Parkinson's disease: The signs and symptoms
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Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, which usually develop gradually and are mild at first, primarily affect physical movement. Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, researchers have found a number of risk factors.
It may come as a surprise to find out that a couple of common nutrients have been shown to increase the risk of Parkinson’s.
This is the conclusion of a study that examined associations of Parkinson’s with dietary nutrients, including minerals, vitamins, and fats.
The population-based case-control study was conducted among newly diagnosed cases and control subjects identified between 1992 and 2002 from enrollees of the Group Health Cooperative health maintenance organisation, a nonprofit healthcare organisation in western Washington state.
A population-based case-control study is one in which the cases come from a precisely defined population, such as a fixed geographic area, and the controls are sampled directly from the same population.
For the study, in-person interviews elicited data on food frequency habits during most of adult life.
Nutrient intakes were calculated and analysed by adjusting each person’s nutrient intake by their total energy intake.
What did the researchers find out?
The researchers in the study found that subjects with the highest iron intake compared with those with the lowest intake had an increased risk of Parkinson’s.
“There was an apparent joint effect of iron and manganese; dietary intake above median levels of both together conferred a nearly doubled risk compared with lower intakes of each nutrient,” the researchers found.
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They concluded: “A high intake of iron, especially in combination with high manganese intake, may be related to risk for Parkinson’s disease.”
Manganese is a mineral that is found in several foods including nuts, legumes, seeds, tea, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables.
Good sources of iron include:
- Liver (but avoid this during pregnancy)
- Red meat
- Beans, such as red kidney beans, edamame beans and chickpeas
- Nuts
- Dried fruit – such as dried apricots
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Soy bean flour.
What other studies say
Exposure to the metal manganese may lead to the development of Parkinson’s disease by promoting the release from nerve cells of alpha-synuclein, the subsequent aggregation of which causes inflammation and neurodegeneration, according to a study published in the journal Science Signaling.
Small amounts of manganese are essential for the proper functioning of certain enzymes in the body.
However, research suggests exposure to this metal — which has a range of industrial uses as an alloy — in contaminated air and drinking water, as well as in agricultural products, may lead to a movement disorder called manganism with manifestations similar to those of Parkinson’s.
A link between iron buildup, and both natural ageing and neurodegenerative disorders such Parkinson’s, has also been established in several studies.
In fact, Parkinson’s disease might be tracked by measuring the amount of iron content in the brain, a study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry reported.
Parkinson’s – symptoms to spot
There are many different symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
But the order in which these develop and their severity is different for each individual.
According to the NHS, it’s unlikely that a person with Parkinson’s disease would experience all or most of these.
The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease affect physical movement:
- Tremor – shaking, which usually begins in the hand or arm and is more likely to occur when the limb is relaxed and resting
- Slowness of movement (bradykinesia) – physical movements are much slower than normal, which can make everyday tasks difficult and result in a distinctive slow, shuffling walk with very small steps
- Muscle stiffness (rigidity) – stiffness and tension in the muscles, which can make it difficult to move around and make facial expressions, and can result in painful muscle cramps (dystonia).
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