Recipe Development and Optimization of Low-Protein Recipes for Parkinson’s disease

Live Well with Parkinson’s Disease, Inc. (LWP) is a Toronto-based SME that was incorporated in 2011 by Dr. Galit Kleiner-Fisman. As a movement orders specialist with over 10 years of experience, Dr. Kleiner-Fisman realized that Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients were not taking advantage of the available resources to optimize their independence and quality of life. While there is no curative treatment for this progressive neurological condition at this time, many patients lacked the knowledge to maximize the benefits of the available PD treatment options. Live Well with Parkinson’s Disease, Inc. will partner with GBC’s Food Innovation and Research Studio (FIRSt) to create low-protein recipes that are simple, healthy, and tasty for PD patients. PD patients have unique protein requirements, as the main medication used for treating Parkinson’s disease (Levodopa) works best on an empty stomach. High protein intake has been proven to interfere with the effectiveness of Levodopa. Principal Investigators Winnie Chiu and Moira Cockburn will use their extensive industry experience to develop low-protein recipes for PD patients. This project will be funded through the NSERC College and Community Innovation (CCI) program. The GBC research team, consisting of FIRSt staff and Culinary Nutrition Management students, will work closely with LWP to create low-protein recipes for Parkinson’s disease patients.