How Keto May Help Fight Parkinson’s From the Inside Out

It can be terrifying to think about.

First come subtle symptoms, perhaps ignored here and there. But with time, and with struggle, the problem grows deeper. From severe brain fog and cognitive troubles to uncontrollable shaking and motor problems, Parkinson’s disease affects millions worldwide.

While traditional drug regimens, like levodopa, offer relief from symptoms, what they don’t do is stop the progression. Whether we like it or not, the disease continues.

But what if there’s more you can do? And what if that more all starts with the food on your plate? Thanks to developments in nutritional science, the latest research now shows the incredible power of healthy diets. In fact, the ketogenic or keto diet is showing significant promise for people with Parkinson’s.

By supercharging your cells, the right foods and meals can truly make a difference in your disease progression. This is more than just weight loss. It’s about protecting your brain, improving your motor function, and enhancing your metabolism.

Let’s get right to it…

Understanding the Roots of Parkinson’s

Before you overhaul your diet, it’s important to understand exactly why Parkinson’s is… well, Parkinson’s.

At its core, PD is about energy failure. See, your cells have something called mitochondria, which you can think of as the energy factories of your cells. And, like any factory, these mitochondria need proper fuel. One type of fuel, called complex I, is critical for you to feel normal and energetic.

But with PD, this isn’t the case. The process that fuels your factories goes haywire, leading to oxidative stress, toxins, and other ‘gunk’ accumulating. When this happens, the neurons in your brain are also affected, causing cells to actually die.

That’s when the symptoms hit.

But this is also where the keto diet comes in. When you’re on keto, your body actually shifts from using a type of sugar, glucose, to using ketones, which are produced when your body breaks down fat. Generally speaking, these ketones are like a premium fuel, whereas the glucose typically used is like average fuel.

According to a 2023 study in Cell Death Discovery, mice put on the keto diet show greater mitochondrial energy, better metabolism, and less oxidative stress. In other words, your body is working more efficiently, taking less damage, and increasing its output.

This is what makes keto so powerful. And for people with PD, this ‘food as medicine’ can go even further…

In fact, one landmark 2025 study found that among 12 patients with PD, all it took was 12 weeks for significant results to occur. The study worked by having all of the participants consume 80 percent of their calories from fat. Think whole foods like avocados, nuts, olive oil, and leafy greens.

The diets of these participants consisted of 15 percent protein and five percent net carbs, achieved through tracking apps. Overall, the study yielded promising changes. Participants enjoyed less constipation (common in PD) and, more importantly, improvements in their motor scores, as measured by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).

In other words, less rigid feeling, fewer problems with movement, and fewer tremors. These results have also been echoed by other studies analyzing the effects of keto on PD participants.

Putting It All Together

If you’re wondering how to take advantage of these amazing benefits, the truth is, you have plenty of options. No one size fits all when it comes to ketogenic dieting.

While whole foods should always be priority number one, from there you can mix and match. Some research has found that a plant-heavy Mediterranean-keto diet is best for some people. This means meals that are rich in whole veggies, berries, and olive oil. Fiber-packed plants are key.

For example, blueberries and spinach have antioxidants that quite literally feed your brain and reduce tremors. Meanwhile, the ketones created by your body shifting from glucose to fat can also cross your blood-brain barrier, fueling your neurons directly.

One thing to remember in all this is the importance of magnesium and plant-based fats. Together, these components can ease muscle cramps, relieve insomnia, and reduce all that heavy fatigue. If you aren’t getting enough magnesium in your diet, you can always ask your doctor about supplements.

Of course, plenty of foods have it. Pumpkin seeds, spinach, and almonds are particularly rich in this mineral. That said, if properly monitored, supplementation can always help even more. In one study from Frontiers in Neurology, magnesium supplements were linked to stabilized dopamine, a critical chemical in your brain. After eight weeks of daily supplementation, participants reported a 30 percent reduction in fatigue.

Meanwhile, plant-based fats increase the impacts. Omega-3 fats from flaxseeds and walnuts reduce inflammation, while avocado’s oleic acid increases ketone use in your brain.

So what are you waiting for?

To get started, consult your doctor or a more specialized naturopath. If you need some meal ideas, consider breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast, for instance, chia pudding with some coconut milk and berries is a perfect balance. For lunch, you might have a kale salad with some olive oil, walnuts, and salmon. And for dinner, how about some cauliflower rice stir-fry with avocado and tempeh?

If any of this sounds a little fancy, or expensive, or time-consuming, you can always find simpler alternatives.

Don’t sweat it! Apps like MyFitnessPal, Carb Manager, and Cronometer are great ones to get you started. MyFitnessPal in particular is a top choice, as it’s been around for a while and has a massive food database with 18+ million entries as well as an easy-to-use macro calculator.

When using it, simply filter for “keto” recipes or track extras like magnesium. You can even use voice search or photo scanning to make it that much easier.

Think of all of this as an exciting opportunity to learn more about not only interesting foods and nutrition, but your own body! Not all of these recipes will make you feel amazing, but many of them can certainly ease your symptoms.

And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Heck, this goes even beyond Parkinson’s.

Tons of research have shown overall health & wellness benefits from ketogenic dieting. When combined with moderate exercise, it can truly be a game-changer for people of all types, lifestyles, and health conditions.

Don’t get overwhelmed. Start slow, savor the new recipes, and take ownership of what you put in your body. While PD can be a tough journey, you have plenty of allies along the road.

And if you so choose, that road can lead you to places you never even imagined…

By Evan Bollinger | Published November 19, 2025