US study Low-fat dairy products increase the risk of Parkinson's disease

Disadvantages of consuming low-fat dairy products
Milk is a refreshing drink that contains many vitamins and nutrients. However, milk is also known to contain relatively high levels of fat. For this reason, many people today choose low-fat milk. Researchers now found that low-fat dairy products increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

The scientists of Harvard T.H. Boston's Chan School of Public Health found in their study that consuming low-fat milk increases the likelihood of developing Parkinson's. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Neurology".

Milk is healthy and strengthens our bones. Unfortunately, milk contains a lot of fat. Because of this, many people buy low-fat dairy products. However, the consumption of these products seems to increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. (Photo: Jenny Sturm / fotolia.com)

Correlation between consumption of low-fat milk and development of Parkinson's disease noted
Often children are advised by their parents that they should drink as much milk as possible in order to strengthen their bones and their health. However, since normal milk contains a lot of fat, many people use low-fat milk instead, say the experts. The researchers now found a correlation between the consumption of low-fat milk and the development of Parkinson's disease.

Increased risk is relatively low
It is important to note, however, that the observed increased risk of Parkinson's disease was still relatively low among participants in the study, even though they consumed higher levels of low-fat dairy and milk, according to author Katherine Hughes of the School of Public Health in Boston.

Physicians examined the data of 130,000 subjects for the study
For their study, the researchers analyzed data from about 130,000 participating men and women. Every four years, people's dietary habits were studied. It also looked at how many people had developed Parkinson's disease, experts explain.

What is Parkinson's??
Parkinson's is a long-term neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the central nervous system. Typical symptoms of the disease include tremors, slowness, impaired balance and stiffness of the muscles.

How many of the participants developed Parkinson's during the study?
Researchers found that out of the 5,830 participants, 60 people developed Parkinson's disease after consuming at least three servings of low-fat dairy products per day. This corresponds to a disease rate of one percent over a period of 25 years. Of the 77,000 people who consumed less than one serving of low-fat dairy products per day, 483 subjects developed Parkinson's disease. But there may be other unknown factors involved, explain the scientists.

Maybe there are still unknown factors that affect the risk
The researchers further emphasized that they included the known factors for the increased probability of developing Parkinson's. However, there are other factors that could have been overlooked by the experts and that influence the outcome of the study, the author explains.

Saturated fats lead to a protective effect against Parkinson's disease?
Interestingly, the researchers found no link to Parkinson's disease in those who consumed full fat or whole milk. You therefore suspect that saturated fats (as in high-fat dairy products) can trigger a protective effect. The researchers also explained that milk proteins in the blood reduce the amount of a substance called urate. Lower levels of this waste product are associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, the experts add.

Observed effects were very small
Although an increase in risk has been noted, these findings are still considered preliminary and the observed effects were modest, say the authors. We would suggest that people are not starting to drastically change their diet now, the researchers said. The results show only a modest increase in the risk of disease, which is still relatively rare in the general population. (As)