Therapeutic Potential of Vitamins in Parkinson’s Disease

Vitamins are naturally present in vegetables, spices, food supplements, and fruits. Vitamins can mitigate or prevent the pathophysiological phenomena involved in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is a progressive and disabling syndrome that affects the person’s quality of life by causing motor and non-motor disturbances and imposing an enormous burden on the caregivers. Oxidative stress (OS), neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and formation of free radicals are behind the PD. Various clinical scientific shreds of evidence explain the role of vitamins in the treatment of PD. Several cellular and animal-based experiments point out that proper intake of vitamins is helpful in PD treatment. The time, exact doses, and safety of regular consumption of these supplements still need to be explored more by the scientific community. A balanced diet with vitamins as supplements can boost up the current therapies used against the PD. Vitamins have the crucial antioxidant property that acts against the OS, thus helps in PD treatment. Through different molecular mechanisms, these vitamins protect dopaminergic neurons. There is a need for a cure against the PD. A promising approach to cure this disease by natural means, such as vitamins, has been focused throughout this chapter. In this book chapter, the authors collected the scientific evidence available throughout the various experimental platforms and literature related to the functional role of vitamins in the improvement of the clinical framework of PD patients.

Keywords: Antioxidant, Lewy bodies, Neuroprotection, Neurotoxicity, Oxidative stress, Parkinson’s disease, Substantia nigra, Vitamins.