Nutritional education program counseling based on the Mediterranean diet on intestinal constipation in people with Parkinson's disease: a randomized clinical trial.
Raissa Dias Fernandez, Franciele da Silva Mesquita, Gabriella Cunha Ferreira et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized, controlled, single-centre, single-blind trial evaluated a three-month Mediterranean diet-based nutritional education program in people with Parkinson’s disease and intestinal constipation. Participants were assigned to immediate counseling or a waitlist group, with bowel habits and dietary adherence assessed over time. During the first three months, weekly bowel movements increased from 2.91 to 4.14 in the immediate group and from 2.68 to 4.18 in the waitlist group (p < 0.001); stool consistency and Mediterranean diet adherence also improved. Because the groups did not differ significantly, the changes cannot be attributed specifically to counseling.
Key findings
- Weekly bowel movements rose from 2.91 to 4.14 in the immediate group and from 2.68 to 4.18 in the waitlist group after three months (p < 0.001).
- Stool consistency and adherence to the Mediterranean diet improved over time.
- No significant between-group differences were detected.
Why it matters
Constipation is a common, early non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease and can affect quality of life. The study suggests that a locally adapted dietary education program is feasible and that bowel habits may improve during participation. However, similar changes in the waitlist group mean the results do not establish that counseling itself produced the improvement.
What to keep in mind
The single-centre trial found no significant between-group differences, limiting causal attribution of the observed improvements to the counseling program.