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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jupiter Neurosciences Launches Nugevia™: A Premium Longevity and Performance Supplement Line Grounded in Clinical Science
Jupiter, Florida, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNS) ('Jupiter' or the 'Company'), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing JOTROL™, a proprietary resveratrol-based platform, today announced the official commercial launch of Nugevia™, its consumer longevity product line. The launch represents a pivotal milestone in Jupiter's strategy to generate near-term revenue while maintaining momentum in its clinical pipeline. Nugevia's debut comes as global demand accelerates for scientifically validated wellness solutions that extend healthspan and enhance mental and metabolic resilience. Backed by over eight years of pharmaceutical development, powered by Jupiter's proprietary JOTROL™ micellar delivery technology, Nugevia products bring a clinical-grade standard to the nutraceutical space. 'The launch of Nugevia is the natural next step in translating our science into broad, real-world impact,' said Christer Rosén, Chairman and CEO of Jupiter Neurosciences. 'By building on the same proprietary technology platform that underpins our prescription drug development, we're delivering a differentiated consumer offering with unmatched bioavailability and scientific credibility.' A New Standard in Evidence-Based Supplementation Nugevia's first three formulations—targeting mitochondrial support, mental clarity, and "beauty from within"—will be sold via a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model starting in Q3 2025. Each product integrates JOTROL™, Jupiter's enhanced resveratrol formulation that demonstrated a 9x improvement in bioavailability during clinical trials. JOTROL™ is also the foundation of Jupiter's ongoing therapeutic programs in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Unlike typical single-ingredient supplements, Nugevia features precision-engineered "intelligent stacking" of synergistic compounds designed to enhance cellular resilience, support blood-brain barrier delivery, and promote system-wide optimization. 'We cracked the code on resveratrol's widely published issue with bioavailability, and now we're unlocking its potential beyond the clinic,' added Rosén. 'Consumers are seeking longevity solutions that are both credible and effective. Nugevia meets that demand.' Strategic Synergy with Core Pipeline The Nugevia launch adds a new dimension to Jupiter's value proposition as a dual-path company—advancing clinical-stage therapies for CNS disorders while monetizing its platform in the booming longevity market, projected to reach $8 trillion by 2030. The Company expects this initiative to provide a self-reinforcing commercial engine, with revenues from Nugevia supporting ongoing clinical trials and expanding its shareholder-aligned business model. 'Nugevia represents more than a product launch—it's a strategic engine for growth,' said Rosén. 'By leveraging our core science in a consumer format, we're creating a near-term revenue stream that supports our therapeutic pipeline and strengthens long-term shareholder value. It's smart capital allocation with real scientific impact.' A digital press kit, including high-resolution product imagery and key brand information, is available at . About Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. Jupiter Neurosciences is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on treating neuroinflammation, with a current focus on CNS disorders and rare diseases. The Company's platform product, JOTROL™, is an enhanced orally administered resveratrol formulation designed and intended to deliver therapeutically relevant, safe levels of resveratrol. The Company's pipeline is focused broadly on CNS disorder and includes indications such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Mucopolysaccharidoses Type I, Friedreich's Ataxia, and MELAS. More information may be found on the Company's website About JOTROL Resveratrol is one of the world's most extensively researched molecules. Thorough evaluation has shown that for the compound to be effective, it requires a high C-Max (~300 ng/ml of resveratrol in plasma), achievable only with doses exceeding 3 grams using earlier resveratrol products. Poor bioavailability has been a well-documented issue with resveratrol. Doses over 2 grams have been associated with severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, which have prevented the compound from receiving regulatory approval for any indication. Jupiter Neurosciences (JUNS) conducted a Phase I study demonstrating that JOTROL achieves over nine times higher bioavailability compared to resveratrol used in earlier clinical trials (e.g., Turner et al., MCI/Early Alzheimer's Disease trial, and Yui et al., Friedreich's Ataxia trial). The results of this Phase I study, which will be cross-referenced in all upcoming JOTROL trials, were published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and AAPS Open in February 2022. JUNS is now advancing JOTROL toward a Phase IIa trial in Parkinson's Disease. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company's current expectations, including the Company's ability to generate revenues from the sale of JOTROL products to consumers through the DTC model. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as 'approximates,' 'believes,' 'hopes,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'estimates,' 'projects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'will,' 'would,' 'should,' 'could,' 'may' or other similar expressions. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct. The Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to read the risk factors contained in the Company's final prospectus and other reports it files with the SEC before making any investment decisions regarding the Company's securities. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Contact: Dave GentryRedChip Companies, Inc.1-407-644-42561-800-RED-CHIP (733-2447)JUNS@
New York Post
17 hours ago
- New York Post
Simple tool could detect Parkinson's disease early — it was 96% accurate in experiments
