Parkinson's and pesticides - Brief Article

A higher intake of fruit and fruit drinks has been linked in new research to a greater--yes, greater--risk of Parkinson's disease.

The study is considered significant because it was longitudinal. This means' that the risk factor data was collected well before the onset of Parkinson's among the more than 8,000 study subjects. Incidence of Parkinson's cases was then charted over a full 34 years of observation.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa study showed that increased fruit and fruit drink consumption predicted an increased Parkinson's risk, after adjusting for other known risk factors. However, high dietary and supplemental intake of vitamin C did not appear to be associated with risk of Parkinson's disease.

The Honolulu scientists speculate that the increased risk may be due to plant-borne toxins, pesticides or herbicides rather than the fruit itself.

High fruit intake is still an important protective factor against many chronic diseases.

However, the new findings suggest that further research into the role of food-borne pesticides may provide insight into the prevention of Parkinson's.

The research was presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Honolulu, which took place between March 29 and April 5, 2003.

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