Ultraprocessed Food Consumption Linked to Nonmotor Prodromal Parkinson Disease

WEDNESDAY, May 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Long-term consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) is associated with nonmotor prodromal Parkinson disease (PD) features, according to a study published online May 7 in Neurology.

Peilu Wang, M.D., Ph.D., from the Institute of Nutrition at Fudan University in Shanghai, and colleagues examined the association between long-term UPF consumption and nonmotor features suggestive of prodromal PD in a longitudinal analysis of participants from the Nurses” Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Repeated food frequency questionnaires (1984 to 2006) were used to assess UPF consumption.

The study analyses included 42,853 participants. The researchers found that the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios for having three or more versus zero prodromal features were 2.47 and 1.50 for cumulative intake and baseline intake, respectively, comparing extreme quintiles of UPF consumption. For combinations of all features except constipation and for combinations of three features, similar results were observed (odds ratios, 2.00 and 2.47, respectively). Higher UPF consumption was also associated with elevated odds of individual prodromal features, including probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, constipation, body pain, and depressive symptoms.

“Future prospective studies are required to confirm whether reducing UPF consumption can slow the progression from prodromal PD to overt PD,” the authors write. “Overall, our study adds to the growing body of evidence to support the adverse effects of UPF consumption on neurodegenerative diseases.”

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