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Dietary live microbe intake and its association with Parkinson’s disease in American adults: an NHANES analysis (1999–2018)

Summary

This study found that eating more foods rich in live microbes—like fermented products (yogurt, kimchi) and fresh fruits and vegetables—is associated with lower rates of Parkinson’s disease in American adults. The protective effect was strongest in people without obesity. The live microbes appear to work by maintaining a healthy gut environment, reducing inflammation, and protecting nerve cells from damage. This suggests that regular consumption of microbe-rich foods from nature might be a simple, inexpensive way to help prevent or slow Parkinson’s disease.

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, with incidence projected to double over the next 30 years. Gut microbiota alterations are strongly associated with PD pathology, and dietary live microbes may help maintain healthy microbiota composition. This study explores the association between dietary live microbe intake from natural food sources and PD prevalence in American adults.

Objective

To examine the association between dietary live microbe intake and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease among adults over 40 years old using NHANES data from 1999–2018. The study hypothesized that higher intakes of dietary live microbes would be associated with a lower risk of PD.

Results

High and medium dietary live microbe intake were associated with reduced PD prevalence (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.37–0.74 and OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.93, respectively) compared to low intake. Restricted cubic spline analysis showed a significant linear association between dietary live microbe intake and reduced PD prevalence. The association was more pronounced in subjects without obesity.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates an inverse linear association between dietary live microbe intake and PD prevalence, particularly in non-obese individuals. The findings suggest that dietary live microbes from natural food sources may serve as a potential target for PD management and prevention. These results have important implications for public health initiatives regarding neurodegeneration prevention.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Nutrition,
  • Study Type:Cross-sectional epidemiological study,
  • Source: PMID: 40510500, DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1606922
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