Red meat is a staple of the American diet, but indulging in burgers, bacon and other similar foods may put you at higher risk of dementia, according to recent research.
Eating red meat regularly — especially processed red meat — is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia and other cognitive problems, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published by the American Academy of Neurology.
The good news is that some alternative forms of protein may actually reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Here’s a closer look at the results.
The results: dementia
To measure the impact of red meat on dementia risk, researchers looked at data from a group of more than 133,000 people with an average age of 49 and followed for up to 43 years. Not all had dementia at the start of this period, but more than 11,000 had developed dementia by the end.
All participants documented their diet every two to four years during this period, allowing researchers to measure their consumption of the following:
- Processed red meats, including bacon, bologna, hot dogs, salami and sausages
- Unprocessed red meats, including beef, hamburger, lamb and pork
Researchers found that those who ate the most treated Red meat (0.25 servings or more per day, on average) had a 13% higher risk of dementia diagnosis than those who ate the least (less than 0.1 servings per day).
A serving was defined as 3 ounces, which is roughly equivalent to a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards or a bar of soap.
To assess the effect of eating UNprocessed red meat on dementia risk, researchers compared people who ate less than half a serving per day, on average, with those who ate one or more servings per day. They found no difference in dementia risk.
The results: cognitive decline
To measure the impact of red meat on subjective cognitive decline, researchers looked at data from a separate group of more than 43,000 people with an average age of 78.
Subjective cognitive decline occurs when people notice problems with memory and thinking, but this decline is not yet significant enough to show up on tests.
Among the members of this study group, those who ate the most treated Red meat (0.25 servings or more per day, on average) had a 14% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline than those who consumed the least (less than 0.1 servings per day).
Those who ate one or more servings of UNProcessed red meat per day had, on average, a 16% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline than those who ate less than half a serving each day.
In a summary of the study results, study author Dr. D. Wang of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston says:
“Red meat is high in saturated fat and previous studies have shown that it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, both linked to poor brain health.”
The researchers also found that among a group of more than 17,000 women with an average age of 74, those who consumed more processed red meat experienced more rapid brain aging in terms of overall cognitive function.
3 alternative proteins linked to lower risk
Good news, researchers found that replacing one serving per day of processed red meat with one serving of one of the following proteins was associated with a lower risk of dementia:
- nuts and legumes (like beans and lentils) – 19% lower risk
- fish – 28% less risk
- chicken – 16% less risk
In the summary of the study results, Wang states:
“Our study found that processed red meat may increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, but the good news is that it also found that replacing it with healthier alternatives, like nuts, fish and poultry , can reduce the risk.”
