HEALTH

New study finds link between processed red meat and dementia

Jul 31, 2024, 12:33 PM | Updated: 12:38 pm

HAMBURG, GERMANY - JUNE 22: A detailed view of four Frankfurter hot dogs, seen prior to the UEFA EU...

HAMBURG, GERMANY - JUNE 22: A detailed view of four Frankfurter hot dogs, seen prior to the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Georgia and Czechia at Volksparkstadion on June 22, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A study from the Alzheimer’s Association found that eating processed red meat frequently can raise the risk of dementia.

The report was released Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International (research) Conference in Philadelphia.

A study was conducted of more than 130,000 participants over about 40 years, who answered questionnaires about how often they ate a serving of processed red meat. The study said one serving would include things like two slices of bacon at breakfast, a hot dog, or a sandwich.

The questionnaire asked participants how often they ate other forms of protein, like nuts, beans, or tofu.

During the study, researchers identified 11,173 dementia cases in their participants.

Findings

Researchers found that participants who ate two servings per week of processed red meat raised their risk of dementia by 14%, compared to those who ate less than approximately three servings a month.

The study showed that a serving of other proteins like nuts or beans every day may lower the risk of dementia by 20%.

Impact on cognitive functions

Researchers assessed cognition during their study and determined that each additional daily serving of processed red meat was linked to cognitive aging.

  • An extra 1.61 years of cognitive aging “for global cognition”, including cognitive functions like language and processing.
  • An extra 1.69 years of cognitive aging in verbal memory, including the ability to recall and understand words and sentences.

At the AAIC, researchers said that replacing one daily serving of processed red meat with a daily serving of nuts and legumes was linked to a 20% lower risk of developing dementia, and 1.37 fewer years of cognitive aging

“By studying people over a long period of time, we found that eating processed red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia. Dietary guidelines could include recommendations limiting it to promote brain health,” Yuhan Li, lead author of the study, said.

Li said that processed red meat has been linked to other health issues, like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

“It may affect the brain because it has high levels of harmful substances such as nitrites (preservatives,) and sodium,” Li said.

Not all red meat is linked to dementia

Researchers did not find similar findings with unprocessed red meat, including things like hamburgers, steak, and pork chops.

The study noted that eating an “overall heart-healthy diet” could help decrease the risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

“However, there isn’t a single food or ingredient that, through rigorous scientific research, has been shown to prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimer’s or other dementia,” the study said.

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New study finds link between processed red meat and dementia