira, P. A. B., Smolander, O. P. et al. (2024). Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Treatment of Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology, 81(9):925-938, doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.2305
Pereira, M. A. O. M., Tudella, G. C. N., Klostermann, A. U., Ohannesian, V. A., Gonçalves, O. R., da Silva, R. O. et al. (2026). Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression. Neurology, 107(1):e218175, doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000218175
Rusch, C., Flanagan, R., Suh, H. & Subramanian, I. (2023). To restrict or not to restrict? Practical considerations for optimizing dietary protein interactions on levodopa absorption in Parkinson's disease. npj Parkinson's Disease, 9(1):98, doi: 10.1038/s41531-023-00541-w
Contin, M., Riva, R., Martinelli, P., Albani, F. & Baruzzi, A. (1998). Effect of meal timing on the kinetic-dynamic profile of levodopa/carbidopa controlled release in parkinsonian patients. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 54(4):303-308, doi: 10.1007/s002280050464
Katzenschlager, R., Evans, A., Manson, A., Patsalos, P. N., Ratnaraj, N., Watt, H. et al. (2004). Mucuna pruriens in Parkinson's disease: a double blind clinical and pharmacological study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 75(12):1672-1677, doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2003.028761
Pötter-Nerger, M., Löhle, M., Höglinger, G. & German Parkinson's Guideline Group (2024). Akinetic crisis and withdrawal syndromes: guideline "Parkinson's disease" of the German Society of Neurology. Journal of Neurology, 271(10):6485-6493, doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12649-x
Chassaing, B., Koren, O., Goodrich, J. K., Poole, A. C., Srinivasan, S., Ley, R. E. & Gewirtz, A. T. (2015). Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome. Nature, 519(7541):92-96, doi: 10.1038/nature14232
Hesselmar, B., Hicke-Roberts, A. & Wennergren, G. (2015). Allergy in children in hand versus machine dishwashing. Pediatrics, 135(3):e590-e597, doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-2968
Important Notice
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice.
The content of the Herbano Health Editorial team is carefully researched and based on current scientific studies.
Content created with the support of artificial intelligence and edited by the Herbano Editorial team.
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