Reacción a "Study suggests eating ultra-processed foods may accelerate early Parkinson's symptoms"

This new study, following a very sound scientific methodology, provides new evidence to suggest that what we eat today will have consequences for our mental health tomorrow. 

This is a follow-up study based on two large cohort studies at Harvard University, the cohort of American nurses and the cohort of health professionals with more than 42,000 participants [in total]. The researchers observed that those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods (on average 11 servings per day), foods characterised by being industrially processed and often containing a long list of ingredients with additives such as sweeteners, colourings, emulsifiers or flavour enhancers, were 2.5 times more likely to develop three or more non-motor prodromal signs of Parkinson's disease than those who on average consumed three ultra-processed foods per day. To a lesser extent, participants who consumed on average 6 ultra-processed foods were 1.5 times more likely to develop 3 or more prodromal signs including smell problems (hyposmia), constipation, probable REM sleep behaviour disorder, colour vision problems, daytime sleepiness, body pain and depressive symptoms. When each non-motor prodromal sign was analysed separately, a positive association was observed with REM sleep behaviour disorder, constipation, body pain and depressive symptoms. 

When looking at the different ultra-processed food groups, sweet snacks and sugary or sweetened beverages increased the risk of developing these prodromal signs the most. 

Looking at non-motor prodromal signs of Parkinson's is an advantage, as these appear ten to twenty years before clinical diagnosis, which provides an opportunity for early interventions to prevent the development of Parkinson's disease. However, it would be desirable to have further studies that also look at a relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of Parkinson's disease diagnosis, not only with early non-motor signs of the disease. 

In any case, these results continue to support the need to discourage the consumption of ultra-processed foods, not only because of their increased risk with metabolic diseases, but also with mental illnesses, and the need to continue promoting the Mediterranean diet in the population, based on minimally processed foods with a high consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and olive oil.