Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which unfortunately is still fatal. Since the
discovery of dopamine (DA) neuronal cell loss within the substantia nigra in PD, the past decades have seen the understanding
of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the degenerative process advance at a very impressive rate. Nevertheless,
there is at present no cure for PD. Although there are no proven therapies for prevention, a large body of evidence from animal
studies has highlighted the paramount role of dietary factors in counteracting DA degeneration. Consistently, associations
between the risk of developing PD and the intake of nutrients, individual foods, and dietary patterns have been recently shown.
Therefore, promoting healthy lifestyle choices such as a Mediterranean diet might be the key to reducing the risk of PD.
Keywords Dietary recommendations – Dopaminergic neurons – Neurodegeneration – Neuroprotection – Parkinson’s disease – Prevention