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NEW DELHI: Eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas, cookies, and packaged snacks, might speed up early signs of Parkinson’s disease, according to a latest study.
The researchers said the latest study is part of the “growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson’s disease.”
According to Dr Arun Gupta, Pediatrician and Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think-tank on nutrition consisting of independent medical experts, paediatricians, and nutritionists, there is growing evidence regarding the ill-effects of ultra-processed food products, which are always high in fat, sugar or salt.
“What is stopping the government from acting sharply and urgently to ban advertising at least, which is leading to overconsumption,” he asked.
The study, published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, looked for signs of prodromal Parkinson’s disease, the earliest stage when neurodegeneration begins. Still, more characteristic symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, like tremors, balance problems, and slow movement, have not yet begun.
These early symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) -- a brain condition that causes problems with movement, mental health, sleep, pain and other health issues -- can begin years or even decades before the typical symptoms start.
“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,” said study author Xiang Gao, a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University 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.”
Researchers looked at several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yoghurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savoury snacks.
One serving was equivalent to a single can of soda, one ounce of potato chips, one slice of packaged cake, a single hot dog or one tablespoon of ketchup.
The study included 42,853 people, with an average age of 48, who did not have Parkinson’s disease at the start of the study and were followed for 26 years.
Participants had regular medical exams and completed health questionnaires. Researchers reviewed results to determine if they had early signs of Parkinson’s disease, including rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, constipation, depressive symptoms, body pain, impaired colour vision, excessive daytime sleepiness and reduced ability to smell.
Researchers calculated how many ultra-processed foods participants ate on average per day.
They divided participants into five groups. The highest group consumed an average of 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food per day, while the lowest group consumed an average of fewer than three servings per day.
After adjusting for factors such as age, physical activity and smoking, researchers found that participants who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed foods per day had a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of having three or more early signs of Parkinson’s disease compared to those consuming fewer than three servings per day.
When looking at individual early signs of Parkinson’s disease, researchers also found that eating more ultra-processed foods was tied to an increased risk for nearly all symptoms except constipation.
“Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health,” said Gao. “More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally, disabilities and deaths due to Parkinson's disease are rapidly increasing.
The disease gets worse over time. There is no cure, but therapies and medicines can reduce symptoms. Common symptoms include tremors, painful muscle contractions, trouble walking, imbalance, and difficulty speaking.