Doctors have issued a critical alert regarding a common food choice now associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Globally, around 10 million individuals are affected by Parkinson’s disease, a number anticipated to double to 20 million by 2050. In the United States alone, approximately 90,000 new cases are identified each year, marking this as a significant health concern.
A recent study has uncovered that consuming 11 or more servings of a particular food category daily can heighten the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 2.5 times during a person’s lifetime.
Each serving in the study was defined as eight ounces of diet or sugar-sweetened soda, a hot dog, a single slice of packaged cake, a tablespoon of ketchup, or one ounce of potato chips.
Dr. Xiang Gao, the study’s senior author and a professor at the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, noted: “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.”
This investigation analyzed extensive health and dietary records from nearly 43,000 participants, with an average age of 48, none of whom had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the study’s outset.
The study revealed a significant correlation between early Parkinson’s symptoms and the consumption of ultra-processed foods, excluding bread and cereal.
Researchers suggest that added sugar, salt, and saturated fats, prevalent in many ultra-processed foods examined in the study, may be influencing these findings.
The authors emphasized the study’s significance: “With a sample size exceeding 42,800 participants and a long follow-up period up to 26 years, this study stands out not only for its power but also for its methodological rigor.”
Providing an external perspective, Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University, commented, along with dietitian Maria Maraki: “The prevention of neurodegenerative diseases may begin at the dinner table. Excessive UPF consumption not only is a risk factor for metabolic diseases but may also accelerate neurodegenerative processes and associated symptoms.”
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease often develop slowly and can be mild initially, yet there are early indicators that people should be aware of. Key symptoms affecting physical movement include tremors, slowness, and muscle stiffness. Other symptoms may involve balance issues, nerve pain, and loss of smell.