Having too many sugary sodas, packaged snacks may speed up early signs of Parkinson’s disease: Study

NEW DELHI: Eating too much processed food, like sugary sodas, cookies, and packaged snacks, might speed up early signs of Parkinson’s disease, according to a latest study.

The researchers said the latest study is part of the “growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson’s disease.”

According to Dr Arun Gupta, Pediatrician and Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think-tank on nutrition consisting of independent medical experts, paediatricians, and nutritionists, there is growing evidence regarding the ill-effects of ultra-processed food products, which are always high in fat, sugar or salt.

“What is stopping the government from acting sharply and urgently to ban advertising at least, which is leading to overconsumption,” he asked.

The study, published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, looked for signs of prodromal Parkinson’s disease, the earliest stage when neurodegeneration begins. Still, more characteristic symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, like tremors, balance problems, and slow movement, have not yet begun.

These early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) — a brain condition that causes problems with movement, mental health, sleep, pain and other health issues — can begin 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,” said study author Xiang Gao, a distinguished professor and dean of the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

“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.”

Researchers looked at several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yoghurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savoury 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.