The association between Mediterranean diet adherence and Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Objective Recent studies demonstrated an association between a Mediterranean-type diet and Alzheimer’s risk. We assessed the association between Mediterranean-type diet adherence and PD status. Methods 257 PD participants and 198 controls completed the Willett semi-quantitative questionnaire that quantifies diet during the past year. Scores were calculated using a 9-point scale; higher scores indicated greater adherence to the Mediterranean-type diet. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between PD status and Mediterranean-type diet, adjusting for caloric intake, age, gender, education and ethnicity. Adjusted linear regression models were used to examine the association between Mediterranean-type diet adherence and PD age-at-onset. Results Higher Mediterranean-type diet adherence was associated with reduced odds for PD after adjustment for all covariates (OR=0.86, 95%CI=0.77–0.97, p=0.010). Lower Mediterranean-type diet score was associated with earlier PD age-at-onset (β=1.09, p=0.010). Conclusions PD patients adhere less than controls to the Mediterranean-type diet. Dietary behavior may be associated with age-at-onset.

Recent Studies on Nutrition and Parkinson’s Disease Prevention: A Systematic Review

“…In addition to the above, they also note that many recommendations from studies of diet and neurological health are consistent with general recommendations for healthy people, such as increased intake of fruits and vegetables. Two of the studies reviewed here [32] [33] support a potential role for increased vegetable consumption as being protective against PD.…”

“…Alcalay et al [32] investigated the possible relationship of the Mediterranean diet pattern (Med Di) and PD. They defined the Mediterranean diet as characterized by a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and cereals; a high intake of unsaturated fatty acids (mostly from olive oil); a moderately high intake of fish; a low to-moderate intake of dairy products, meat and poultry; and a regular but moderate consumption of ethanol, primarily in the form of wine and generally during meals [36] [37].…”

Current Understanding on the Beneficial Role of Nutrition in Parkinson’s Disease –An Overview

“…Higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline and essential tremor [70], conditions associated with neurodegeneration. Furthermore, adherence to a Mediterranean diet may be associated with a reduced risk of PD, whereas low adherence is associated with an earlier age of onset [71].…”

High Fibre Diets and Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Interests in high fibre diets and their effects on other neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Hungtington's disease (HD) have been reported with the higher caloric intake associated with the increased risk for PD and HD [83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90]. Nutritional therapy in neurodegeneration has become important with effects on nutrient sensing receptors such as Sirt1 and GPCR in the liver and brain with particular interests in pharmacotherapy with GPCR targets in PD and HD [91,92].…”