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John Morey wrote: > I have become a vegan, no dairy (lactose intolerance). I take a large OJ with two tble. spoons of veg. protein and two tbl spoons of flax, originally in morning, but now at night. I am also taking enzime pills and vitamins(Energy Plus pk. of C,E, beta carotine, calcium, chromium, > hydrolyzed casein amino acid complex, and B complex with minerals). Will the drink and/or the enzime pills interfere with the sinemet absorption, and if so, delay, or stop, the levadopa.< > John, I've followed your postings with great interest. You ask some very challenging questions, so I'll take them in order. I'd like to post it to the list, as you suggest, as someone may have ideas I haven't thought of. 1) 2 TB of veg protein in the evening--interference with sinemet would depend on the amino acid profile of the protein. If it's a pure protein isolate, that would be about 28 grams and I would think could very significantly affect sinemet absorption, depending on the proportion of large neutral aminos (these are the ones that interfere with sinemet absorption). But it may not be pure protein--some contain a percentage of carbohydrates. Can you find out the protein source and percent from the distributor? 2) 2 TB of flax in evening--The flax (I presume you use it for the fiber and the omega-3 benefits?) will also have some protein, but none of my sources have an amino acid profile for flax, so I can't comment on what level of interference it might present. My first guess is, it would not present the same significance as protein powder, as there is a large percent of fat and fiber present. 3) Enzyme pills, evening: Enzymes are indeed proteins, but I imagine you are taking them in a very small amount. Again, interference would depend on the LNAAs present, also on the location of digestion of the enzymes. In combination with the veg protein, though, it could pose a significant risk. 4) Vitamim pills containing casein, evening: really good question; I'm still pondering K Tollifsen's reaction to milk and wondering if it's the total amino complex or some isolated factor like whey or casein. At any rate, caseim IS a protein, derived from milk. In the small amount present in a pill, it would likely not pose a problem (unless Kathie et al are indeed reacting to the casein, not milk per se) except that you are taking it with other proteins. As you say that you are lactose intolerant, not allergic to milk, the casein should not present any digestive problems on that score (though if you continue to pursue the vegan lifestyle, casein may present an ethical difficulty). In sum, I can't determine how many grams of protein you are taking in the evening, but it sounds as though the amount could be significant. Could you take the sinemet and juice first, then 30 minutes later take the supplements? If you're not experiencing any problems, though, I think you should go with it. Vegetable protein is an excellent source; I'd like to see my clients adopt more of it in their daily menus. Please let me know how you're doing. Best regards, -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Editor-in-Chief, "Spotlight on Food--nutrition news for people 60-plus" Tel: 970-493-6532 Fax: 970-493-6538 http://www.fortnet.org/~fivstar Contact Better Business Bureau of the Mountain States, < [log in to unmask]>