Eating ultra-processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies, and hot dogs may speed up early signs of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study published in Neurology. The research found that people who consumed more of these processed foods were more likely to experience early symptoms of the disease compared to those who ate very few.

The study analyzed data from over 42,000 participants with an average age of 48, who did not have Parkinson’s disease at the start of the study. They were followed up to 26 years and completed regular medical exams and health questionnaires. Researchers also reviewed food diaries that listed what participants ate and how often.

The team looked at several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savory snacks. One serving was equivalent to a single can of soda, one ounce of potato chips, one slice of packaged cake, a single hot dog, or one tablespoon of ketchup.

Researchers divided participants into five groups based on how many ultra-processed foods they ate per day on average. The highest group consumed 11 or more servings daily, while the lowest group averaged fewer than three servings daily.

After adjusting for factors like age, physical activity, and smoking, researchers found that participants who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food per day had a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of having three or more early signs of Parkinson’s disease compared to those consuming fewer than three servings per day.

When looking at individual symptoms, eating more ultra-processed foods was tied to an increased risk for nearly all symptoms except constipation. The study’s author, Xiang Gao, emphasized the importance of choosing whole, nutritious foods over processed ones to maintain brain health.

While the study suggests a link between ultra-processed food consumption and early signs of Parkinson’s disease, it does not prove causation. More research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the complex relationships between diet, lifestyle, and neurodegenerative diseases.

In the meantime, individuals can take steps to reduce their exposure to ultra-processed foods by:

* Reading labels carefully
* Choosing whole grains over refined ones
* Limiting sugary drinks and snacks
* Opting for fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged options
* Cooking meals from scratch using fresh ingredients

By making informed food choices, individuals can contribute to a healthier brain and potentially reduce their risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

The Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes (CIAO) study has been a decade in the making, and this month, researchers will gather in Acciaroli, Italy to review their progress and plan their next steps. Launched in 2016, the CIAO study seeks to identify key factors that promote healthy aging and extreme longevity.

The region of Cilento in southern Italy is home to a remarkable 300 residents who are over 100 years old and in robust health. This area was also the original source of research for Ancel Keys, the American physiologist who studied the influence of diet on health and promoted the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Scientists hope to reveal the longevity secrets of the Cilento region by using an array of tools to measure metabolomics, biomes, cognitive dysfunction, and protein biomarkers for risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, and cancer. They will also conduct psychological, social, and lifestyle surveys to gain a more comprehensive understanding.

“There is no single secret to living a long, healthy life,” said Salvatore Di Somma, MD, the study’s lead Italian investigator. “It is many secrets, most of which we are only beginning to understand and more importantly, learn how they might be applied to the well-being of everybody.”

The CIAO study is a multi-institution collaboration that includes Sanford Burnham Prebys, an independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in San Diego, the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at University of California San Diego, University La Sapienza in Rome, and Great Health Science.

A symposium will take place on May 22-23, featuring scientists describing their work and findings. The event is titled “CIAO Study: A decade of science on healthy aging, stem cells, and the revealed secrets of longevity.” Understanding how we age and how we might age better is a timeless pursuit, said David Brenner, MD, president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Current CIAO projects are leveraging genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, metabolic, proteomic, and environmental analyses to identify key contributors to extreme longevity. Researchers are using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived from the centenarians to model age-related and metabolic stresses in human 3D organoids.

“This study will provide new insights into the development of regenerative medicine strategies for promoting healthy aging and treating age-related conditions,” said Tatiana Kisseleva, MD, PhD, professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Preliminary findings are expected to be presented at the symposium.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of cardiology. Scientists have developed a revolutionary new way of uncovering the “true age” of your heart using MRI scans. This innovative technique is set to transform how heart disease is diagnosed, offering a lifeline to millions by catching problems before they become deadly.

The research team, led by Dr Pankaj Garg from UEA’s Norwich Medical School and a consultant cardiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, has developed an advanced MRI approach that measures not just your chronological age but also how well your heart is holding up. This allows doctors to determine your “functional age” – essentially, how old your heart acts.

The team studied MRI scans from 557 people, including 191 healthy individuals and 366 with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. They found that in healthy people, the heart’s functional age was similar to their chronological age. However, for patients with health issues, their functional heart age was significantly higher.

For instance, a 50-year-old with high blood pressure might have a heart that works like it’s 55. This means that people with conditions like diabetes or obesity often have hearts that are aging faster than they should – sometimes by decades. By using this new MRI method, doctors can spot trouble early and take action to prevent heart attacks or strokes.

Dr Garg said, “We found that an MRI scan can reveal your heart’s ‘functional age’ – how old it acts, not how old you are.” He added, “This is a game-changer for keeping hearts healthier, longer. Heart disease is one of the world’s biggest killers, and our new MRI method gives doctors a powerful tool to look inside the heart like never before and spot trouble early.”

The research was led by UEA in collaboration with several other institutions, including the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the National Heart Research Institute Singapore, and others. It was funded by Wellcome.

PhD Student Hosam Assadi from UEA’s Norwich Medical School said, “It’s thrilling to see how this MRI technique could change lives. We’ve found a way to spot hearts that are aging too fast, and that could mean catching problems early enough to fix them.”

This revolutionary new approach has the potential to save countless lives by giving doctors a powerful tool to diagnose heart disease early on. By knowing your heart’s true age, patients can get advice or treatments to slow down the aging process, potentially preventing heart attacks or strokes. It’s about giving people a fighting chance against heart disease, and this research is a crucial step in that direction.