This pen truly is mightier than the sword. A team of researchers at UCLA has developed a high-tech diagnostic pen that can detect signs of Parkinson's disease with over 96% accuracy, offering a low-cost way to identify the neurodegenerative disorder far earlier than now. A pilot study in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering unveiled the device, which looks much like a regular pen. 3 A patient with PD using the diagnostic pen for a writing task. Nature Chemical Engineering It's able pick up on subtle motor dysfunctions before they're visible to the naked eye, all by analyzing how people write. So, how does this futuristic fountain pen work? The tip is made of a flexible silicone material infused with magnetic particles, and it writes using a special ferrofluid ink that contains nanomagnets. As someone writes, pressure from the hand deforms the tip, causing changes in magnetic fields that produce electrical signals — like a Morse code of motor function. Those signals are then analyzed to detect the difference between healthy and Parkinson's-affected motor patterns. In tests with 16 participants — including 3 with Parkinson's — the system nailed the diagnosis with 96.22% accuracy. Even more impressive? The pen worked whether people wrote on paper or in the air, meaning it doesn't even require a surface. 3 Nature Chemical Engineering Today, Parkinson's is largely diagnosed based on observations, which are subjective, or by biomarker-based imaging, which can be expensive. This diagnostic pen is portable, inexpensive and doesn't rely on a neurologist to interpret results, making it a promising option for remote screenings, home use or even telehealth checkups. 'Our development of the diagnostic pen represents a low-cost, widely disseminable and reliable technology with the potential to improve PD diagnostics across large populations and resource-limited areas,' the researchers wrote. With further validation in a larger population, the device could be used not just for early diagnosis, but for ongoing symptom tracking and personalized treatment monitoring. 3 Today, Parkinson's is largely diagnosed based on observations, which are subjective, or by biomarker-based imaging, which can be expensive. highwaystarz – This is just the latest innovation aimed at tackling Parkinson's disease, which affects more than 10 million people worldwide and has no known cure. A recent study found that psilocybin — the psychedelic compound that gave 'magic mushrooms' their trippy reputation in the 1960s — showed serious promise for improving mood and motor function in people with Parkinson's disease. Tavapadon — a new drug that mimics dopamine by targeting certain receptors — has also shown promise in clinical trials by reducing motor fluctuations and maintaining symptom control with fewer side effects than traditional therapies. Produodopa — a continuous infusion therapy first administered in the UK — was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last fall. Innovative approaches targeting the psychological aspects of the disease have been successful as well — with tandem cycling proving to be especially popular. Some New Yorkers even find relief by playing pingpong.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Fighting Parkinson's one punch at a time
They pull giant boxing gloves over aging, sometimes shaking hands. They approach a black punching bag on weary, sometimes wobbly feet. Then they wail. Lord, do they wail. They hit the bag with a left-handed jab, a right-handed reverse, a hook, another hook, an uppercut, another jab, bam, bam, bam. They end the flurry with kicks, side kicks, thrust kicks, wild kicks, their legs suddenly strong and purposeful and fueled by a strength that once seemed impossible. Outside of this small gym in a nondescript office park in Monrovia, they are elderly people dealing with the motion-melting nightmare that is Parkinson's disease. But inside the walls of Kaizen Martial Arts & Fitness, in a program known as Kaizen Kinetics, they are heavyweight champs. Ranging in age from 50 to 90, spanning the spectrum of swift strides to wheelchairs, they are the most courageous athletes I've met. They show up here every couple of days hoping that they'll move enough to keep the evil Parky at bay. They're trying to punch him out, kick him off, scare him away, and they'll endure more than an hour of sometimes painful exercise to make this happen. They are frail women screaming, 'Jab!' and shaky men screaming, 'Hook!' and everyone counting with clenched teeth through 75 minutes that stretch the shrinking muscles and test the weary optimism. I am in awe of them, perhaps because I am one of them. I, too, am living with Parkinson's disease. The irony, huh? I've spent my entire career writing triumphant stories about athletes overcoming illness and adversity, only to reach the home stretch struggling to find a similar triumph in a story about me. It's not easy. Now I know what all those subjects of all those feel-good stories understood about the truth behind my positive prose. Degenerative disease sucks beyond any inspirational adjective. Incurable illness stinks beyond any hopeful headline. I've got Parkinson's, and it hurts to even say it. I'm still mobile, still active, I don't have the trademark tremors that distinguish the famously afflicted Michael J. Fox or the late Muhammad Ali but, damn it, I've got it. I was diagnosed four years ago after complaining of weakness in my right arm. That weakness has disappeared, but it's a constant struggle to keep everything else from slowly going to hell. Every day it feels like I've just run a marathon. I move well, my balance is fine, but I'm always tight, always creaking. The amount of medication required to keep me active is so immense, my pills come in gallon jugs and I spend entire Dodger games trying to discreetly swallow them in the press box. I move slower now. My fiancee Roxana qualifies for sainthood because whenever we go out, she must patiently wait for me to get dressed, which takes forever and is accompanied by the unholy sounds of struggle. I don't smile as much now. It's harder to smile when afflicted with the trademark Parkinson's masked face. When I FaceTime with