Dietary Variations in a Multiethnic Parkinson’s Disease Cohort and Possible Influences on Nonmotor Aspects: A Cross-Sectional Multicentre Study

Abstract

Dietary habits may differ between Parkinson's disease (PD) patients of different ethnicities. The primary aim of this cross-sectional analysis was to compare dietary habits in a multiethnic PD population and investigate potential nonmotor differences. All patients completed a dietary habits questionnaire. Besides basic demographics, patients' motor involvement (Hoehn and Yahr (HY)) and nonmotor symptoms (Nonmotor Symptoms Scale; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were assessed. 139 PD patients were included (mean age 66.8 ± 11.6 years; 61.2% male; mean disease duration 6.2 ± 5.2 years; median HY 3): 47.5% were White, 24.5% Asian, and 28.0% Black African and Caribbean (BAC). We found dietary differences between the groups, including a greater frequency of vegetarians and greater consumption of cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon as well as lower consumption of beef in Asian patients than in White and BAC and greater consumption of chili than in White patients and higher consumption of pork in White than Asian and BAC patients. There were no significant differences in dietary supplement consumption after correction for multiple comparisons. None of the dietary factors examined were associated with differences in nonmotor symptoms. Diet and supplement use vary in PD patients across ethnicities, this is both a problem and opportunity for nutritional medicine research. These data support the importance of considering ethnic diversity as part of recruitment strategy in nutrition and clinical studies.

Neuroprotective potential of cinnamon and its metabolites in Parkinson's disease: Mechanistic insights, limitations, and novel therapeutic opportunities

“…A recent multiethnic cohort study has demonstrated that cinnamon consumption assessed as a binary variable was more frequent in Asian PD patients in comparison to the White and Black African, as well as in Caribbean population (64.7% vs. 16.7% and 35.9% respectively), as it has been already reported in non‐PD populations. [ 52 ] In this study, no differences were found between specific dietary patterns, such as vegetarian diet or green tea and nonmotor clinical aspects of PD, regardless of ethnicity. However, the sample size of each group was relatively small, and no quantitative measurements of dietary supplements consumption were recorded, suggesting that the results should be interpreted with caution.…”

“…However, the sample size of each group was relatively small, and no quantitative measurements of dietary supplements consumption were recorded, suggesting that the results should be interpreted with caution. [ 52 ]…”

“…However, the sample size of each group was relatively small, and no quantitative measurements of dietary supplements consumption were recorded, suggesting that the results should be interpreted with caution. [52] No clinical trial investigating the role of cinnamon or its metabolites in PD has been published yet. However, it is important to mention the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled clinical trial in Taiwan, which investigated the effects of sodium benzoate (250-750 mg/day or placebo) in 60 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild AD for 24 weeks.…”

Impact of Beef and Beef Product Intake on Cognition in Children and Young Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Of these, 25 articles were excluded. The reasons for exclusion included: 13 articles did not measure cognition [32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44], five articles did not include beef consumption [45,46,47,48,49], three articles were reviews [50,51,52], two articles were a conference proceeding and a book [24,53] and two articles exclusively focused on premenopausal women or older adults [54,55]. The remaining eight articles that examined the effects of beef consumption on cognition among children and young adults were included [27,28,29,30,56,57,58,59].…”

Understanding of “-omics” of Parkinson’s disease

“…Di, et al so contributes as risk factor in the development of PD. In 2019, Anna Sauerbier, et al reported a correlation existed between diet and Parkinson's disease [30]. Andre Rodrigues Vasconcelos, et al demonstrated that dietary energy restriction (DER) may induces activation of the transcription factor Nrff2, which activates the expression of phase 2 detoxification enzymes, thereby increasing neuronal resistance against oxidative stress and death, and reducing PD risk [31].…”