Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard found that consuming large amounts of red meat, mainly processed types like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, is linked to a higher risk of dementia. Participants who ate diets high in processed meats had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia over a follow-up period of up to 43 years.
This research highlights that red meat is not only a risk factor for chronic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but it also increases the risk for dementia. The study, published in the medical journal Neurology, suggests that replacing processed red meat with protein sources like nuts, legumes, or fish may reduce the risk of dementia by about 20%.
Dr. Daniel Wang from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, emphasized the importance of considering the impact of diet on brain health. He hopes the findings will encourage greater awareness of the link between diet and cognitive health.
As the U.S. population ages, dementia is becoming a growing concern. In this study, out of 133,771 participants with an average age of 49 years, 11,173 were diagnosed with dementia up to 43 years later. Data were collected from long-term studies, which included detailed information about participants’ diets.
The study found that those who ate at least a quarter of a serving of processed red meats daily had a 13% higher risk of dementia compared to those who consumed less than one-tenth of a serving. Additionally, greater processed meat consumption was associated with worse cognitive function and accelerated cognitive ageing by about 1.6 years per daily serving.
The researchers also explored self-reported cognitive decline, which often precedes noticeable cognitive impairment. They found that consuming both processed and unprocessed meats increased the risk of cognitive decline.
Further research is being conducted to understand how red meat contributes to dementia risk, particularly focusing on the gut microbiome and substances like trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) that may impact brain health.
Dr. Wang noted the importance of long-term studies in understanding the causes of dementia and cognitive decline, and he emphasized the need to continue investigating the mechanisms behind these conditions.