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The effect of dietary protein on the efficacy of L-dopa

A double-blind study

Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Drs. Tsui and Calne, and Ma. Calne)
Department of Dietatica, University Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Ms. Ross. Poulin, Dough. and Poatnikoff)
Department of Neurology, Oregon Health Sciences University. Portland, OR (Dr. Woodward).

We randomly placed 10 Parkinson Ian patients on high- and low-protein diet a that tasted and looked alike, each for 1 week. All patients were taking L-dopa and carbidopa with or without other ant Parkinson medications; medications remained unchanged. A "blind" physician recorded the modified Columbia scores, objective measurements of rigidity, movement velocity, and pegboard tests three times a day for 5 days during each week. The patients recorded fluctuations hour to hour. We measured aerial blood L-dopa levels on day 4 of each week. Performance was significantly better while the patients were on low-protein diets. These results did not correlate with blood L-dopa levels, which had higher peaks in three patients while they were on high-protein diets despite inferior performance and increased number of "off' hours. Thus, high dietary protein probably affects the efficacy of L-dopa at a central level.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Tsui, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, University of British Columbia, Room S-129, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5, Canada.

Received July 19, 1988. Accepted for publication in final form October 27, 1988.

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