my darling Daisy, I worry she won't see past my dour expression and never know how much her granddaddy loves her. Until now, my condition has only been known to my family. Not even my bosses knew. I didn't look like Parky, I didn't act like Parky, so why should I publicly reveal something so personal and embarrassing? Yeah, I was embarrassed. I felt humiliated in a way that made no sense and total sense. To me, Parkinson's implies frailty, Parkinson's implies weakness. But let me tell you, a 72-year-old woman pounding the living hell out of a punching bag ain't weak. And that's why I'm writing about this today. If my boxing classmates can have the strength to sweat through their tremors and wallop through their fears, then I can certainly have the strength to celebrate them without worrying what sort of light it casts on me. I'm proud to be one of them, and the purpose of this column is to reflect that pride and perhaps make it easier for other folks afflicted with Parkinson's to come out swinging. Officially, Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease impacting both motor and non-motor systems. Translated, the brain slowly stops producing dopamine, which is crucial for movement, and the loss of this neuro-transmitter affects everything from your stride to your speech. Roughly one million people in the United States have it, and there's no cure for it, and it generally gets worse as one gets older. As Michael J. Fox himself once said, it's the gift that keeps on taking. You don't die from it, but it can be hard to live with it, yet there is one thing that unquestionably helps slow its progression. Exercise. Movement. Pull your achy body off the couch every day and work those quivering muscles, stretch those tight joints, perhaps join one of the many Parkinson's programs in town that involve everything from dancing to hiking. 'For people living with Parkinson's disease, regular exercise can reduce symptoms, help treatments work better and potentially even slow the disease progression,' Rachel Dolhun, principal medical advisor at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, wrote in an e-mail. 'For some, exercise can look like participating in boxing classes. For others, it's water aerobics, dancing or playing pickleball. Just remember that any type of and amount of exercise can positively support your journey.' If you're like me and you just want to punch Parky in the face, boxing works best. The 83 tough souls who t pay $179 a month to battle in the Kaizen Kinetics program agree. 'I hit the bag really hard like I'm hitting Parkinson's,' said Rich Pumilia, 66, a lawyer from Monrovia. 'Hitting it back for what it's doing to me.' I became aware of Jody Hould's program, which she leads with the help of husband Tom, son Zac and Anthony Rutherford, shortly after I was diagnosed. I kept seeing their pamphlets in doctors offices and rehab centers. At the time, they were part of the popular Parkinson's-battling Rock Steady Boxing program that has several locations through southern California. By the time I worked up the courage to fully face my illness and call the number on the pamphlet two years ago, Kaizen had become an independent program with a similar focus on boxing. 'Boxing is balancing, posture, turning, pivoting, extension, range of motion, using your core, everything that's important to fighting the disease,' said Hould, who started the program nine years ago in memory of her late mother, Julie, who died of complications from Parkinson's. 'Plus, it's fun to punch something.' Hould and her team run a fast-moving program, barking out a series of punches and kicks while offering gentle reminders to those who hook when they should jab. 'Parkinson's doesn't take any vacations, it doesn't take any days off, we have to be on top of our game, we have to be proactive in our fight,' Hould said. 'Not only is it good for the spirit, it's good for the mind.' But it can be tough on the ego, as I quickly learned when a frail white-haired woman out-punched me one day while screaming at the bag. Another time an aging man with tremors and shuffled steps pounded the bag so hard it skidded into my feet. I once showed up with a cut on my left hand and informed Hould that I would not be boxing that day. 'You still have your right hand, don't you?' she said. 'So you box one-handed.' The 75-minute sessions are hard. Every exercise and maneuver are seemingly designed to do something I now have difficulty doing. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes you want to be anywhere else. But it works. It can't kill Parky, but it can quiet him. Hould never promises a cure, but she sees some relief in those who join the battle. There was one boxer who eventually abandoned her walker. Others have seen a reduction in their tremors. Throughout the windowless gym there is real hope that this disease can be slowed. Pumilia is convinced his condition has improved after attending classes for eight weeks. 'When I was diagnosed, my doctor said you have five good years left before your life is going to be impacted,' said Pumilia. 'Now my doctor is basically saying, 'I don't know what you're doing, but keep doing it.'' Sharon Michaud, 65, a retired insurance executive who has also come to class for eight years, agrees. 'Without a doubt, it's helped me,' said Michaud, who is noticeable in the class because she moves like a gymnast. 'With Parkinson's it's easy to get into a funk and get depressed. You come here and it's nice to know there are other people like you. I'm amazed more people don't know there's places like this out here.' Maybe this story will shed some light on that. Maybe this story will inform a closeted Parkinson's patient about programs like Kaizen Kinetics and empower them to pick up the phone and join. If you decide to come to Monrovia, I'll be the breathless guy in the back still unable to deliver a knockout punch but continually inspired by fellow fighters to keep trading blows with my hardest of truths. I leave that gym sweaty and sore but uplifted with the reminder that I am blessed to still lead a wonderful active life filled with family and friends and work and travel and so, so much hope. I have Parkinson's. But, by God, it doesn't have me.
