Michael J. Fox says having Parkinson's disease 'sucks'

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It’s thought around one in 500 people are affected by Parkinson’s disease, according to the NHS. The disease is known to affect the brain, and well-known symptoms include problems like a tremor. According to studies, taking two vitamins could help to lower your risk in later life.

People who consume high levels of dietary vitamin C and E may lower their risk for Parkinson’s disease by almost a third, a study suggests.

The study published in the journal Neurology, led by Doctor Essi Hantikainen, of the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy, found that higher vitamin C and E consumption led to a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

For the study, researchers asked more than 41,000 adults without Parkinson’s about their diet during the previous year. They then extracted data on Vitamin C and E intake and followed participants over an average of 18 years.

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They found that 465 people (one percent) developed Parkinson’s and that groups with the highest levels of dietary vitamin C and E each had a 32 percent decreased risk of Parkinson’s compared to those with the lowest levels.

Vitamin C and E are antioxidants, which prevent or reduce cell damage and inflammation.

A diet high in antioxidants, commonly found in fruits and vegetables, is important for general health.

Doctor Hantikainen said: “Implementation of a diet that includes foods rich in vitamins C and E might help protect against the development of Parkinson’s later in life.

“In any case, it’s never wrong to implement a healthy diet.”

He added that more research needs to be done before drawing definitive conclusions or offering advice about diet or supplement use and the risk of Parkinson’s.

Although there’s currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, treatments are available to help reduce the main symptoms and maintain quality of life for as long as possible.

Some Parkinson’s patients may not need much, or any, treatment during the early stages of the disease, as symptoms are usually mild.

Most people with Parkinson’s disease now have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.

Early symptoms of the disease may include:

• Involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor)
• Slow movement
• Stiff and inflexible muscles
• Depression and anxiety
• Balance problems (this may increase the chances of a fall)
• Loss of sense of smell (anosmia)
• Problems sleeping (insomnia)
• Memory problems.

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