Scientists have found out that increased calcium intake by drinking milk or otherwise for middle aged men may increase the risk of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the nervous system. Some of its symptoms are muscle tremors, muscle rigidity, decreased mobility, stooped posture, slow voluntary movements, and a mask-like facial expression.
In a clinical study of patients of Honolulu Heart Program, of the 7,504 men in the ages of 45 yrs to 68 yrs, 128 had developed Parkinson's disease. When this data was adjusted for age and dietary intake of milk, the results showed 2.3 times increase in the incidence of Parkinson's in the people who consumed milk on a daily basis versus those who had no dietary intake of milk at all.
The study had also noted that the effect of taking milk was independent of the effect of taking calcium supplements. Calcium supplements taken from dairy or non-dairy sources had no significant effect on the increased risk of Parkinson's disease.
The study results thus suggest that intake of milk significantly increases the risk of Parkinson's in older men.
The report was published in the latest edition of the journal Neurology
Reference: Neurology, April 2005