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. Basically, finding that people who eat a lot of fast foods are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson’s than those who eat less junk food.
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
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.
The researchers also watched for early signs of Parkinson’s in the participants. Early signs include REM sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depression, pain, impaired color vision, excessive daytime sleepiness and reduced ability to smell.
The result
The highest Ultra Processed Food group had a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of having three or more of these early signs. While those in the lowest UPF group did not.
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.
The choice
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 the finding. Could eating less processed food slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease?
UPFs often contain lots of calories, sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. Thus, triggering inflammation in the brain that disrupts brain function. Chiefly, 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.
Source: New York Post©
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