A new study adds to the crusade against the consumption of red meat, especially processed. Its effects on cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity or some types of cancer are now a work of Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has found that eating greater amounts of red meat, especially in processed forms, also increases the risk of dementia.
The results, published in ‘Neurology‘, they emphasize that replacing processed red meat with protein sources such as nuts, legumes or fish can reduce the risk of dementia by approximately 20%.
As the population ages, dementia represents an increasing challenge for patients and families. Among the 133,771 people included in this study with an average age of 49 years at the beginning of the study, 11,173 were diagnosed with dementia up to 43 years later.
The data was extracted from Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), which prospectively study the health and lifestyle of thousands of participants, which may influence the risk of chronic diseases such as dementia. The studies include decades of detailed health information, including participants’ typical diets, which are updated every 2 to 4 years.
A typical serving of red meat is 85.05 grams, approximately the size of a bar of soap.
Those who consume a daily average of a quarter or more of a serving of processed red meat (about two slices of bacon, one and a half slices of bologna, or a hot dog), compared to those who consume a minimal amount (less than a tenth of one serving per day), had a 13% increased risk of developing dementia, taking into account numerous clinical, demographic and lifestyle factors, such as socioeconomic status and family history of dementia.
The study assessed objective cognitive function using standard cognitive assessments and found that this measure was also worse among those They consumed more processed meat, with accelerated cognitive aging approximately 1.6 years per average daily serving.
The researchers also examined self-reported subjective cognitive decline, which may precede markers of cognitive decline in standard assessments. A higher risk of self-reported subjective cognitive impairment was associated with consumption of processed or unprocessed meats (such as beef, pork, and hamburger).
The risk of self-reported subjective cognitive decline increased by 14% for those who ate a quarter or more servings of processed meat per day compared to the minimal consumption group, and by 16% for those who ate one or more daily servings of unprocessed meat compared to those who ate less than half a serving.
Researchers continue to explore the factors linking red meat to dementia risk, especially those that affect the gut microbiome. Trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), a bacterial-mediated breakdown product of meat, may increase cognitive dysfunction due to its effects on the aggregation of amyloid and tau, proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, but research is limited . The saturated fat and salt content of red meat can also harm the health of brain cells.
Goodbye to meat?
However, it is not about completely eliminating the consumption of red meat for those who wish to do so.
The Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) advises maintaining the current public health recommendations on the moderate consumption of meat, 2-3 times a week, since its continued and/or excessive consumption can be related to certain health problems, taking into account that meat is a important source of proteins of high biological valuealso providing a large amount of micronutrients that include B complex vitamins, iron, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. This is reflected in all existing nutritional guides.
Regarding processed meats, meat that has been transformed by salting, curing, fermentation, smoking or other processes to improve its flavor or preservation, such as sausages, Frankfurt sausages, ham, preserved meat, jerky, as well as meat in canned and meat-based preparations and sauces, very occasional consumption is recommended, less than 50g per week.
AECOSAN also remembers that the benefits of a varied, moderate and balanced diet, such as the Mediterranean, rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oillegumes and fish, with limited consumption of meat, are scientifically proven, and it is on them that the nutritional recommendations of our country are based.
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