J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry

Ultraprocessed diet may contribute to Parkinson’s disease risk

July 29, 2025

Study details: A large prospective cohort study followed 121,440 U.K. adults, free of cancer, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and dementia at baseline, for a median of 10.5 years. Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption was assessed using repeated 24-hour dietary recalls and classified by the Nova system. Prodromal PD was defined as the presence of three or more prodromal features, identified via self-report, hospital, and primary care records. Incident PD and PD-specific mortality were ascertained through linkage with hospital admissions, death registers, and self-reported data. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes across quartiles of UPF intake.

Results: Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of UPF consumption was associated with a significantly increased risk of having ≥3 prodromal PD features (HR, 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35–2.02), developing incident PD (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.02–1.71), and PD-specific mortality (HR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.56–6.17), with significant trends for all outcomes.

Clinical impact: Findings suggest that higher intake of UPFs is associated with increased risk of prodromal PD, incident PD, and PD-related mortality. The results support considering dietary modification, particularly reducing UPF consumption, as a potential strategy for lowering PD risk in clinical practice.

Source:

Chen X, et al. (2025, July 17). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. Association of ultra-processed food consumption with prodromal, incident Parkinson's disease and mortality. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40675802/