Rebecca Manzi Excessive consumption of red meat could damage cognitive health by increasing the risk of developing dementia and causing an acceleration of brain aging
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A reduction in the intake of red meat might prove to be highly beneficial on the cardiovascular, environmental, and even cognitive aspects. A new study in the journal Neurology opines that excess intake of processed red meats, like bacon, bologna, and hot dogs, could raise the risk for dementia.
In particular, those who consumed at least a quarter serving of processed red meat daily were found to have a 13% increased risk of the disease compared to those who consumed less than one-tenth of a serving.
A serving is about 3 ounces, the equivalent of about two slices of bacon, 1.5 slices of bologna, or one hot dog. Eating this amount daily may be associated with an advanced brain aging rate in a dose-response manner, an increase equivalent to about 1.6 years. Though observational, this is not a cause-and-effect relationship, there being an overwhelming connection between intake of processed red meat and diminished cognition.
Processed red meats have been associated with cardiometabolic diseases and certain cancers.
Scientists postulate that components present in processed red meats, like salt, heme iron, and different additives used during processing, might be responsible for this increased risk. High consumption of red meat is also typically associated with inflammation and metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance, which may have negative implications for brain health.
The research study analyzed final data from more than 133,000 participants who had been followed up in long-term studies such as the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. More than 11,000 participants developed dementia during the 43-year follow-up.
In addition to cognitive risk, there is a link between processed red meats and many health issues, such as cardiometabolic diseases and some cancers. According to this fact, experts recommend replacing these animal proteins with plant-based proteins like legumes, nuts, and seeds. The switch would lower the risk of dementia by 19% and even delay cognitive aging.
In general, a diet rich in plant-based foods, similar in most ways to the Mediterranean diet, confers a number of health benefits. Such a way of life-which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and moderate fish consumption-promotes not just physical health but also mental health and cognitive longevity.
Source: Neurology
