
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 – stock.adobe.com
'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 – stock.adobe.com
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 – stock.adobe.com
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs
Wildfires are already burning in parts of Canada, and as they do, many communities are already facing the familiar thick haze as smoke drifts in. Smoke from wildfires has already led Environment Canada to issue air quality warnings for much of Ontario. In Toronto, smoke led to the city briefly having the worst air quality in the world. Anyone who has experienced wildfire smoke knows how it can leave you with a scratchy throat, stinging eyes and impact your lungs. However, smoke can also affect your brain. Tiny airborne pollutants found in smoke have been linked to increased risk of stroke, dementia and flare-ups in neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). These effects can disproportionately impact older adults, people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and those living in low-income communities. This isn't just about climate. It's about equity, and health systems need to catch up. Canada's 2023 wildfire season was the worst on record, and as climate change worsens wildfires, it may be a sign of what's to come. Alongside harmful gases and heavy metals, wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5. These tiny particles can travel deep into your lungs, slip into your bloodstream and even reach your brain. Some even bypass the lungs entirely, entering the brain directly through the nose. After entering the brain, these toxins can cause inflammation and stress, damage nerve cells and even accelerate cognitive decline. Studies have linked exposure to air pollution to an increased risk of stroke and dementia. Even short-term spikes in smoke exposure, like those during wildfires, lead to a surge in emergency visits for strokes, especially among people over 65. A 2022 experiment had thousands of adults participate in an online attention task under smoky conditions. It found that just a three-hour spike in fine particulate matter, typical of a heavy smoke episode, led to measurably worse attention scores. This fits other evidence that breathing smoke makes people mentally foggy, forgetful or fatigued. In 2024, a study found that chronic exposure to wildfire-related air pollution significantly increased the likelihood of someone being diagnosed with dementia. The risk was most pronounced in low-income communities, where people often have less access to clean air, health care and protective measures. For people already living with neurological conditions like MS or Parkinson's disease, the stakes are even higher. Exposure to fine particulate pollution has been linked with increased hospital admissions for MS relapses, particularly in young patients. Other research points to worsening symptoms of epilepsy and cognitive decline under extreme heat and polluted air conditions. Despite these mounting risks, neurological health considerations have been largely absent from wildfire preparedness initiatives and public health responses. That needs to change. If you want to stay informed about local smoke exposure, tools like AQmap can help you track PM2.5 levels in real time across Canada. Some face far greater risk from wildfire smoke than others, including older adults, those with pre-existing health conditions, people with lower socio-economic status, Indigenous populations, people residing in remote areas and children. This is a health equity issue as much as a medical one. Each of these groups faces unique and compounding challenges during smoke events. For example, older adults are more vulnerable to the cardiovascular and neurological effects of smoke. They also face greater barriers to accessing filtered environments. People with disabilities or chronic illnesses, including those with neurological conditions, often can't relocate during smoke events and may rely on power-dependent medical devices that can fail during climate emergencies. Low-income families are more likely to live in housing without proper air filtration or cooling. These same communities often face higher baseline rates of neurological disease. Indigenous communities, more than 80 per cent of which are located near fire-prone areas, face recurring displacement, interruptions to care and disproportionate exposure to smoke each summer. Children and adolescents are particularly susceptible to the harmful neurological effects of wildfires. Because their brains are still developing and they breathe more air per body weight than adults, children are especially vulnerable to harmful pollutants. Studies have linked early-life exposure to fine particulate matter with an increased risk of neuro-developmental disorders, lower cognitive function and structural brain changes. These populations aren't just more exposed, they also have fewer resources to respond. Recognizing these inequities, we are developing a climate-health equity framework for Canada, with a specific focus on neurological health. Our interdisciplinary team is asking: how can we build health systems that protect vulnerable brains during climate emergencies? Health-care workers in Alberta Health Services have designed the Climate-Resilient Acute Care Clinical Operations Framework. This framework supports hospitals in becoming both greener and more resilient, ensuring care can continue during wildfires, floods and extreme heat events. Importantly, it also centres the needs of equity-deserving populations, integrating climate adaptation into emergency care, supply chains, staffing and patient communication. What needs to change? Public awareness must expand beyond respiratory health. Neurological effects of smoke should be included in public health messaging, especially for high-risk groups. Health systems must be climate-ready, with clean air shelters, evacuation protocols and services tailored to meet the needs of neurological patients. Communities need support, from funding for air filtration to co-ordinated outreach during smoke events. Indigenous-led fire stewardship and community health initiatives should be part of national planning. Supporting Indigenous-led fire stewardship not only strengthens wildfire response but also respects Indigenous sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. Clinicians must be empowered to address climate-related health risks. Training in environmental health, including its impact on the brain, is increasingly essential. Wildfire season is back, and with it, an urgent need to protect more than just our lungs. The science is clear: breathing smoky air affects our minds, especially for those already facing health and social vulnerabilities. Climate change is a brain health issue. Building a healthier, more equitable future requires us to treat it that way, starting now. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Dr Bhavini Gohel, University of Calgary and Muskaan Muse Laroyia, University of Calgary Read more: Managing forests and other ecosystems under rising threats requires thinking across wide-ranging scenarios As wildfires become more frequent and intense, how will persistent smoke exposure affect long-term health? Wildfire season is changing in Canada — posing even greater risks to the nation's communities and ecosystems Dr Bhavini Gohel works for the Canadian Coalition for Green Healthcare. Muskaan Muse Laroyia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gut bacteria changes may be warning sign for worsening Parkinson's
