Health
Early Parkinson’s warning signs may be hiding in the gut, study finds
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Specific bacteria in the gut could predict a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms appear, new research suggests.
Led by researchers from University College London (UCL), an observational study analyzed the gut microbes of 271 patients in the U.K. who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Also included in the study were 43 carriers of the GBA1 variant, which has been linked to an almost 30 times higher risk of Parkinson’s disease. These participants did not have symptoms of the disease. There was also a control group of 150 healthy participants without the gene.
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Based on fecal samples, more than one-quarter of gut microbes — bacteria and other microorganisms in the digestive tract — were in different amounts for people with Parkinson’s disease compared to healthy individuals, according to a press release.
Non-symptomatic people carrying the Parkinson’s gene also had microbial changes that resembled an “intermediate” stage of the disease, which suggests that microbial changes may happen prior to symptoms emerging.
Specific bacteria in the gut could predict a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms appear, new research suggests. (iStock)
Those who reported eating a more diverse and balanced diet were less likely to have microbiome patterns associated with higher Parkinson’s risk, the researchers found.
The findings, which were published in Nature Medicine, were also seen in over 1,400 participants across the U.K., Korea and Turkey, suggesting that the microbial changes are consistent across different cultures and dietary patterns.
“There is an urgent need to develop treatments that can stop or slow the disease’s progression.”
“Parkinson’s disease is a major cause of disability worldwide, and the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in terms of prevalence and mortality,” lead author professor Anthony Schapira of the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology said in the release.
“There is an urgent need to develop treatments that can stop or slow the disease’s progression.”
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Patients with Parkinson’s are known to have “significant gut abnormalities,” according to Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee.
One of those is severe constipation, which can occur several years before tremors and other symptoms.
Those who reported eating a more diverse and balanced diet were less likely to have microbiome patterns associated with higher Parkinson’s risk, the researchers found. (iStock)
“There has long been a theory about the gut-brain axis and whether or not the pathology for Parkinson’s starts in the gut decades before stereotypical features are noted,” Murray, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
The neurologist said the study sets the stage for additional research exploring the gut-brain axis theory, which could determine whether early pre-symptomatic treatments could prevent or mitigate the risk of developing Parkinson’s later in life.
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“With an aging population that is living longer, the prevalence of Parkinson’s is increasing significantly, which underscores the importance of studies like this that attempt to prevent this debilitating neurodegenerative disease,” Murray added.
“With an aging population that is living longer, the prevalence of Parkinson’s is increasing significantly,” according to Dr. Earnest Lee Murray. (iStock)
Dr. Aaron Ellenbogen, medical director of the Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Center at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders, said it is not surprising that a change in the organisms living in the GI tract can be a signature of evolving Parkinson’s pathology.
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“In general, people with GBA mutations tend to have Parkinson’s symptoms evolve in a way that is more consistent with a gut-first presentation,” Ellenbogen, who also was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
Others may experience a different set of symptoms, including loss of sense of smell, before developing signs of motor Parkinson’s disease, he noted.
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“In fact, many of these people don’t develop the symptoms of constipation and REM behavior disorder until later in their disease course,” Ellenbogen said. “These people may actually have a form of Parkinson’s that starts in the brain.”
Potential limitations
There were some limitations to the study, the researchers acknowledged. Because it was observational in design, it could not prove that the microbiome changes directly caused Parkinson’s.
The researchers also noted that not everyone with at-risk microbiome profiles will develop the disease, as other genetic or environmental factors could play a role.
The researchers also noted that not everyone with at-risk microbiome profiles will develop the disease, as other genetic or environmental factors could play a role. (iStock)
Additionally, differences in microbiomes across various populations could skew the results.
“To enable both the research and eventual use of such treatments, we need to develop the means for very early detection of people who will, or likely will, go on to develop the disease,” Schapira said.
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The study was funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the UK Medical Research Council.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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A specific gut microbe could help with long-term weight-loss goals.
New research published in the journal Nature Medicine tested whether a pasteurized (not live) gut bacterium, called Akkermansia muciniphila MucT, could help people keep weight off after losing it.
The study enrolled 90 overweight and obese adults from the Netherlands in an eight-week, low-energy diet where they were instructed to lose 8% of their body weight, according to a press release.
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The participants then started a 24-week weight-maintenance phase and were randomly assigned to take either the gut bacterium or a placebo.
People taking Akkermansia regained significantly less weight than those taking the placebo, the study found. (iStock)
People taking Akkermansia regained less weight than those taking the placebo, at an average of 2.6 pounds versus 7.1 pounds — a statistically significant difference, according to the study results.
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The researchers noted that the efficacy of the treatment depends on a person’s existing gut microbiome. There were no serious adverse events reported.
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The study’s short duration and small sample size may not be enough to prove long-term benefits, the team noted. Another limitation is that participants ate whatever they wanted instead of following a standardized diet.
The study enrolled 90 overweight and obese adults from the Netherlands in an eight-week, low-energy diet where they were instructed to lose 8% of their body weight. (iStock)
Dr. Peter Balazs, MD, a hormone and weight loss specialist practicing in New York and New Jersey, called this a “well-designed” trial.
“The finding that a single gut microbe, pasteurized Akkermansia, significantly reduced weight regain is particularly compelling,” the expert, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “Most probiotics have demonstrated far less efficacy, making these results especially noteworthy.”
