A recent study published in Neurology suggests that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods—like breakfast cereals, cookies, and hot dogs—could increase the chances of showing early signs of Parkinson’s disease.
While the research does not prove that these foods cause the disease, it shows a strong connection between high consumption of processed foods and the first symptoms of neurodegeneration.
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects movement, causing symptoms like tremors, slow movement, and balance problems.
However, before these symptoms appear, there is an early stage called prodromal Parkinson’s disease.
At this stage, brain degeneration has already begun, even though the typical symptoms have not yet emerged. Some early signs of this stage include issues like sleep disorders, constipation, depression, body pain, problems with color vision, daytime sleepiness, and a reduced sense of smell.
These signs can appear years or even decades before the disease is diagnosed.
The study, led by Dr. Xiang Gao from the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, followed 42,853 participants with an average age of 48 who did not have Parkinson’s disease when the study began.
These individuals were observed for up to 26 years, during which they regularly completed health questionnaires, medical exams, and food diaries.
The researchers tracked what they ate, including how much ultra-processed food they consumed. Ultra-processed foods include items like packaged snacks, sugary sodas, dairy-based desserts, spreads, sauces, and artificial beverages.
The participants were divided into five groups based on how much processed food they ate. Those in the highest group consumed 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food per day, while those in the lowest group had fewer than three servings daily.
A single serving was counted as one can of soda, a slice of packaged cake, one hot dog, one tablespoon of ketchup, or an ounce of potato chips.
After analyzing the data and adjusting for factors like age, physical activity, and smoking, the researchers found a striking result.
People who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food each day were 2.5 times more likely to have three or more early signs of Parkinson’s disease compared to those who ate fewer than three servings daily. Nearly all the early symptoms were more common among heavy consumers of processed food, except for constipation, which showed no connection.
Dr. Gao emphasized the importance of eating a healthy diet for brain health, noting that many studies have linked good nutrition with a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
He believes that the study’s findings suggest that cutting back on processed food and eating more whole, nutritious foods could be a smart choice for protecting brain health. However, he also mentioned that more research is needed to confirm this link.
One limitation of the study is that participants reported their own food intake, which means some may not have accurately remembered how much processed food they ate.
Despite this, the study opens up new discussions about how diet might influence the earliest stages of Parkinson’s disease and suggests that making healthier food choices could be a simple yet effective way to support long-term brain health.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how wheat gluten might be influencing our brain health, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health..
Source: American Academy of Neurology.
