Having cereal for breakfast? It could increase the risk of Parkinson's disease

Time of India

20-07-2025

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.
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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.