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Balazs pointed out that pasteurized Akkermansia isn’t a live probiotic, but works through “components of the bacteria, particularly a protein called Amuc_1100.”
Akkermansia is “not a miracle pill,” an expert noted, although the study results are promising. (iStock)
“This protein helps strengthen the gut barrier, reduce low-grade inflammation and support healthy metabolic function,” he said. “After weight loss, the body naturally tries to regain fat, but Akkermansia appears to help quiet some of those biological signals, making it easier to maintain results over time.”
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While the study results are promising, the doctor cautioned that Akkermansia is not a miracle pill.
“It helps with maintenance, not initial loss,” he said. “Long-term use is plausible; however, it hasn’t been proven beyond 24 weeks. This does not replace diet, exercise or medical advice.”
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The latest beverage trend is far from clean – and it’s raising red flags with doctors.
Known as a “dirty soda,” it’s a soft drink that also includes a combination of added ingredients, such as flavored syrups, creamers, fruit juices and other garnishes. The result is a sweet beverage that’s a combination of a soda, mocktail and dessert.
Dirty sodas can easily deliver 250-400 calories and 55-70 grams of sugar in a single drink – which is often more than double the American Heart Association’s daily added sugar limit, according to Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian.
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“It’s more like a dessert beverage than a soft drink, even if people use diet soda as the base,” she told Fox News Digital.
The drinks are most dangerous for those with insulin resistance, prediabetes or diabetes, Palinski-Wade warned.
A dirty soda is a soft drink that also includes a combination of added ingredients, such as flavored syrups, creamers, fruit juices and other garnishes. (iStock)
“The combination of rapidly absorbed sugar plus cream can cause sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes, driving hunger, fatigue and higher insulin demands,” she cautioned.
The trend is said to have originated in Utah years ago at a specialty soda shop, Swig, reportedly due to people in the Mormon faith seeking an alternative to coffee. The drink was then popularized by social media and TV shows, such as “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” according to Eater.com.
The dirty soda trend is widely credited to Swig, a Utah-based soda shop founded in 2010. The concept reportedly gained popularity in Utah, where many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abstain from coffee and alcohol, helping create demand for customizable, non-alcoholic drinks.
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“There are multiple soda shops in most suburbs here,” one Utah resident wrote on Reddit. “I have many coworkers who stop at one daily on their way to work [because] they don’t drink coffee, but will drink dirty sodas.”
Trend goes mainstream
Dirty sodas have recently grown in popularity, appearing on many restaurant menus and grocery store shelves. Coca-Cola has launched its Coca-Cola Cherry Float, which is designed to mimic the soda-and-cream experience, while PepsiCo offers a Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda.
McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Sonic and Dunkin are among the fast-food brands that include dirty soda options in their beverage line-ups.
Crumbl recently launched a dirty soda that includes multiple sweet ingredients on top of an already sugary soda base. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Perhaps taking the cake is Crumbl, which recently launched a dirty soda that includes multiple sweet ingredients on top of an already sugary soda base.
“Crumbl needs to be stopped,” Dr. Mark Hyman wrote in a recent social media post. “Their new ‘dirty soda’ contains 186 grams of sugar, the equivalent of eating 19 Krispy Kreme donuts. This is a metabolic disaster and should be illegal.”
Experts warn of health risks
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, echoed the warnings about dirty sodas being “very unhealthy.”
“They are loaded with processed sugar, empty calories and saturated fats,” he told Fox News Digital. “They are also highly addictive, especially because of the high sugar content, and are about 400 calories per serving.”
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Over time, regular consumption of these types of sugary beverages can train the brain to seek repeated dopamine and endorphin releases, Siegel warned. This can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and other chronic illnesses.
An employee prepares a dirty soda at Floso, a drink shop in Salem, Oregon, in July 2024. (Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal)
Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, echoed that daily added sugars increase the risk of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“Additionally, the creamy mix-ins featured in dirty sodas are generally high in saturated fat, another nutrient that should be consumed in limited amounts,” Freirich told Fox News Digital.
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“If you’re looking for a mocktail or fun non-alcoholic beverage, consider using a base of plain seltzer water for a bubbly drink,” she recommended. “Even with the same add-ins, your end result will contain considerably less sugar, but still taste sweet.”
An orange dirty soda is displayed at the Ross County Fair in Ross County, Ohio. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Kenneth J. Perry, M.D., an emergency physician in Charleston, South Carolina, also noted that dirty sodas represent a continuation of the trend toward highly sugary beverages.
“Their effects are short-lived, prompting individuals to consume excessive amounts,” he warned. “This combination of low nutritional value, high sugar content and poor satiety can have significant health implications.”
Each additional highly sugary beverage consumed daily increases the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, Perry cautioned.
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The World Health Organization recommends limiting free sugars – such as those found in beverages with added sugar – to less than 10% of total daily energy consumption, the doctor noted.
“Beverages with added sugar are one of the most easily modifiable risk factors for various downstream health issues,” Perry added.
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For those who do decide to try the dirty soda trend, Palinski-Wade recommends choosing a small size, using a diet soda base and limiting it to a rare treat.
“It really belongs in the same category as a cake or a milkshake – occasionally, and in smaller portions.”
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