A Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish can almost halve the risk of Parkinson's disease, according to new research in the European Journal of Neurology. Although it's not clear why certain foods might have a protective effect, some research suggests Parkinson's disease may be more likely to occur when cells undergo oxidative stress. Fruit, vegetables, fish and pulses all contain high levels of antioxidants, which can help to block this process.
Researchers assessed the eating habits of 249 newly-diagnosed Parkinson's patients and compared them with 368 healthy volunteers. They split them into three groups. 'Healthy' diets were dominated by fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, pulses, mushrooms and seaweed, 'Western' diets, featuring higher levels of red and processed meat and foods high in animal fats and - 'Light Meals' - roughly half way between the two.
The results showed those in the 'Healthy diet' group who ate the highest amounts of plant foods and fish were nearly half as likely to get Parkinson's disease as those who ate the least. Neither of the other two diets had any protective effect.
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