Constipation is a common complication and non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and affects up to 80% of people with PD. It is in fact within the non-motor symptoms that nutrition and dietetic intervention could have the greatest impact. Research suggests that increasing the amount of fibre in the diet could help to alleviate the effects of constipation. Inulin is a type of fibre widely found in a variety of vegetables, and recent studies have shown that inulin can improve constipation in people with PD. With the assistance of a food company, we have developed a functional drink, enriched with chicory inulin and other key nutrients, including B-vitamins and vitamin D (which are suggested within the literature to be beneficial in PD). Therefore, this 12-week feasibility study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an enriched functional drink in improving nutritional status, constipation and gut health outcomes in people living with PD.
UKRI-BBSRC (under the RIPEN Innovation Hub scheme).
Additional Comments
This research is being carried out in the Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), Ulster University. We are currently recruiting participants living with Parkinson's Disease based in the Coleraine, Derry/Londonderry and Belfast areas of Northern Ireland. For further information, please contact Researcher Dr Michelle Clements on +44 (0)28 701 24596 or by email m.clements@ulster.ac.uk.