Brain Health: Red meat increases risk of dementia in consumers –Researchers

*Researchers, in a fresh study published in ‘Neurology’, found that eating processed red meat, as well as the unprocessed red types, including beef or pork, was linked to higher risks of subjective cognitive decline, an early sign of dementia, recommending further study on links between diet and consumers’ brain health

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Eating red meat, especially processed types, such as bacon or hot dogs, may increase the risk of dementia, a new study by researchers from Mass General Brigham, Harvard, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found.

Published in Neurology, the fresh study discovered that replacing processed red meat with healthier options, including nuts, legumes, or fish could reduce dementia risk by about 20 percent.

It is also noted that diet is usually, considered in terms of its effects on cardiovascular health and chronic disease, but a study has found that it also affects brain health in humans.

Speaking on the research effort, corresponding author Daniel Wang, MD, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: “Dietary guidelines tend to focus on reducing risks of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, while cognitive health is less frequently discussed, despite being linked to these diseases.

“We hope our results encourage greater consideration of the connection between diet and brain health.”

Explaining the procedure for the study, the researchers noted they analysed data from over 133,000 participants, tracking their health and diets for up to 43 years.

Consumers who ate at least a quarter serving of processed red meat daily had a 13 percent higher risk of dementia than those who ate very little, noted the experts.

Eating unprocessed red meat, like beef or pork, was also linked to higher risks of subjective cognitive decline, an early sign of dementia.

The study further suggested that compounds in red meat, such as saturated fat, salt, or gut-produced chemicals like TMAO, may harm brain health in consumers.

A typical serving of red meat is 3 ounces — approximately the size of a bar of soap.

Those eating a daily average of one-quarter or more of a serving of processed red meats (roughly two slices of bacon, one and half slices of bologna, or a hot dog), compared to those consuming a minimal amount, (less than one-tenth a serving each day) had a 13 percent higher risk of developing dementia, adjusting for numerous clinical, demographic and lifestyle factors such as socioeconomic status and family history of dementia.

The study findings also highlighted the need for long-term research for a better understanding of how diet influences dementia and cognitive decline, the researchers said.