Consuming plants that naturally contain nicotine may help decrease the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, says a new study from researchers at University of Washington in Seattle. Such plants include peppers and those falling within a family called Solanaceae.
Tobacco is, in fact, within this plant family and some studies have previously noted that smokers and tobacco users can have a slightly decreased risk of developing Parkinson's.
Researchers collected data from 500 Parkinson's sufferers and another 650 without the illness. They found that those who consumed the most vegetables from the Solanaceae family, especially peppers, had the lowest likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease.
Lead researcher Dr. Susan Searles Nielsen, tells UsNews.com: "Our study is the first to investigate dietary nicotine and risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Similar to the many studies that indicate tobacco use might reduce risk of Parkinson's, our findings also suggest a protective effect from nicotine, or perhaps a similar but less toxic chemical in peppers and tobacco."
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