The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7253 p814
14 June 2003

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High iron intake linked with Parkinson's disease risk

People with high levels of iron in their diet are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, results of a new study suggest (Neurology 2003;60:1761). Furthermore, the risk of developing the disease may be doubled for people with both high levels of iron and manganese compared with people who consume low levels of the minerals.

However, Dr Harvey Checkoway, University of Washington, Seattle, and one of the study authors, commented that the benefits of eating foods rich in iron and manganese and in taking supplements outweigh the risks of developing Parkinson's disease. "Our findings may improve understanding of how Parkinson's disease develops but there are most likely numerous environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that determine who will develop the disease. It's too early to make any recommendations about potential dietary changes," he said.

The study involved 250 people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and 388 matched controls. Interviews were conducted to determine how often participants ate certain foods during their adult life.

Those with the highest level of iron in their diets were 1.7 times more likely to have a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease than those who had the lowest. Where levels of both iron and manganese were higher than average the risk for Parkinson's disease was 1.9 times that for people with lower than average intake of the minerals.

The use of multivitamins or mineral supplements by people with a higher than average dietary iron intake increased the risk for Parkinson's disease slightly.

Foods rich in both iron and manganese include spinach, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Iron is also abundant in red meat and poultry.