Processed Red Meat May Raise Risk of Cognitive Decline, Dementia

Processed red meat consumption is linked to a 13% higher risk of dementia, a new study found.
Various factors drive dementia risk, but there is evidenceTrusted Source to suggest that diet may play a role.
A new study has found that those who eat more red meat, particularly processed red meat, may be at higher risk for dementia and cognitive decline compared to those who consume little to no red meat.

“Red meat is high in saturated fat and has been shown in previous studies to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which are both linked to reduced brain health,” Dong Wang, MD, ScD, senior author of the study and researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard, said in a press statement.

“Our study found 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, may reduce a person’s risk.”

Processed red meat increases dementia risk by 13%
For the study, Wang and colleagues enlisted a group of 133,771 people who had an average age of 49. They did not have dementia at the beginning of the study. The group was followed for up to 43 years.
Out of the 133,771 study participants, 11,173 developed dementia.

Every two to four years, participants were asked to keep a food diary detailing what they ate and how often they ate it.
The researchers considered unprocessed red meat as beef, lamb, pork, or hamburger. Processed red meat was defined as:
• hot dogs
• sausages
• salami
• bacon
• bologna
• other processed meat products
They concluded that participants who were found to eat the highest amount of processed red meat had a 13% greater risk for developing dementia when compared with their peers who ate the lowest amount of meat.

The link between diet and dementia
“It is not surprising that processed red meats can negatively affect brain health. Processed red meats are often high in fats, sodium, and sugars, which are already known to have adverse effects on the body,” Jasmin Dao, MD, PhD, a pediatric and adult neurologist at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, CA, and MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, told Healthline.

“We are still learning about the diet and dementia connection. Many studies suggest that our diet choices can greatly affect our brain health. Healthy eating has been associated with improvement in our cognitive processing. Conversely, greater ultra-processed foods (those with artificial colorings or additives, high fructose corn syrup) intake can be damaging to the brain cells with corresponding cognitive decline and dementia,” Dao continued.