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HealthDay reporter
THURSDAY, January 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Red wine can be a treat, but new research suggests it could be a powerful weapon against the devastation of Parkinson’s disease.
Why? Antioxidants in red wine and fruits such as berries in this sense may slow the progression of movement disorders, a new study suggests.
According to researchers, people with Parkinson’s who eat three or more servings a week of foods high in antioxidants called flavonoids may have a lower chance of dying early than people who don’t eat as many flavonoid-rich foods.
“Flavonoids are naturally occurring, plant-based dietary components rich in fruits and vegetables. They give different colors to these plants,” said senior researcher Dr. Xiang Gao. He is the director of the Laboratory of Food Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania at University Park.
“Adapting a healthy diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, even after Parkinson’s diagnosis, can slow the progression of the disease and improve survival,” he added.
However, the study could not prove that flavonoids prolong the lives of Parkinson’s patients, but there may be a link, Gao said.
“In our previous study, published in Neurology in 2012, we found that flavonoids could prevent the risk of Parkinson’s in the future among those who did not have Parkinson’s at the start of the follow-up, “said Gao.” This study provides further evidence of the neuroprotective effects of fruits and vegetables. “
Flavonoids found in some fruits, teas and red wine can quickly cross the blood-brain barrier and relieve oxidative stress, inflammation and atherosclerosis in the brain, which can reduce the effects of Parkinson’s, researchers said.
For the study, Gao and colleagues collected data on more than 1,200 people with Parkinson’s disease, with an average age of 72, who had the condition for an average of 33 years. Every four years, patients answered questions about their diet. In particular, they were asked how often they consumed tea, apples, berries, oranges and orange juice.
During the study, 75% of patients died. Of these, 513 died of Parkinson’s, 112 died of cardiovascular disease and 69 of cancer.
Those whose diets included the most flavonoids had a 70% higher chance of survival than those whose diets included the fewest flavonoids, the researchers found.
The highest intake of flavonoids is about 673 milligrams (mg) per day, and the lowest is about 134 mg per day. For reference, strawberries contain about 180 mg of flavonoids per 100 gram serving, and apples – about 113.
Eating more flavonoid-rich foods before Parkinson’s is associated with a lower risk of death among men but not women, Gao said. But after Parkinson’s disease was diagnosed, eating more flavonoids was associated with better survival rates for both sexes, he said.
As for which foods are best, the researchers found that those who consumed anthocyanins found in red wine and berries had an average 66% higher survival rate than those who consumed the lowest amounts of anthocyanins. .
For the flavonoids flavan-3-oils found in apples, tea and wine, those who consume the most have a 69% higher survival rate than those who consume the least.
Although it is not clear how flavonoids work to improve Parkinson’s survival, adding berries, apples, oranges and tea to the diet can be an easy and low-risk way to improve results, Gao said. However, he did not advise people who do not drink alcohol to start, but those who do may want to switch to red wine, he suggested.
The report was published online on January 26 in the journal Neurology.
Dr Michael Okun, national medical adviser to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and director of the Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida in Gainesville, said the sudden addition of flavonoids to your diet may not be the magic trick. long life of Parkinson’s patients.
“The nature of the data from this study should not be interpreted, as people with Parkinson’s disease will live longer if they suddenly change their diet to include flavonoids,” he said. “For example, mixing wine and Parkinson’s is not always safe, as it can lead to injuries, usually related to falls.”
This is not to say that flavonoids are not good for Parkinson’s patients and may even have specific benefits for people with the disease.
“In general, flavonoids are great for your health, and this study complements the collective literature supporting a potential role in Parkinson’s disease,” Okun said.
More information
Contact the Parkinson’s Foundation for more information on Parkinson’s disease.
SOURCES: Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, Food Epidemiology Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania; Michael Okun, MD, National Medical Adviser, Parkinson’s Foundation, Director of the Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; neurology, January 26, 2022, online
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