Iron-rich diet boosts Parkinson's risk

People who eat lots of iron from plant sources have a higher risk of Parkinson's disease, especially if their vitamin C intake is on the low side. There is some evidence for a link between iron intake, or environmental exposure to the metal, and Parkinson's disease. However, studies of dietary iron intake and Parkinson's risk have had mixed results. To investigate the association between iron intake and the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, researchers from Italy analysed data on 47,406 men and 79,947 women participating in the 'health professionals follow-up study' and the 'nurses' health study'. During a follow up of 16 years, 422 participants developed Parkinson's disease, a gradual, progressive neurological condition characterised by a tremor (usually at first in the hand), rigidity and slowness of movement. It was found that people who consumed the most non-haeme iron - meaning iron from plant sources rather than meat - had a 30 percent higher risk of Parkinson's disease than those who consumed the least. The risk was 92 percent higher for people with both a high non-haeme iron intake and a low vitamin C intake. Further, men who took iron supplements also showed a slightly greater Parkinson's risk than those who didn't. Fortified cereals and grains were the main source of non-haeme iron in the participants' diets. The recommended iron intake for men over 18 and women over 50 is 8 milligrams a day, the researchers note, while people in the study who had a greater Parkinson's risk were taking more than twice this recommended amount. The above findings were attributed to the fact that iron boosts oxidative damage in the brain resulting in Parkinson's disease. The current findings need to be replicated in other settings, possibly with biomarkers, to measure systemic iron stores and metabolism.

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