Robert Herpen, MA , 2025-05-16 15:41:00
Key takeaways:
- Increased consumption of unprocessed foods boosted odds of nonmotor prodromal Parkinson’s symptoms.
- Greater odds of prodromal PD features were linked to animal-based, processed and artificially sweetened foods.
Higher intake of ultraprocessed foods was linked to higher odds of nonmotor prodromal symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease, including sleep disturbance, pain and depression, according to data published in Neurology.
“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,” Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, from the Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University in Shanghai, China, said in a release related to the study. “There’s growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson’s disease.”
According to new research from China, increased intake of ultraprocessed foods was associated with increased risk of experiencing prodromal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Image: Adobe Stock
Consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) such as hot dogs, soda and breakfast cereals has been associated with a higher risk of various chronic diseases, but associations with prodromal PD are yet undetermined, Gao and colleagues wrote.
They sought to examine correlations between long-term UPF consumption and nonmotor symptoms that may presage the prodromal phase of PD. Their longitudinal study culled data and eligible individuals from a pair of cohort studies conducted in the United States: the Nurses Health Study, which included female registered nurses aged 30 to 55 years at baseline; and the Health Professionals Follow Up Study, which featured 51,529 male health care professionals aged 40 to 75 years at baseline. UPF intake was analyzed via food frequency questionnaires submitted between 1984 and 2006.
A total of 83,900 participants from both groups subsequently answered questions related to probable REM sleep behavior disorder (pRBD) and constipation in 2012. All enrollees who reported both conditions — along with a random subset of those who had
neither — submitted to olfactory exams and answered further questionnaires regarding nonmotor-related PD features between 2014 and 2015.
The study’s primary outcome was the combination of all seven prodromal features and further categorized as zero (reference), one, two, and three features, while secondary outcomes included all features except constipation, a combination of three commonly recognized features (constipation, pRBD and hyposmia), along with individualized features.
The final analysis included 42,853 participants (mean age, 47.8 years; 58.6% women).
Results showed that higher UPF consumption was linked to elevated odds of individual prodromal features, including pRBD, constipation, body pain and depression.
The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for having three vs. zero prodromal features was 2.47 (95% CI: 1.89–3.23) for cumulative average intake, compared with 1.5 (95% CI: 1.18–1.89) for baseline intake.
Similar results were observed for combinations of all features except constipation (OR =
2; 95% CI: 1.29–3.11) and combinations of three features (OR = 2.47; 95% CI:
1.41–4.34).
Data additionally revealed higher intake of sauces, spreads, condiments; packaged sweet snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yogurt or dairy-based desserts and packaged savory snacks was associated with greater odds of prodromal PD features.
“Choosing to eat fewer processed foods and more whole, nutritious foods could be a good strategy for maintaining brain health,” Gao said in the release. “More studies are needed to confirm our finding that eating less processed food may slow down the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease.”
In a related editorial, Maria I. Maraki, PhD, an assistant professor of nutrition, exercise performance and health at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and Nikolaos Scarmeas. MD, MS, an associate professor of neurology at Columbia University, wrote that future research should center on associations of UPFs with PD itself rather than just examining the prodrome.
“These findings reinforce general health dietary guidelines emphasizing minimal UPF consumption,” they wrote. “They highlight a potential role of nutrition in influencing the prodromal phase of PD.”
Reference:
Eating ultra processed foods may speed up early signs of Parkinson’s disease. https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/5257. Published May 7, 2025. Accessed May 15, 2025.
Maraki MI, et al. Neurology. 2025;doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000213684.
For more information:
Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, can be reached at neurology@healio.com.
