Dairy food linked with Parkinson's disease in men

A new study has confirmed a relationship between consuming large amounts of dairy products and an increase in the rate of Parkinson's disease in men. Researchers found that among more than 130,000 U.S. adults followed for 9 years, those who ate the largest amount of dairy foods had an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. There was a clear pattern seen among men, whose Parkinson's risk increased in tandem with consumption of diary, particularly milk. The results were more ambiguous among women, however. The findings, which appear in the American Journal of Epidemiology, echo those of earlier studies that found a link between dairy consumption and Parkinson's in men, but not women.

The findings are based on detailed dietary and lifestyle information collected from 57,689 men and 73,175 women who took part in a cancer prevention study. Over 9 years, 250 men and 138 women were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Men with the highest levels of dairy consumption were 60 percent more likely to develop the disease than those who consumed the least amounts of dairy, the study found. Milk, rather than dairy products like yogurt and cheese, explained most of the association.

This study and previous ones indicate that calcium, vitamin D and fat are not responsible for the link between dairy foods and Parkinson's disease. One theory is that pesticides or other nerve-damaging toxins present in milk could contribute to Parkinson's disease over time.

Bonnie - as I have said in the past, men should totally avoid milk and eat other dairy products in moderation, if tolerated. This large sample study is very interesting. Dairy products, especially milk, have also been implicated in prostate cancer and calcification in arteries for men. Certainly pesticides, hormones, and antibiotic residues can be part of the picture, because the study was only in the U.S. We also know that excess calcium interferes with magnesium. Magnesium has over 300 functions in the human body, including optimal neurological function. In the U.S., two recent NHANES studies have found that 70-75% of all people living in the U.S. have inadequate magnesium intake. Couple that with a high calcium to magnesium ratio of 6:1 (in the U.S.) and you have the risk of many serious medical problems, including heart disease.