What is Parkinson's disease?
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. It is caused by a loss of dopamine, which plays a role in sending messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. It’s not exactly clear why this happens, but research suggests you can reduce the risk of this process taking place.
A study published in the journal Neurology found consuming flavonoid-rich foods such as berry fruits slashed the risk of Parkinson’s in men.
Flavonoids are a group of naturally occurring, bioactive compounds found in many plant-based foods and drinks.
In this study the main protective effect was from higher intake of anthocyanins, which are present in berries.
“Participants who consumed one or more portions of berry fruits each week were around 25 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, relative to those who did not eat berry fruits,” explained doctor Xiang Gao of Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study in collaboration with professor Aedin Cassidy of the Department of Nutrition, Norwich Medical School at UEA.
Around 130,000 men and women took part in the research. More than 800 had developed Parkinson’s disease within 20 years of follow-up.
After a detailed analysis of their diets and adjusting for age and lifestyle, male participants who ate the most flavonoids were shown to be 40 percent less likely to develop the disease than those who ate the least.
No similar link was found for total flavonoid intake in women.
“This is the first study in humans to look at the associations between the range of flavonoids in the diet and the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and our findings suggest that a sub-class of flavonoids called anthocyanins may have neuroprotective effects,” wrote prof Cassidy.
DON’T MISS
High cholesterol: Five signs in your legs [INSIGHT]
The simple and ‘free’ practice to boost longevity [ADVICE]
Dementia: Food that causes ‘rapid’ decline [TIPS]
Doctor Gao continued: “Given the other potential health effects of berry fruits, such as lowering risk of hypertension as reported in our previous studies, it is good to regularly add these fruits to your diet.”
Doctor Kieran Breen, director of research at Parkinson’s UK said at the time: “This study raises lots of interesting questions about how diet may influence our risk of Parkinson’s and we welcome any new research that could potentially lead to prevention.
“While these new results look interesting there are still a lot of questions to answer and much more research to do before we really know how important diet might be for people with Parkinson’s.”
Several studies have indicated berry fruits can prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and improve motor and cognitive functions.
The berry fruits are also capable of modulating signalling pathways involved in inflammation, cell survival, neurotransmission and enhancing neuroplasticity, all of which can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s, notes an article published in Neural Regeneration Research.
Other ways to reduce your risk
Currently, it’s believed a combination of genetic changes and environmental factors may be responsible for the condition.
A number of genetic factors have been shown to increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, although exactly how these make some people more susceptible to the condition is unclear.
Parkinson’s disease can run in families as a result of faulty genes being passed to a child by their parents.
But it’s rare for the disease to be inherited this way.
Some researchers also feel environmental factors may increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
It’s been suggested that pesticides and herbicides used in farming and traffic or industrial pollution may contribute to the condition.
But the evidence linking environmental factors to Parkinson’s disease is inconclusive.
Source: Read Full Article