A recent study has discovered a food linked to increased dementia risk. Presented at the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in July, the research pointed to processed red meat. Products like bacon and lunch meat are frequently touted as being unhealthy but this large scale observational study showed another reason why. However, the research also found a simple way to decrease the dementia risk by 20%.
130,000 Study Participants
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference brings together researchers and clinicians to discuss studies and practices regarding dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). This year’s conference revealed a study that involved over 130,000 people who were followed for up to 43 years.
“One Way to Eat Healthier”
“Prevention of AD and all other dementia is a major focus, and the Alzheimer’s Association has long encouraged eating a healthier diet, including foods that are less processed, because they’ve been associated with lower the risk of cognitive decline,” Heather M. Snyder, PhD, vice president of medical and scientific relations at Alzheimer’s Association, explained in a press release. “This large, long-term study provides a specific example of one way to eat healthier.”
Studying the Effect of One Food
For years, ealth professionals have been recommending an overall healthy diet to lower the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. However, there’s been little research investigating the effect of specific foods to prevent, treat, or cure dementia. Even so, it’s unlikely that one ingredient could have such a strong impact against such a complex disease. However, this study shows a promising way to swap foods to lower dementia risk.
Food and Dementia Risk
The researchers analyzed over 130,000 subjects in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and followed them for up to 43 years. According to the press release, the scientists examined the association between red meat and dementia. The participants completed food-frequency questionnaires every 2–4 years. The questionnaire inquired about how often they ate a serving of processed red meat. This can include two slices of bacon, one hot dog, two small links of sausage or kielbasa, as well as two ounces of lunch meat like salami and bologna. It also asked how often they had nuts and legumes. Of all of the participants, there were 11,173 cases of dementia.
The Findings
The researchers found that the people who ate 1/4 servings or more of processed meat a day had a 14% higher dementia risk compared to those who had less than 1/10 of a serving a day (about 3 servings a month). They used the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status to examine the cognition of over 17,000 participants. Through these assessments, the study authors linked additional daily servings to heightened cognitive aging for global cognition and verbal memory. Global cognition refers to language, critical thinking, decision-making, and similar functions; meanwhile, verbal memory refers to the capacity to remember and understand spoken information.
How to Reduce Dementia Risk
However, the study made another important connection. “…Replacing one daily serving of processed red meat with one daily serving of nuts and legumes was linked to a 20% lower risk of developing dementia and 1.37 fewer years of cognitive aging in global cognition,” reads the press release from the Alzheimer’s Association. Examples of a serving include one ounce of almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, and other nuts, one tablespoon of peanut butter, 8-ounce glass of soy milk, or half a cup of peas, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans, strong beans, and other legumes.
The Effects of Different Portions
“Study results have been mixed on whether there is a relationship between cognitive decline and meat consumption in general, so we took a closer look at how eating different amounts of both processed and unprocessed meat affects cognitive risk and function,” said lead author of the study Yuhan Li, M.H.S. “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.”
“High Levels of Harmful Substances”
Li is a research assistant in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She conducted the study as a graduate student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She points out it’s not very surprising that processed red meat could have negative effects on cognition. “Processed red meat has also been shown to raise the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It may affect the brain because it has high levels of harmful substances such as nitrites (preservatives) and sodium,” she said.
What is the Connection to Dementia Risk?
The researchers aren’t completely sure of the science behind their findings because the study was observational. But they have theories. “First, processed meats can impact the health of our cardiovascular system which of course, supplies oxygen and nutrients to our brainm” explained Meghan Hilbert, RDN, who was involved with the study, to Medical News Today. “When this connection is frayed, our brain may not perform optimally. These processed meats also can cause excess inflammation which can contribute to poor brain health by damaging brain cells.”
Meanwhile, healthy foods like nuts, seeds, and legumes can have the opposite effect and improve brain function. “Omega-3s, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, all can keep our cardiovascular system and brain cells healthy,” she concluded.
What About Unprocessed Red Meat?
The study authors also analyzed unprocessed red meat like steak and burgers. However, they did not find any meaningful connections between dementia risk and this type of red meat. (But remember that red meat could negatively impact the body in other ways, such as increasing the risk of heart disease, type two diabetes, and cancer, according to Harvard Health.)
Read More: 14 Steps To Help Prevent 50 Million Cases of Dementia By 2050