The foods sold in Australia that have been linked to PARKINSON'S disease
People who regularly eat ultraprocessed foods have nearly triple the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a study suggests.
Chinese scientists found people who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed foods a day were 2.5 times more likely to have early signs of the progressive movement disorder Parkinson's disease than those eating three or fewer servings.
Parkinson's is the second most common neurological disease in Australia after dementia, with more than 150,000 Aussies living with the condition.
Incidence rates are increasing by about 4 per cent per year, costing the Australian health system about $10billion each year, according to Parkinson's Australia.
Though it is more common in the elderly, up to 20 per cent of all people with Parkinson's have an early onset version and are diagnosed in their 20s to 50s. Actor Michael J Fox was famously diagnosed with the disease at just 29-years-old.
The new study out of Fudan University in China shows Aussies can take a simple step to reduce their chances of being diagnosed with the disease: cutting out ultra-processed foods like fizzy drinks and tomato sauce.
Even having three servings of these foods a day raised the risk by up to 60 per cent, the study said.
It found artificial additives like emulsifiers, sweeteners and preservatives may promote inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging neurons in the brain that create dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls movement.
In Parkinson's, the brain can't produce enough dopamine, leading to issues like tremors, difficulty balancing and falls.
Additionally, the foods quickly get absorbed into the bloodstream and attack the microbiome, a community of 'friendly' bacteria that live in the gut and communicate with the brain.
Harmful bacteria creates inflammation in the brain that destroys dopamine-producing neurons.
Young Aussies might be developing Parkinson's without knowing it, as the earliest signs - listed in the study as sleep issues, fatigue, constipation and a reduced ability to smell - might not progress to more tell-tale symptoms like tremors until decades later.
'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 Dr Xiang Gao.
'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.'
The study followed 42,853 people who did not have Parkinson's at the outset, recording their medical appointments and diet for up to 26 years.
Researchers divided foods into four categories: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods and ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods included were: 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.
The researchers found consuming 11 servings of ultraprocessed foods every day raised the risk of developing at least three early Parkinson's symptoms by 2.5 times compared to people who consumed three or fewer servings.
'Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health,' Dr 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.'
The study's main limitation was that participants self-reported their ultraprocessed food intake, so it's possible they may not have accurately calculated or remembered how many servings they had.
Dr Daniel J van Wamelen, clinical senior lecturer in neuroscience and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at King's College London, noted while the results are 'interesting,' more definitive research is still needed.
He said: 'It is important to highlight that the symptoms examined in this study are possible early signs of Parkinson's disease, not definitive indicators that someone will go on to develop it. The study did not track whether participants were diagnosed with Parkinson's later on.
'Many of the individual symptoms noted, such as sleep disturbances, constipation, and mood changes, are common in the general population. While the study found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods tended to report more of these non-motor symptoms, it did not find a direct increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease itself.
'The connection to Parkinson's disease should be viewed with caution until more definitive evidence becomes available.'
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