Q: I have been researching Parkinson’s Disease (my husband was diagnosed in '05) and found a reference to fava beans as a natural source for dopamine. Do you have information related to fava beans and how they can be incorporated into a Zone-favorable meal? Just an FYI, since returning to a strict Zone-favorable diet and taking more fish oil, his overall health has improved dramatically (without the side effects of the medications the MDs have been pushing).
Thanks for your help, Belinda D.
Dear Belinda,
A: Although there is some indication that fava beans have some dopamine, it still has to cross the blood brain barrier to get into the brain. This is why dopamine as a drug has a rather poor track record in treating Parkinson’s. On the other hand, both EPA and DHA can easily cross the blood brain barrier and have shown the ability to increase dopamine production in animal models. Our published research with high-dose EPA and DHA in children with ADHD has shown significant benefits in their behavior. Since the drugs used to treat ADHD are known to increase dopamine, it is reasonable to suggest that high-dose EPA and DHA are also increasing dopamine.