Changes in specific bacteria in the mouth and gut of patients with Parkinson's disease could potentially be an early warning sign that symptoms of the condition are getting worse, a study suggests. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), scientists have linked these shifts to cognitive decline – problems with memory and learning – in people with the disease. They suggest the toxins could one day be used as 'markers' for medics to pinpoint the Parkinson's patients at a higher risk of dementia, as well as being used to help develop targeted treatments for the disease. Parkinson's disease is a progressive condition that affects the brain, with symptoms including involuntary shaking, known as tremors, as well as psychological problems such as depression, loss of balance, trouble sleeping and memory issues. According to the Alzheimer's Society, around a third of people with Parkinson's eventually develop dementia. 'The human gut and oral bacterial communities are increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Disruptions in the gut-brain axis could trigger inflammation and immune responses that contribute to neuronal damage," Dr Saeed Shoaie, group leader of the quantitative systems biology (QTS) lab at King's College London, said. "A common gum disease bacterium like porphyromonas gingivalis has been discovered as a potential driver of Alzheimer's." For the study, led by experts at King's College London and published in the journal Gut Microbes, scientists analysed 228 spit and stool samples. The samples came from 41 patients with Parkinson's and mild cognitive impairment, which causes problems with thinking and memory, 47 patients with Parkinson's and dementia and 26 healthy patients. The team found that the gut of people with mild cognitive impairment contained more harmful bacteria, many of which are likely to have come from the mouth. This bacteria releases toxins that can damage gut tissue, promote inflammation and potentially affect the brain, according to researchers. For a more in-depth analysis, the team used AI to pinpoint the bacterial species and functions not usually picked up by traditional testing, allowing them to link toxins specifically to cognitive decline. Dr Shoaie added: 'The emerging evidence underscores the potential importance of maintaining oral and gut health in mitigating or slowing neurodegenerative processes. 'As people with Parkinson's become increasingly reliant on carers, routine practices such as oral hygiene and nutritional intake may be neglected. 'Our findings suggest that promoting a healthy microbiome through consistent oral care, a balanced diet and potentially targeted probiotic interventions could support improved disease management in Parkinson's.'
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aspen Neuroscience to Present at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2025 Annual Meeting
Presentation of Data from Clinical Trial of Aspen's Autologous iPSC-derived Approach for Neuronal Replacement Therapy in Parkinson's Disease SAN DIEGO, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. announced its participation in "Illuminating the Future," the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2025 Annual Meeting, to be held in Hong Kong June 11-14. Aspen Co-founder and Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Andrés Bratt-Leal, PhD will deliver a presentation, Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of transplanted autologous iPSC-derived dopaminergic precursors in moderate to advanced Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Bratt-Leal's presentation will cover data for the first four patients of the ASPIRO Study*, a Phase 1/2a trial of the company's iPSC-derived autologous cell therapy (ANPD001). The open label trial was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of intracranial implantation of autologous induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived dopaminergic neuronal precursor cells (DANPCs) in patients with moderate to advanced Parkinson's disease. The primary objective of the ongoing study is to assess safety and tolerability of the procedure. A secondary objective is to evaluate clinical efficacy as measured by change from baseline in multiple patient-reported and clinician-reported Parkinson's disease outcome measures. Continued follow up and evaluation of a higher-dose cohort in the study are ongoing. "Early data from the first four patients show that precision intracranial delivery of DANPCs is safe and well-tolerated," reported Dr. Bratt-Leal. "Both patient-reported and clinician-reported outcomes show early signs of changes from baseline in multiple clinically meaningful outcome measures. Autologous iPSC-derived therapy as a regenerative medicine approach has the unique advantage of not requiring immunosuppressive medications." About Aspen Neuroscience Headquartered in San Diego, Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. is a clinical development-stage, private company focused on autologous regenerative medicine. The company's patient-derived iPSC platform is used to create personalized therapies to address diseases with high unmet medical needs, beginning with autologous neuron replacement for PD. Aspen combines cell biology with the latest machine learning and genomic approaches to investigate patient-specific, restorative cell treatments. The company has developed a best-in-class platform to create and optimize pluripotent-derived cell therapies, which includes in-house bioinformatics, manufacturing and quality control. For more information and important updates, please visit or email media@ * The study was made possible by funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), a state of California Agency that funds regenerative medicine, stem cell, and gene therapy research (Grant Number CLIN2-15547). View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data