Processed foods strongly connected to early indicators of Parkinson's disease, research claims

Processed foods strongly connected to early indicators of Parkinson's disease, research claims

Crunching on Processed Foods Might Double Your Risk of Parkinson's, Study Finds

Escalate your consumption of processed grub to a whooping dozen servings a day, and you might find yourself in hot water - or rather, with an elevated risk of developing Parkinson's, according to a recent study.

So, what's a serving in this research? It boils down to 8 ounces of cola or sugar-laden soda, popping a hot dog, devouring a slice of pre-made cake, spooning a dollop of ketchup, or grabbing a minimalist bag of chips - a typical bag is 1.5 ounces.

"Eating way too many processed foods like sugary sodas and packaged snacks could be like stepping on the gas pedal for early signs of Parkinson's," said Dr. Xiang Gao, the study's senior author, who is a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

This latest research adds to the burgeoning evidence that our meals may play a role in the development of Parkinson's.

Despite the study indicating that more processed food consumption equated to more early indications of Parkinson's, it did not directly increase the risk of Parkinson's itself, according to Dr. Daniel van Wamelen, a clinical senior lecturer in neuroscience at King's College London. He was not involved in the research.

"The study didn't track whether participants were eventually diagnosed with Parkinson's later on," van Wamelen explained. "But having more of those symptoms suggests that the risk could be elevated over time."

Dinner Choices: Your Brain's Line of Defense

Over two decades, the researchers dug into health and diet data on nearly 43,000 participants of the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in the United States. Participants self-reported what they ate every few years. Given this limitation, their recollections may not have been pinpoint precise.

Choose a Mediterranean Lifestyle to Cut Dementia Risk by 20% The research analyzed ultraprocessed foods, which included artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages, condiments, sauces, spreads, pre-fabricated sweets, and snacks, dairy-based desserts, packaged breads and cereals, and packaged savory snacks.

Interestingly, the study did not find a link between early symptoms of Parkinson's and breads and cereals. This intriguing finding could hint at a shared factor among most varieties of ultraprocessed foods that may account for the results.

One possible culprit could be that ultraprocessed foods generally come with less dietary fiber, protein, and essential nutrients. However, they contain added sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fats. Ultraprocessed foods might also impact the harmony of gut bacteria and increase inflammation, free radicals, and neuron death, the study noted.

"With a sample size exceeding 42,800 participants and a long follow-up period of up to 26 years, this study excels in terms of both power and methodological rigor," wrote the co-authors of an editorial accompanying the study.

The editorial was penned by Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University in New York City, and dietitian Maria Maraki, an assistant professor of sports medicine and exercise biology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Neither were involved in the research.

"The prevention of neurodegenerative diseases might begin at the dinner table," they wrote. "Excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods may not only heighten the risk of metabolic disorders but may also accelerate neurodegenerative processes and related symptoms."

Early Signs Surface Long Before Motor Function Declines

In the research, published in the journal Neurology, the scientists scrutinized the premature phase of Parkinson's disease, known as the prodromal stage. These early signals often unfurl in the years to decades preceding the characteristic tremors, stiff muscles, slow gait, and posture alterations that typically signify the disease.

A myriad of symptoms, such as body pain, constipation, signs of depression, changes in smell or color perception, excessive daytime drowsiness, and an unusual sleep disorder that enables body movements during REM sleep, can surface as early signs of Parkinson's.

Zealously monitoring your processed food consumption could help safeguard your brain health, especially since a healthy diet and active lifestyle might potentially slow the progression of Parkinson's, as suggested by a previous study by Gao and his team.

1. A serving in the study equates to 8 ounces of cola, a hot dog, a slice of pre-made cake, a dollop of ketchup, or a minimalist bag of chips.
2. Over two decades, the researchers analyzed health and diet data on nearly 43,000 participants, focusing on ultra-processed foods.
3. The study did not find a link between early symptoms of Parkinson's and breads and cereals, which could hint at a shared factor among most varieties of ultraprocessed foods.
4. Excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods may not only heighten the risk of metabolic disorders but also accelerate neurodegenerative processes and related symptoms.
5. With a sample size exceeding 42,800 participants and a long follow-up period, the study excels in terms of both power and methodological rigor.
6. The prevention of neurodegenerative diseases might begin at the dinner table, as a healthy diet and active lifestyle might potentially slow the progression of Parkinson's.

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