Prudent diet may help prevent Parkinson's disease

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A diet low in saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, fish, and poultry -- along with a moderate intake of alcohol -- is associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Several studies have investigated associations between Parkinson's disease risk and intake of individual foods and nutrients with inconsistent results," Dr. Xiang Gao, of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues write. "Previous studies, however, have not examined the overall quality of the diet or dietary patterns in relation to the risk of Parkinson's disease."

To remedy that, the researchers examined data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2002) and the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2000), which included 49,692 men and 81,676 women who were free of Parkinson's disease when they enrolled in the study.

A total 318 Parkinson's disease cases were documented in men and 190 in women after 16 years of follow-up.

The team identified two major dietary patterns: the prudent dietary pattern and the Western pattern. The prudent dietary pattern was characterized by high intakes of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, poultry, and fish. The Western diet was characterized by high intakes of red meats, processed meats, refined grains, French fries, desserts and sweets, and high-fat foods.

The prudent dietary pattern was inversely associated with Parkinson's disease risk. The subjects with the highest prudent pattern scores were 32 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, compared with those with the lowest scores, a statistically significant difference.

This association was since seen when the effect smoking, caffeine, and other Parkinson's disease risk factors were considered.

Gao's group also found that the Western dietary pattern was not significantly associated with Parkinson's disease risk.

The prudent diet described in this study "provides plenty of dietary antioxidants and folate and a limited amount of saturated fat," which may help lower the risk of Parkinson's disease," Gao's team concludes.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007.