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Time of India
20-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Having cereal for breakfast? It could increase the risk of Parkinson's disease
A recent study reveals a potential link between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and early signs of Parkinson's disease. Researchers found that individuals consuming 11 or more servings of such foods daily faced a significantly higher risk of developing early indicators of the condition. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. From fueling the body with energy to jumpstarting metabolism, breakfast plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. But what do you have for breakfast? Cereals, bacon, sausage? Well, then it's time to rethink your breakfast options. A recent study has found that people who eat foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies, and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease. The study found that people who consumed more ultra-processed foods were more at risk of Parkinson's disease when compared to those who ate very few ultra-processed foods. The findings of the study are published in Neurology . What is Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease is a progressive, degenerative brain condition that affects the nervous system. It causes nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain to weaken, become damaged, and die, leading to symptoms that include problems with movement, tremor, stiffness, and impaired balance. As symptoms progress, people with Parkinson's disease (PD) may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks. Diet and Parkinson's disease To understand the link between diet and Parkinson's disease, the researchers looked for signs of prodromal Parkinson's disease, which is the earliest stage, when neurodegeneration begins, but more characteristic symptoms of Parkinson's disease, like tremors, balance problems, and slow movement, have not yet begun. Such early symptoms show up 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. 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,' study author Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, of the Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University in Shanghai, China, said in a statement. The study Source: Wikipedia The researchers looked at 42,853 people with an average age of 48 who did not have Parkinson's disease at the start of the study. These participants were followed up for 26 years. To keep a check on their health, they were asked to take regular medical exams and complete health questionnaires. The results were reviewed to see if they had early signs of Parkinson's disease. The signs include rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depressive symptoms, body pain, impaired color vision, excessive daytime sleepiness, and reduced ability to smell. The participants also completed a food diary every two to four years, listing what they ate and how often. The findings (Pic courtesy: iStock) The researchers observed if the participants consumed ultra-processed foods including sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savory 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. They also calculated how many ultra-processed foods participants ate on average per day. Based on this, they were categorized into five groups. The highest group ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food per day on average. The lowest group ate an average of fewer than three servings per day. Kelly Osbourne Erupts Over Viral 'Ozzy Is Dying' Rumours They 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. They 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. More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease,' Gao said. It is also important to understand that this study does not prove that eating more ultra-processed foods causes early signs of Parkinson's disease; it only shows an association.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Early Signs of Parkinson's Disease
Ultra-processed foods are associated with a rogues' gallery of health problems, including elevated risk for obesity, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Yet despite experts' warnings, ultra-processed foods are satisfying, cheap, and easy, making them popular across much of the world. In the US, more than half of all calories adults consume at home now come from ultra-processed foods. As researchers race to keep up, the list of suspected risks continues to grow. According to an international team of researchers who analyzed decades of records from tens of thousands of health workers, people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease than those who don't. This does not prove causation, but it does reveal a noteworthy association, especially in the broader context of health concerns related to ultra-processed foods. It also adds to mounting evidence that diet is key to brain health. "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," says co-author Xiang Gao, a nutritional epidemiologist with the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai. In the new study, researchers focused on signs of Parkinson's disease that appear before more specific symptoms develop, which can include body pain, constipation, depressive symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, and an impaired sense of smell. At this stage, while patients may not have characteristic features of the disease, neurodegeneration may have already begun. "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," Gao says. The researchers conducted a longitudinal analysis using data from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, letting them track details about the diet and health of nearly 43,000 people for up to 26 years. This sample included men and women with an average age of 48 years, who had no history of Parkinson's disease. The subjects had received regular medical exams and completed biennial health questionnaires, which Gao and his colleagues reviewed for early signs of Parkinson's disease. Subjects also submitted responses to surveys at two- to four-year intervals, offering insight into their dietary habits. Researchers used this to estimate each subject's average daily ingestion of ultra-processed foods, as defined by the Nova classification system for food processing. The study covered several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; packaged savory snacks; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; and animal-based products. Subjects were split into five groups based on their consumption of ultra-processed foods. Those in the highest group ate 11 or more servings per day on average, while the lowest group averaged fewer than three daily servings. The researchers adjusted for factors such as age, alcohol intake, body mass index, caffeine intake, physical activity, and tobacco smoking, among others. Subjects who ate 11 or more daily servings of ultra-processed foods were 2.5 times likelier to have at least three early signs of Parkinson's disease compared with subjects who ate fewer than three servings per day, the authors report. Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was linked with increased risk of almost all early signs of Parkinson's disease used in this study, they found, with the exception of constipation. There are some important caveats to these findings. They show an association between ultra-processed foods and increased risk for early signs of Parkinson's disease, but more research is needed to clarify the nature of the relationship. The focus on early signs of Parkinson's disease also involves some ambiguity, as the authors acknowledge, since these are potential hints of the condition rather than definitive indicators. Many of the early signs – body pain, for example, or daytime sleepiness – are common as people age and don't necessarily herald Parkinson's disease. All of these features considered in composite, however, are "strongly predictive" of subsequent Parkinson's disease diagnoses, the researchers write. "Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health," Gao says. "More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease." The study was published in Neurology. AI Discovers Suspected Trigger of Alzheimer's, And Maybe a Treatment One Stage of Sleep Seems Critical For Reducing Risk of Dementia World First: US Baby Treated With Personalized CRISPR Gene-Editing
CNN
