Fish oil

I recently posted that I was concerned about fish oil because it had DHA. It seems that was only 1 or 2 studies and the bulk of the evidence is strongly in favor of fish oil and DHA. For comparison, there is almost no evidence for coconut oil. There is a good chance fish oil is the most important of the basic nutrients for PD, ahead of things like magnesium, vitamin E, and vitamin D.

Mediterranean populations seem to have genes that are associated with increased risk of PD, and yet they have less incidence of Parkinson's, possibly due to consumption of olive and fish oils.

7 Replies

  • Hi Zawy. Do you have a suggestion for the kind(s) of fish oil which is/are best? Should we buy tinned sardines or mackerel? Or just oil itself?

  • Fish oil supplements are pretty reliable. I am not picky about the brand. You're right that sardines and mackerel are probably the best whole fish options, a lot better than tuna and salmon, at least. You could get them packed in olive oil, but extra virgin olive oil is need to get double the polyphenols. I think 1/2 or maybe even 1/4 a small can of these has enough fish oil per day, like 1 or 2 fish oil pills. I'm going to shoot for 3 pills per day. They have a bad smell that even I can detect, and they are annoyingly big. Next time I order I'm going to try to find one that requires 2 pills to get 1 dose, and then take six. They can easily cause nausea, so I take them with food, or eat sardines. Sardines and mackerel also raise uric acid which is good for PD, especially when taken with alcohol which keeps uric acid levels high for longer. But of course you do not want gout.


    This is an interesting statement which maybe true about the lower incidence and higher genetic risk but what do you base this statement on zawy?

  • There are several on the genetic mutation:

    Here's one on the decreased incidence:

    Genetics are not a large factor compared to diet. A cup of milk per day or maybe a chocolate bar per day leads to more PD than genetics.

  • Zawy

    the first reference is to one particular genetic mutation (prevalent in Sephardic Jewish people). You are doing a leap to say that Mediterranean people have genes plural that are associated with PD.

    The second reference is an abstract which gives no figures to support the view they have less PD.

    If true that Mediterranean people have lower incidence of PD is it diet ? what is the incidence of cigarette smoking or coffee drinking, both also known to be neuroprotective.

    Zawy I like your enthusiasm but I need stronger evidence

  • First reference: 20 to 50 times higher frequency of the gene. 41% of cases in north africa compared to only 1%-2% other countriesa. Jews being only 1 of the 3 groups mentioned.

    my second link only says the diet results in less incidence, but don't you think the majority of the metaanalysis was from studies looking at PD incidence in locations with the diet? Diet is the whole point, even if my wording was not correct. You can look at the wikipedia PD image at bottom of the parkisonson's and decide if you think it indicates a lower incidence in the mediterrenean.

    This is an old post. Are you trying to jump on a band wagon or something?

  • Zawy I don't get notifications of replies and purely chance and a holiday with time on line led to my last response. I hadn't read the other thread before I replied.

    I didn't realise the Nth African Berbers also have a high incidence of the Lrrk 2 Gene. These two groups then have a high incidence of PD and it is genetic. Diet has very little to do with it. I know the claim made by the article but without reading it fully I cannot say they have proven diet lowers PD risk. Prevalence of PD is extremely difficult to measure. Only Sweden has a reporting system for PD. All else are guesstimates


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