Condition

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive condition in which dopamine-producing neurons in a brain area called the substantia nigra die off, leading to tremor, stiffness, slowed movement and balance problems. Among supplements, the evidence is strongest for Mucuna pruriens, a natural source of L-DOPA, and symptoms improved in a few small trials, while vitamin D showed moderate evidence, with better six-minute walking performance. Those Mucuna studies were small, and creatine showed no clear difference in symptoms, so the picture is still early.

Sources: PMID 29352722; PMID 28679598

Supplements studied: 10
Graded outcomes: 5
Trials: 14
People studied: 6,847

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

10 supplements

Mucuna Pruriens

Mucuna Pruriens: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Moderate Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Moderate effect	3 studies	40 people
Studies that measured parkinson's disease symptoms Daily intake of Mucuna pruriens in advanced Parkinson's disease: A 16-week, noninferiority, randomized, crossover, pilot studyParkinsonism Relat Disord · PMID 29352722 Mucuna pruriens in Parkinson disease: A double-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover studyNeurology · PMID 28679598 Mucuna pruriens in Parkinson's disease: a double blind clinical and pharmacological studyJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry · PMID 15548480

Vitamin D

Vitamin D: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	6-Minute Walking Test Performance Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect		191 people
	Parkinson's Disease Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	518 people
Studies that measured parkinson's disease symptoms Effect of vitamin D supplementation on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Nutr · PMID 40551732
	Walking Ability	Improves (the measure goes up)			191 people

Creatine

Parkinson's Disease Symptoms
Power Output: improves
Subjective Well-Being: improves

Creatine: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Parkinson's Disease Symptoms No effect		NoneNo effect	4 studies	194 people
Studies that measured parkinson's disease symptoms Creatine for Parkinson's disease.Cochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 24934384 Effect of creatine monohydrate on clinical progression in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized clinical trialJAMA · PMID 25668262 Creatine supplementation in Parkinson disease: a placebo-controlled randomized pilot trialNeurology · PMID 17030762 and 1 more on the Creatine page
	Power Output	Improves (the measure goes up)		44 studies	20 people
Studies that measured power output Comparison of creatine ingestion and resistance training on energy expenditure and limb blood flowMetabolism · PMID 11735088 Creatine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and medium-chain triglycerides and endurance and performanceInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 19033611 The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levelsJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · PMID 19228401 and 41 more on the Creatine page
	Subjective Well-Being	Improves (the measure goes up)		3 studies	60 people
Studies that measured subjective well-being Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisolPsychopharmacology · PMID 16416332 Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behaviorPhysiol Behav · PMID 17046034 Creatine supplementation improves muscle strength in patients with congestive heart failurePharmazie · PMID 16599263

L-Tyrosine

Blood Pressure
Heart Rate: improves
Noradrenaline: improves

L-Tyrosine: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood Pressure No effect		NoneNo effect		40 people
	Heart Rate	Improves (the measure goes down)		5 studies	40 people
Studies that measured heart rate Effects of L-tyrosine and carbohydrate ingestion on endurance exercise performanceJ Appl Physiol · 1985 · PMID 12381742 L-tyrosine ameliorates some effects of lower body negative pressure stressPhysiol Behav · PMID 7716196 Oral l-tyrosine supplementation augments the vasoconstriction response to whole-body cooling in older adultsExp Physiol · PMID 28477375 and 2 more on the L-Tyrosine page
	Noradrenaline	Improves (the measure goes up)			40 people
	Oxygen Uptake	Improves (the measure goes up)			40 people

5-HTP

Apathy
Depression Symptoms: changes; see studies

5-HTP: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Apathy No effect on apathy in Parkinson's		NoneNo effect		25 people
	Depression Symptoms	Changes; see studies		4 studies	25 people
Studies that measured depression symptoms Effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on distinct types of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutr Rev · PMID 31504850 Comparative study of efficacy of l-5-hydroxytryptophan and fluoxetine in patients presenting with first depressive episode.Asian J Psychiatr · PMID 23380314 A functional-dimensional approach to depression: serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in a comparison of 5-hydroxytryptophan and fluvoxamine.Psychopathology · PMID 1909444 and 1 more on the 5-HTP page

S-adenosylmethionine

Depression Symptoms: improves

S-adenosylmethionine: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Depression Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		6 studies	11 people
Studies that measured depression symptoms S-Adenosyl-Methionine improves depression in patients with Parkinson's disease in an open-label clinical trialMov Disord · PMID 11104210 S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors for antidepressant nonresponders with major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized clinical trialAm J Psychiatry · PMID 20595412 S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) versus escitalopram and placebo in major depression RCT: efficacy and effects of histamine and carnitine as moderators of responseJ Affect Disord · PMID 24856557 and 3 more on the S-adenosylmethionine page

Coenzyme Q10

Parkinson's Disease Symptoms: improves

Coenzyme Q10: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Parkinson's Disease Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		2 studies	809 people
Studies that measured parkinson's disease symptoms The efficacy and safety of coenzyme Q10 in Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurol Sci · PMID 27830343 Coenzyme Q10 supplementation provides mild symptomatic benefit in patients with Parkinson's diseaseNeurosci Lett · PMID 12697283

D-Serine

Parkinson's Disease Symptoms: improves

D-Serine: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Parkinson's Disease Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	13 people
Studies that measured parkinson's disease symptoms D-serine adjuvant treatment alleviates behavioural and motor symptoms in Parkinson's diseaseInt J Neuropsychopharmacol · PMID 21733283

Cannabis

Parkinson's Disease Symptoms: improves

Cannabis: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Parkinson's Disease Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	19 people
Studies that measured parkinson's disease symptoms Cannabis for dyskinesia in Parkinson disease: a randomized double-blind crossover studyNeurology · PMID 15477546

Yohimbine

Orthostatic Hypotension Symptoms: changes; see studies

Yohimbine: outcomes studied for Parkinson's Disease
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Orthostatic Hypotension Symptoms	Changes; see studies		1 study	31 people
Studies that measured orthostatic hypotension symptoms Comparative efficacy of yohimbine against pyridostigmine for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension in autonomic failureHypertension · PMID 20837887

Key findings

Parkinson's Disease SymptomsMucuna PruriensImproves (the measure goes down)
6-Minute Walking Test PerformanceVitamin DImproves (the measure goes up)
Blood PressureL-Tyrosine

The Parkinson's Disease protocol

2 primary supplements · 5 supporting supplements

Mucuna Pruriens15–30 g seed powder (standardized for L-DOPA content) under medical supervision
Coenzyme Q10300–1,200 mg daily (higher doses studied for neuroprotection)

See the full protocol

Studies cited

2 studies from PubMed

Low-fat versus ketogenic diet in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized controlled trialMov Disord · PMID 30098269
Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease patients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurol Sci · PMID 38958793

Evidence by supplement

Key findings

The Parkinson's Disease protocol

Studies cited

Related conditions

Supplement stack for Parkinson's Disease