March 13, 2026

@michaelokun

Does dairy increase Parkinson’s risk? A new meta-analysis takes a closer look. Dairy refers to foods produced from milk (milk, cheese, yogurt and butter). Warz and colleagues describe in a new paper that just dropped in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice how dairy and milk intake may relate to Parkinson’s disease risk in men and women. Key Points: - A systematic review and meta analysis including more than 578,000 participants examined whether higher dairy intake was linked to Parkinson’s disease risk. - Higher total dairy intake was associated w/ a modestly increased Parkinson’s disease risk in men, but no meaningful association was observed in women. - Milk intake alone showed a possible signal toward higher risk, however the evidence was inconsistent and the overall certainty of the data remained low. My take: The dairy and Parkinson’s discussion has been around for decades and continues to evolve. This updated analysis suggests overall there may be a small association in men, however the signal remains weak and observational. Dairy remains an important nutritional source and the current evidence does not support sweeping dietary changes specifically to prevent Parkinson’s disease. We should remember the Honolulu Aging Study when discussing dairy and Parkinson’s disease. In that cohort, higher milk consumption was clearly associated w/ greater Parkinson’s disease risk. Investigators later uncovered an environmental clue tied to dairy production. Dairy cows had been fed pineapple plant tops contaminated w/ the pesticide heptachlor. The chemical entered the milk supply and likely exposed those who consumed the dairy. This story reminds us that the risk signal may not be the milk itself, but what may occasionally travel along w/ it. #fixelinstitute #michaelokun #parkinson