In a fairly recent study ( December 2025) it was shown that 3 supplements showed a fairly significant improvement in motor symptoms in people with PD and it also allowed them to significantly lower their dose of Carbidopa/Levodopa (CL).
The three supplements they used were propionic acid, butyric acid and a prebiotic fiber called 2’-fucosyllactose (2FL). In the study they used 3 groups. Group 1 got propionic acid and butyric acid, Group 2 got 2FL and Group 3 got propionic acid, butyric acid and 2FL.
They found that all three groups got similar improvements, but the group getting all three supplements had slightly better results in some aspects of the study.
It is worth mentioning that all supplements were given in delayed release capsules to help insure that they made it to the large intestine intact and functional. Keep this in mind for later.
Here is a breakdown of what the study showed in terms of improvement in people with PD :
At 3 months, the average motor score (MDS-UPDRS III) was reduced by about 12–12.1 % across the intervention groups compared with baseline.
By 6 months, this improvement deepened to roughly 18–18.6 % relative to baseline.
This suggests that motor benefits continued to accumulate between 3 months and 6 months of supplementation. Unfortunately that is where they stopped. So we don't know if they had had further reviews at 9 months and 12 months if those would have shown continued improvement since gut repair, modulation and cognitive improvement can be longer term fixes.
Regarding the decreasing dosing of levodopa reported in the study, there was also steady improvement reported.
3 months: Levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD) was reduced by about 13.8–15.7 % in the different groups.
6 months: LEDD reductions were larger, approximately 20–26.8 % by the end of the trial.
Regarding the modest improvement in cognitive function that was shown in this study.
3 months: Cognitive scores showed small average changes (some groups with slight declines and some with slight improvements), but generally little consistent direction at this point.
6 months: Mean cognitive scores were higher than at 3 months, indicating a trend toward more positive change by the end of supplementation — though with wide individual variability.
Regarding the mixed olfactory function results seen in this study.
3 months: There was some improvement in smell scores across groups, but the confidence intervals and proportions of patients who worsened varied.
6 months: Odor identification improved further in groups taking 2′-fucosyllactose (alone or in combination), with the largest percentage increase seen in the combination group — again with large variability between individuals.
These, to me, are very good results that suggest not just improvements in motor function, but possible slowing of disease progression.
So to me, one burning question from these results is, would these improvements have continued to even greater percentages over more time, such as 9 months or a year or greater?
All of these supplements are available now, not 5 to 10 years from now as many drugs that are often mentioned as in the pipeline for PD are.
Here is the dosing schedule that was used in the study :
1. SCFA group (propionic acid + butyric acid):
- Total daily dose: 3600 mg/day
- Comprised of:
- 2400 mg butyric acid
- 1200 mg propionic acid
- Plus 3900 mg placebo
2. Prebiotic-only group (2′-fucosyllactose / 2FL):
- Total daily dose: 3900 mg/day of 2FL
- Plus 3600 mg placebo
3. Combination group:
- 3900 mg/day 2FL
- PLUS
- 3600 mg/day PA+BA
- 2400 mg butyric acid
- 1200 mg propionic acid
The supplements were given as delayed-release capsules.
The paper does not appear to specify the exact timing during the day (e.g., morning vs evening or divided doses), only that the supplementation was taken daily over the 6-month period.
So a problem I see with this regimen if you are considering taking all three supplements which total in at 7500 mg per day is that that equals a lot of capsules and for a person with PD who is very likely already taking a lot of capsules in medications, it may be just too many capsules.
My thinking is that all three groups got similar benefit with only slight differences between groups, so why not just take 2FL in powder form and mix it into a 500 ml bottle of filtered water that you sip throughout the day. 2FL produces butyrate and propionate in the gut anyway and that is likely why the results were so similar. By using 2FL dissolved in water, you do not have to add any more capsules to your regimen, just sip 500 ml of 2FL water throughout the day.
You maybe wondering if not using the 2FL in delayed release capsules will have the same effect? 2FL, makes it to the large intestine intact and functional. Here is what AI has to say on that matter :
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Will dissolving the prebiotic fiber, 2FL in water and drinking it allow it to make it to the large intestine in a useful state?
Yes — 2'-Fucosyllactose (2FL) dissolved in water is still expected to reach the large intestine largely intact and remain biologically useful there.
2FL is a type of human milk oligosaccharide (HMO), and one of its key properties is that humans do not significantly digest or absorb it in the stomach or small intestine. That resistance to digestion is exactly why it can function as a prebiotic.
After drinking it:
- It passes through the stomach relatively intact despite stomach acid.
- Human digestive enzymes in the small intestine generally cannot break down the fucosylated glycosidic bonds efficiently.
- Most of the 2FL therefore reaches the colon, where certain gut bacteria can utilize it.
In the colon, it may:
- Feed beneficial bacteria such as certain Bifidobacterium species.
- Increase production of Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) indirectly.
- Potentially strengthen the gut barrier and reduce inflammatory signaling.
- Influence the gut-brain axis in ways relevant to your broader PHL framework.
- Dissolving it in water does not meaningfully damage it under normal conditions.
A few practical considerations:
- Room temperature or mildly warm water is fine.
- Extremely high heat for prolonged periods could gradually degrade some HMOs.
- Taking it with or without food is usually acceptable, though some people tolerate prebiotics better with meals.
One interesting aspect of 2FL compared with fibers like inulin is that it tends to be:
- More selective in which microbes it feeds.
- Often gentler regarding bloating/gas at modest doses.
- More “signaling-oriented” in addition to being fermentable.
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Considering the study results, I felt that this was something definitely worth sharing with the EC community!
At just one 500 ml bottle of 2FL sipped throughout the day each day and no more extra capsules, in the world of PD, that is about as easy as it gets!
Art
About The Author
Art Solbrig is a researcher who has been reading scientific studies and testing natural remedies for over 30 years searching for useful studies and alternatives that apply positively to human health issues and natural treatments using minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential oils, herbs, homeopathy, colloidal silver, combination treatments, and other alternatives to improve the quality of life of others by writing about his findings and test results in places like Earth Clinic. He documents and writes about many of his experiences in helping others. Art is a native of sunny California.
