Abusing ultraprocessed foods increases the risk of developing obesity and other diseases; In fact, a study review published in The BMJ He associated its consumption with up to 32 health problems, including cardiovascular pathologies, diabetes or cancer, as well as mental disorders. Now, another study has found that people who consume more ultraprocessed foods, such as cold breakfast cereals, cookies and hot dogs, are more likely to have early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease than those who consume very few ultraprocessed foods.
The study results have been published in Neurology And they do not demonstrate that consuming more ultraprocessed foods cause early Parkinson symptoms, but only show an association. The researchers sought signs of prodromic Parkinson’s disease, which is the earliest stage in which neurodegeneration begins. However, the most characteristic symptoms of the disease, such as tremors, problems of balance and slow movements, have not yet appeared. These first symptoms may appear years or even decades before typical symptoms appear.
“Bringing a healthy diet is crucial, since it has been associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases and the food decisions we make today can significantly influence the health of our brain in the future,” said the author of the study, Dr. Xiang Gao, of the Institute of Nutrition of Fudan in Shanghai, China, in a note published by the American Academy of Neurology.
“There is more and more evidence that diet could influence the development of Parkinson’s disease. Our research shows that consuming too many processed foods, such as sugary soft drinks and packaged snacks, could accelerate the appearance of the first signs of Parkinson’s disease,” adds the expert.
A balanced diet as a strategy to maintain brain health
The study included 42,853 people with an average age of 48 years who did not suffer from Parkinson’s disease at the beginning of the study and those that were followed up for up to 26 years. The participants underwent periodic medical exams and responded to health questionnaires. The researchers reviewed the results to determine if they had early signs of Parkinson’s disease, such as rapid eye movements, sleep behavior disorder, constipation, depressive symptoms, body pain, alteration of color vision, excessive daytime drowsiness and decrease in smell.
The participants completed a food diary every two to four years in which they wrote down what they ate and how often. The researchers analyzed several types of ultraprocessed foods, including sauces, spreads or condiments; Packaged sweets; appetizers or desserts; artificially sweetened or sugar beverages; products of animal origin; yogurt or dairy desserts; and packaged salty snacks. A portion amounted to a can of soda, 28 grams of fried potatoes, a slice of packaged cake, a hot puppy or a tablespoon of Kétchup.
The participants who ate 11 or more portions of ultraprocessed foods per day had a 2.5 -time probability of having three or more early signs of Parkinson’s disease
The researchers calculated how many ultraprocessed foods the participants per day ate. They divided the participants into five groups. The group with the highest level consumed an average of 11 or more portions of ultraprocessed foods per day. The group with the lowest level consumed an average of less than three portions per day.
After adjusting factors such as age, physical activity and smoking discovered that participants who ate 11 or more portions of ultraprocessed foods per day had a 2.5 -time probability of having three or more early signs of Parkinson’s disease, compared to those who consumed less than three portions per day.
When observing the first individual signs of Parkinson’s disease, researchers also discovered that eating more ultraprocessed foods was linked to a greater risk of suffering almost all symptoms except constipation.
“Choking less processed foods and more comprehensive and nutritious foods could be a good strategy to maintain brain health,” Gao said. “More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed foods can delay the first signs of Parkinson’s disease,” he concludes.
Maira Bes-Rastroro, co-coordinator of the Nutrition Working Group of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE), Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the University of Navarra, and member of CIBEROBN, which has not participated in the study, has indicated in statements to SMC Spain: “When analyzing the different groups of ultra-processed foods, the Sweet snacks and sugary or sweetened drinks They were the ones that increased to a greater extent the risk of developing these prodromic signs. “
“The fact of analyzing the non -engines of Parkinson’s motors is an advantage, since these appear ten or twenty years before the clinical diagnosis, which provides an opportunity to carry out early interventions to prevent Parkinson’s development. However, it would be desirable to have other studies that also observe a relationship between the consumption of ultra -processed and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, not only with the first non -motors of the disease. “
“In any case, these results continue to support the need to discourage the consumption of ultraprocessed foods, not only because of their greatest risk with metabolic diseases, but also with mental illnesses and the need to continue promoting in the population the Mediterranean diet, based on foods minimally processed with a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, integral cereals, fish and olive oil.”
Source: www.webconsultas.com