Red meat has previously been linked to increased cancer rates and has been identified as contributing to climate change through production methods, but this long-term study shows that red meat is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The relationship between the two has become clear.
The findings, by researchers led by a team at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, were based on records of 133,771 people in two U.S. health databases. Participants were followed for up to 43 years and dietary patterns were charted against the likelihood of developing dementia.
Based on the 11,173 study participants who actually developed dementia during the study period, the risk was 13% lower than that of those who ate an average of more than a quarter of a serving of processed red meat (about half of bacon) each day. It means a percentage higher. I ate a small amount of red meat.
Cognitive assessments are included in health databases, so researchers can examine this as well. On average, each additional serving of processed red meat per day, or one additional hot dog per day, accelerates cognitive aging by approximately 1.6 years.
“Higher intake of red meat, especially processed red meat, was associated with higher risk of developing dementia and poorer cognitive function.” write The researchers state in their published paper:
“Reducing red meat intake could be incorporated into dietary guidelines to promote cognitive health.”
It is important to recognize that this type of research does not show direct cause and effect. All sorts of factors can play a role in dementia risk, from sleep quality to alcohol intake to genetic variations, and this study didn’t cover them all.
This means that eating more red meat cannot be directly linked to an increased chance of developing dementia. The large number of people involved in this study provides strong evidence of a link between the two.
Unprocessed red meat, such as uncured beef, lamb, and pork, has not been shown to be associated with dementia risk. However, there was an association between processed and unprocessed meat and self-reported subjective cognitive decline.
The team supporting this research doesn’t stop there. The researchers want to take a closer look at why red meat may cause dementia, including the changes it causes to the gut microbiome, and want to expand their analysis to a more diverse population. We are also keen to expand.
“Dietary guidelines tend to focus on reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, while cognitive health is less discussed, despite its association with these diseases. .” say Daniel Wang, an epidemiologist at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said:
“We hope our results will encourage further consideration of the relationship between diet and brain health.”
This research Neurology.