07-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Ultraprocessed food linked to early signs of Parkinson's disease, study says
See all topics Eating about a dozen servings of ultraprocessed food each day could more than double your risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. A single serving in the study was 8 ounces of diet or sugar-sweetened soda, a single hot dog, one slice of packaged cake, a mere tablespoon of ketchup or 1 ounce of potato chips — a typical small bag of chips is 1.5 ounces. '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,' said senior study author Dr. Xiang Gao, a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, in a statement. This latest study is part of the 'growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease,' Gao said. While the study found that people who ate more ultraprocessed foods tended to report more early symptoms, it did not find a direct increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease itself, said Dr. Daniel van Wamelen, a clinical senior lecturer in neuroscience at King's College London. He was not involved in the new research. 'The study did not track whether participants were diagnosed with Parkinson's later on,' van Wamelen said in a statement. 'That said, having more of these symptoms suggests a higher risk over time.' The study analyzed years of health and diet data on nearly 43,000 participants of the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, two studies in the United States that have been gathering information on health behaviors for decades. The average age of people in the study was 48, and none had Parkinson's disease at the beginning of the study. All self-reported what they ate every few years — a limitation of the new research as participants may not have remembered their food intake accurately. Ultraprocessed foods measured by the study included artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; condiments, sauces and spreads; packaged sweets snacks or desserts; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; breads and cereals; and packaged savory snacks. The study found a link between early signs of Parkinson's disease and all types of ultraprocessed foods except breads and cereals — a finding that indicates an underlying feature among most classes of ultraprocessed foods that may explain the results, the study said. One reason could be ultraprocessed foods typically have less dietary fiber, protein and micronutrients — but do have added sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fats, the study said. Ultraprocessed foods also may impact the balance of flora in the gut, while additives may increase inflammation, free radicals and neuron death, the study said. '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,' wrote the authors of a corresponding editorial published with the study. The editorial was coauthored 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 new research. 'The prevention of neurodegenerative diseases may begin at the dinner table,' they wrote. 'Excessive UPF consumption not only is a risk factor for metabolic diseases but may also accelerate neurodegenerative processes and associated symptoms.' In the new study, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, researchers looked at the prodromal stage of Parkinson's disease — early signals that appear years to decades before the tremors, stiff muscles, slow gait and changes in posture that are hallmark symptoms of Parkinson's. Body pain, constipation, signs of depression, changes in the ability to smell or see colors, and excessive daytime sleepiness can all be early signs of Parkinson's disease, according to the Parkinson's Foundation. An extremely unusual sleep disorder, in which people can move during REM, or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, is also a key early sign, according to research. The body is typically paralyzed during REM sleep so it cannot get up and act out any dreams. The study found that people who ate about 11 servings a day of ultraprocessed food — compared to people who only ate three — had a 2.5-fold greater likelihood of exhibiting three or more of the early signs of Parkinson's. In addition, eating more ultraprocessed foods was tied to an increased risk for nearly all symptoms except constipation, according to the study. This finding held true even after researchers accounted for other factors, such as age, physical activity and smoking, that might impact the results. 'Parkinson's is an incurable disease,' Gao said in an email. 'In our previous study based on the same populations used for the current analysis, we found that a healthy dietary pattern and physical activity could slow the disease progression. 'Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health.' Sign up for CNN's Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. Our eight-part guide shows you a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that will boost your health for life .
New York Post
07-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
These foods increase your odds of early Parkinson's symptoms: study
Mind your mind! Around 90,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed in the US each year — the neurodegenerative disorder is commonly associated with slow movement, tremors, stiffness and difficulty walking. Experts suggest that physical activity and a balanced diet can help lower Parkinson's risk. A new study supports that guidance, finding that people who consume a lot of ultra-processed foods are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's than those who eat less junk food. Advertisement 3 Around 90,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed in the US each year — the neurodegenerative disorder is commonly associated with slow movement, tremors, stiffness and difficulty walking. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – 'There's growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson's disease,' said study author Dr. Xiang Gao of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. '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.' Advertisement Nearly 43,000 volunteers with an average age of 48, who did not have Parkinson's at the start of the study, were followed for up to 26 years. Participants underwent regular medical exams, completed health questionnaires and maintained a food diary every two to four years. Researchers calculated the number of UPF servings they ate on an average day. 3 Before tremors and other symptoms, early signs of Parkinson's include REM sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depression, pain, impaired color vision, excessive daytime sleepiness and reduced ability to smell. Orawan – Advertisement UPFs included sauces, spreads, condiments, packaged sweets, snacks, desserts, artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages and animal-based products. A serving was equivalent to a can of soda, 1 ounce of potato chips, a slice of cake, a hot dog or a tablespoon of ketchup. Participants were split into five groups — the highest group ate 11 or more daily servings, while the lowest group ate fewer than three servings a day. Advertisement The researchers also watched for early signs of Parkinson's in the participants, including REM sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depression, pain, impaired color vision, excessive daytime sleepiness and reduced ability to smell. After adjusting for factors such as age and exercise levels, participants in the highest UPF group had a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of having three or more of these early signs than those in the lowest UPF group. 3 Ultra-processed foods include sauces, spreads, condiments, packaged sweets, snacks, desserts, artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages and animal-based products. vaaseenaa – Researchers also noted that a diet high in UPFs raised the risk for all the early Parkinson's symptoms except constipation. The findings were published online Wednesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. 'Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health,' Gao said. 'More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease.' UPFs often contain lots of calories, sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. They can trigger inflammation in the brain that disrupts brain function, increasing the risk of brain disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Recent research also tied UPFs to higher risks of psoriasis, depression and even early death.
