Parkinson disease is indeed a progressive neurological disease in which the substantia nigra is diminished. The substantia nigra acts as a switchboard to transmit commands from the brain to other parts of the body. Thus one observes the decrease in coordination in Parkinson patients.
The loss in function of the substantia nigra is accompanied by a gradual loss of the dark color of the tissue in unstained brains. Once the substantia nigra is lost there is no way, to my knowledge, to regenerate the lost tissue.
A chemical compound from a failed designer drug synthesis, MPTP, is an agent that will cause Parkinson symptoms overnight in primates. This compound causes loss of the substantia nigra like observed in Parkinson patients but at a much more rapid rate.
Additional information about MPTP can be found on line or in the following program. I recommended this program to students when I lectured about designer drugs.
http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_474CF2C8A20B4173988486AC4C605A3CI am unaware of any cures of this disease via diet, however a good diet could not hurt and may help alleviate the symptoms.
jlb
