Eating a diet that contains high-levels of the minerals iron and manganese could increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Karen M Powers and colleagues from the School of Public Health at the University of Washington in Seattle discovered that people who consumed the highest levels of iron and manganese (obtained from both food and dietary supplements) were nearly twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s than those whose diet contained the lowest levels of the minerals. Powers suggests that as iron and manganese can both contribute to oxidative stress, her findings add support to the theory that oxidative stress may play a role in the degeneration of the dopamine neurons characteristic of Parkinson’s.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Neurology 2003;60:1761-1766.
