Nutritional education program counseling based on the Mediterranean diet on intestinal constipation in people with...

Intestinal constipation (IC) is a common and early non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), impacting patients' quality of life. In this context, the Mediterranean diet plays a fundamental role in managing IC. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nutritional education program based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet on IC in individuals with PD.

This is a randomized, controlled, single-center, parallel-group, single-blind clinical study to evaluate the effectiveness of a nutritional education program based on the Mediterranean diet for three months, with a randomized waitlist-controlled design, in people with PD and IC. Participants were randomly allocated (1:1 ratio) to two groups: Immediate (intervention from baseline to the third month) and Waitlist (intervention from the third to the sixth month) nutritional counseling, with an initial in-person assessment and monthly remote assessments. Bowel habits, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and clinical variables were analyzed.

After the first three months, a significant increase in the frequency of weekly bowel movements was observed (Immediate: 2.91 to 4.14; Waitlist: 2.68 to 4.18 bowel movements/week; p < 0.001), along with changes in stool consistency and improved adherence to the Mediterranean diet over time. However, no significant differences were detected between the groups.

A low-cost, locally adapted Mediterranean diet-based nutritional education program was feasible in individuals with PD and IC. Although bowel habits and dietary adherence improved throughout the study, the absence of between-group differences limits causal attribution to the counseling.