People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson’s disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a study published in the May 7, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson’s disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a study published in the May 7, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that eating more ultra processed foods causes early signs of Parkinson’s disease; it only shows an association.
Researchers looked for signs of prodromal Parkinson’s disease, which is the earliest stage, when neurodegeneration begins, but more characteristic symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, like tremors, balance problems and slow movement, have not yet begun. These early symptoms 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, MD, PhD, of Institute of Nutrition, 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.”
The study included 42,853 people with an average age of 48 who did not have Parkinson’s disease at the start of the study. They were followed up to 26 years.
Read more at American Academy of Neurology
Photo Credit: HannahChen via Pixabay
