Neurology: People who eat foods rich in vitamin C and E may have a one-third lower risk of Parkinson's disease!

January 12, 2021 // -- In a recent study published in the international journal Newology, researchers from abroad found that people who ate foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E may have a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease by nearly a third.
foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli and sprouted kale, and vitamin E-rich foods include spinach, kale, pumpkin and tree nuts such as peanuts and almonds.
so how effective are these two substances in preventing Parkinson's disease? The researchers say vitamins C and E are effective in suppressing the antioxidants that cause cell damage from Parkinson's disease, specifically by helping to ward off unstable molecules and oxidative stress, which can lead to the loss of brain chemicals that become dopamine, a major marker of Parkinson's disease.
researcher Essi Hantikainen said the protective effects of vitamins on Parkinson's disease may be limited to specific vitamins such as vitamins C and E, so eating foods rich in both vitamins may help prevent Parkinson's disease.
, the researchers also found high concentrations of vitamin C in the central nervous system, which plays a role in nerve protection.
Photo Source: Medicalxpress.com This study does not prove that vitamins C and E can prevent Parkinson's disease and are directly associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease only if they are at high levels.
researchers later in the day needed further research to confirm the findings, and they are not currently sure of the optimal use of vitamins C and E that can effectively reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a motor disorder that gradually reduces dopamine levels in the brain, affecting speech, walking and body balance, and the cause behind it is now unknown to researchers, and there is no effective treatment for the disease. In the
study, researcher Hantikainen and colleagues followed nearly 44,000 Swedish adults for an average of 18 years, and at the start of the study, none of them developed Parkinson's disease, while the participants completed questionnaires on their medical history, diet and exercise, including height, weight and physical activity, and then divided the participants into three groups: the group with the highest levels of vitamin C and E intake, the moderate intake group, and the lowest intake group.
465 people developed Parkinson's disease throughout the study.
when other factors such as age, gender, BMI and physical activity levels were taken into account, the researchers found that participants in the study group who ate the highest levels of vitamin C and E had a 32 percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease than those who ate the lowest levels of vitamin C and E.
researchers say we did not investigate the effects of dietary supplements on Parkinson's disease, but getting nutrients from foods rather than pills appears to be good for the body's health, and taking certain vitamins such as vitamin E from supplements is directly related to an increased risk of certain diseases in the individual, such as cardiovascular disease.
the researchers reviewed the study, they noted that antioxidants may be one of the environmental factors that may protect the body from Parkinson's disease.
researchers believe that Parkinson's disease, like other neurodegenerative diseases, is the result of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, some of which we know, but many of which we don't know about.
Many patients take antioxidant supplements, and many of them take vitaminSC and E, which is very beneficial to their body's health; people at risk of Parkinson's disease may benefit from taking antioxidants; especially those with a family history of the disease.
best way to protect your body from Parkinson's disease is to have a healthy lifestyle, including a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while exercising enough.
, although genetic factors play a key role in the development of Parkinson's disease, only 10% of cases are triggered by genetic mutations.
researchers note that studies of the link between ingesting antioxidants and an individual's risk of developing Parkinson's disease tend to be mixed;
this paper does not provide very clear answers, which will require further study by later scientists to know.
original source: Essi Hantikainen, Ylva Trolle Lagerros, Weimin Ye, et al. Dietary antioxidants and the risk of Parkinson Disease—The Swedish National March Cohort,Neurology (2021) doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000011373