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Individuals who eat extra ultra-processed meals like chilly breakfast cereal, cookies and sizzling canines usually tend to have early indicators of Parkinson’s illness when in comparison with those that eat only a few ultra-processed meals, based on a research revealed in Neurology. The research doesn’t show that consuming extra ultra-processed meals causes early indicators of Parkinson’s illness; it solely exhibits an affiliation.
Researchers appeared for indicators of prodromal Parkinson’s illness, which is the earliest stage, at which neurodegeneration begins, however extra attribute signs of Parkinson’s illness, like tremors, stability issues and sluggish motion, haven’t but begun. These early signs can start years and even many years earlier than the everyday signs begin.
“Eating a healthy diet is crucial as it has been associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases and the dietary choices we make today can significantly influence our brain health in the future,” mentioned research writer Xiang Gao, MD, Ph.D., of the Institute of Diet, Fudan College in Shanghai, China.
“There’s growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson’s disease. Our research shows that eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas and packaged snacks, might be speeding up early signs of Parkinson’s disease.”
The research included 42,853 folks with a mean age of 48 who didn’t have Parkinson’s illness in the beginning of the research. They had been adopted for as much as 26 years.
Individuals had common medical exams and accomplished well being questionnaires. Researchers reviewed outcomes to find out whether or not the members had early indicators of Parkinson’s illness, together with fast eye motion, sleep habits dysfunction, constipation, depressive signs, physique ache, impaired coloration imaginative and prescient, extreme daytime sleepiness and decreased capability to odor.
Individuals accomplished a meals diary each two to 4 years, itemizing what they ate and the way typically.
Researchers checked out a number of sorts of ultra-processed meals, together with sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened drinks; animal-based merchandise; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savory snacks. One serving was equal to a single can of soda, one ounce of potato chips, one slice of packaged cake, a single sizzling canine or one tablespoon of ketchup.
Researchers calculated what number of ultra-processed meals members ate on common per day.
They divided members into 5 teams. The best group ate 11 or extra servings of ultra-processed meals per day on common. The bottom group ate a mean of fewer than three servings per day.
After adjusting for elements equivalent to age, bodily exercise and smoking, researchers discovered that members who ate 11 or extra servings of ultra-processed meals per day had a 2.5-fold larger probability of getting three or extra early indicators of Parkinson’s illness in comparison with these consuming fewer than three servings per day.
When particular person early indicators of Parkinson’s illness, researchers additionally discovered that consuming extra ultra-processed meals was tied to an elevated threat for almost all signs besides constipation.
“Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health,” mentioned Gao. “More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease.”
A limitation of the research was that the quantity of ultra-processed meals consumed was self-reported, so members might not have remembered precisely how a lot and what particular meals they ate.
Extra info:
Peilu Wang et al, Lengthy-Time period Consumption of Ultraprocessed Meals and Prodromal Options of Parkinson Illness, Neurology (2025). DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000213562
Supplied by
American Academy of Neurology
Quotation:
Consuming ultra-processed meals might velocity up early indicators of Parkinson’s illness (2025, Could 7)
retrieved 7 Could 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-05-ultra-foods-early-parkinson-disease.html
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