12-Month Gluten-Free Diet Linked to Cognitive, Quality-of-Life Improvements in Parkinson Disease

According to late-breaking findings presented at the 2026 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders (MDS), held October 4-8, in Seoul, South Korea, a 12-month gluten-free diet (GFD) was associated with improvements in cognitive performance and quality of life among patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Researchers also reported that the dietary intervention did not significantly affect motor function.¹

Led by Hana Brozova, MD, head physician of the Extrapyramidal Disorders Center at Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, the prospective, randomized, rater-blinded study included 57 patients with PD who were assigned to either a GFD (n = 30) or a control group without dietary intervention (n = 27). Investigators evaluated motor function, cognition, quality of life, laboratory measures, and serum metabolomic profiles at baseline, 1.5 months, and 12 months.¹

Gluten-Free Diet Associated With Cognitive, Quality-of-Life Changes

Patients assigned to the GFD had a mean age of 65.2 years, a mean disease duration of 8 years, and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.9 kg/m². The control group had a mean age of 63.8 years, a mean disease duration of 6 years, and a mean BMI of 28.6 kg/m².¹

Motor function was assessed using the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and Timed Up and Go test, while cognition was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Quality of life was assessed using the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39).

Investigators found no significant effect of the GFD on motor function. Cognitive performance, however, improved in the GFD group, with the analysis showing a statistically significant difference (P = .046).

The GFD was also associated with improvements in quality of life over the course of the study and compared with the control group. The investigators reported significant longitudinal changes in PDQ-39 scores (P = .005), as well as a significant difference between the GFD and control groups (P = .035). All told, the dietary intervention was reported to be safe and well tolerated, with good adherence among participants.

Changes Observed in Lipid and Metabolic Profiles

Laboratory analyses identified significant longitudinal changes in lipid profile measures among patients following the GFD (P < .05). Investigators also analyzed 32 serum metabolites and found significant differences in longitudinal changes between the GFD and control groups for 5 metabolites (P < .05).¹

The metabolic changes appeared to differ according to disease duration. Among patients with PD duration of 5 years or less, the observed changes predominantly involved energy metabolism, including changes in methyloxovalerate and citrate. Among those with disease duration greater than 5 years, changes were observed in formate, mannose, and glucose. The authors concluded that these findings indicated distinct metabolic adaptations to the GFD according to disease duration.

Further Investigation Needed

The study authors noted that a GFD may influence inflammatory parameters and may be associated with changes in metabolomic measures and clinical manifestations of PD. Although the 12-month intervention was associated with improvements in cognition and quality of life, the absence of a significant effect on motor function and the relatively small study population warrant further investigation.¹

The investigators concluded that the findings support additional research into the potential therapeutic role of a GFD in PD, particularly in larger cohorts and among patients with earlier-stage disease.

REFERENCES
1. Brozova H, Polakova K, Gentileova T, et al. Effects of a Long-Term Gluten-Free Diet on Motor Function, Cognition, Quality of Life, Biochemical Markers, and Metabolic Profile in Patients with Parkinson's Disease. Late-Breaking Abstract LBA 14. International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders; October 4-8, 2026; Seoul, South Korea.