- A new study has found a link between eating a Mediterranean-style diet and the delayed onset of Parkinson’s disease.
- Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that currently has no drug.
- Researchers assessed people who followed both the Mediterranean and the similar MIND diet, both of which focus on moderation on vegetables, legumes, seafood, olive oil and wine.
- They found that women who followed the MIND diet most closely developed Parkinson’s symptoms 17.4 years later than those who were the lowest.
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The study found that eating a Mediterranean diet was linked to the later onset of Parkinson’s Disease.
According to researchers from the University of British Columbia, women who follow a diet in the Mediterranean – which was recently named the best diet in the world and not for the first time – can have Parkinson’s disease by up to 17.4 years. and 8.4 years could be delayed. for men.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that currently has no cure. It occurs when cells in the brain stop working, and the brain then cannot produce enough of the hormone dopamine to control the body, leading to tremor, weakened muscles and stiffness. According to Parkinson’s UK, it is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world.
The researchers studied two diets: the Mediterranean and MIND diets, which are largely similar, both of which focus on moderation on vegetables, legumes, seafood, olive oil and wine.
Similarly, both diets promote the minimal consumption of processed and fried foods, red meat, refined grains, added sugars and saturated fats, as reported by Gabby Landsverk of Insider.
However, there are small differences between the two – the MIND diet (which is based on the Mediterranean and DASH diets) emphasizes green leafy vegetables, berries, beans, whole grains and poultry, as Erin Brodwin of Business Insider reports. It also discourages fruits, milk and potatoes.
The Mediterranean diet focuses on fish, vegetables and olive oil.
Linda Raymond / Getty Images
The researchers found that women benefited most from the MIND diet, but the Mediterranean diet had a greater positive effect on men.
The study assessed a total of 286 Canadian participants, of whom 167 had the onset of Parkinson’s (i.e., the first symptoms appeared) in the previous 12 years, and 119 were a control group.
68% of participants with Parkinson’s were men, compared to 39% in the control group, but according to Parkinsons.org, men are 1.5 times more likely to get the disease than women.
Adherence to the MIND or Mediterranean diet was assessed for each participant, taking into account other health markers, such as exercise, smoking, and diabetes.
The researchers found a link between adhering to the MIND diet and later onset of Parkinson’s, especially for women. Females who followed the MIND diet most closely were found to have Parkinson’s onset 17.4 years later than those who were the lowest.
It is important to note that correlation does not mean causality, and the researchers note that there are limitations to the study, but they are excited about the findings.
“The study shows that individuals with Parkinson’s disease have a significantly later age if their eating pattern closely matches the Mediterranean diet. The difference in the study was up to 17 years later in women and eight years later in men.” says Dr Silke Appel-Cresswell of the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Center, the Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, and the Division of Neurology at the UBC Faculty of Medicine.
She continues: “There is a lack of medication to prevent or delay Parkinson’s disease, but we are optimistic that this new evidence suggests that nutrition may delay the onset of the disease.”
The MIND diet was originally designed to minimize cognitive decline, and has been linked in the past to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but the new study is the first to investigate the effects of the MIND diet on those with Parkinson’s disease. .
However, the research supports a previous study that found that the MIND diet can reduce the incidence and slow down the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Read more:
The Mediterranean diet has been named the best diet for 2021. Here is how to try it.
The study in the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of diabetes for overweight women
Why is the Mediterranean diet considered by dietitians to be one of the best?