It may surprise you, but some research has shown in the past that the risk of getting Parkinson’s disease can actually be reduced if you smoke cigarettes. This is apparently due to the nicotine in cigarettes, which is thought to have a neuroprotective effect.
We are not – to be clear – recommending that anyone take up smoking to prevent Parkinson’s disease! However, we point this out to make clear that there is strong evidence to suggest that certain foods and dietary habits may be able to reduce your risk of getting this disease.
Peppers contain nicotine, and may help to reduce risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Nicotine Appears to Help
Not only cigarettes contain nicotine. There are many foods that contain natural amounts of the substance, such as peppers. Peppers belong to the solanaceae family of vegetables, which are known also as nightshades. These include tomatoes, potatoes and (aha!) tobacco.
Researchers have analyzed the vegetable consumption, caffeine use and tobacco use of 500 people recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and also a healthy control group. The research found that eating peppers specifically could lead to a 19% lower risk of getting the disease.
This association appeared to be the strongest with people who had never touched a cigarette. The researchers noted that their findings suggested a possible protective effect from nicotine found in both peppers and tobacco.
No Cure, But Prevention May Be Possible
There is no cure at this time for Parkinson’s disease, but the research does indicate that there are ways to reduce your risk. It seems that eating a healthy diet of whole foods, including many vegetables, is a good way to cut down risk. Note that a lack of folate in the diet also is linked to the disease. Only vegetables contain this key vitamin, while most synthetic vitamins contain the semi-synthetic folic acid.
Dietary nicotine is not the only thing that may help to reduce Parkinson’s risk. Dietary caffeine, including from coffee, has been linked in some clinical research as making you a lower risk for the disease. One study has found that the caffeine from two to four cups of coffee each day can even improve the movement symptoms of the disease.
Caffeine stimulates the release of dopamine, which could be one reason that green tea also is linked to a lower risk. Other studies suggest that the polyphenols in green tea may offer neuroprotection against Parkinson’s.
Another possible protector in the diet may be omega-3 fats, which can protect against the disease by stopping the misfolding of a protein that is caused by a gene mutation in both Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.
Dining Aids for Parkinson’s Patients
The above recommendations only can possibly help to lower risk of Parkinson’s, not cure the disease, unfortunately. For those who have been diagnosed, there are many Parkinson’s supplies available to greatly improve the quality of life for many years. Weighted Eating Utensils make eating with this disease much easier, and the Keep Warm Dish is very useful for people who need more time to finish a hot meal.
