A study exposes the point of life of the scientific community with respect to red meat: the consumption of processed meats above a certain threshold, even in small daily portions, could increase the risk of dementia. The study published in Neurologythe official magazine of the American Academy of Neurology, brings together the arguments and contradictions about the reduction of red meat in the diet, especially the defendant, for the benefit of the environment and neurological health.
What does research say?
The investigation It was carried out by a team of researchers from several institutions in the Boston area. They used the monitoring of health professionals; A series of data on the life and health style that were monitored for more than 40 years. From them, they investigated the possible relationship between meat consumption and cognitive deterioration.
While little is known about the subject, and the studies had followed participants during relatively short periods, collected few data on diets and some showed contradictory results; This does not mean that diseases related to red meat intake do not appear among the risk factors of neurodegenerative conditions.
The possible associations with cognitive deterioration were investigated in several ways. On the one hand, the specialists were based on official evaluations carried out by health professionals, and on the other, they asked the participants to qualify their own cognitive abilities with all the limitations of the self -declared data. Subsequently, They linked the food consumption data of controlled questionnaires with dementia diagnoses and cognitive evaluations. The conclusions showed that those who consumed processed meats had 13% more risk of being diagnosed with dementia. “We are talking about those who consumed a room of ration or more of meat processed per day, about thirty gamos of product,” recites the report.
In the same way, As the consumption of processed meats, such as bacon and sausages increased, “older” brains were also observedas indicated by cognitive tests performed by telephone and aimed at measuring global and specific cognitive abilities, such as memory and verbal. In this case, it was estimated that aging was approximately 1.6 years for each additional daily portion of meat.
Similar trends were observed when investigating the presence of self -declared cognitive problems, in which both the consumption of processed meat for values that already exceeded a room of ration per day and the one of unpatient when the daily ration was exceeded, they were associated with a greater risk of cognitive difficulties; between 14% and 16% respectively, compared to those who ate little. “The investigation took into account factors such as the family environment, sex, socioeconomic status, education and lifestyle,” explain the authors.
The effect of red meat on the body
“We hope that our results promote a greater interrelation between diet and brain health,” says Daniel Wang, from Brigham and Women’s Boston Hospital, who directed the study. This does not mean that previous studies has not investigated in this field: “The relationship observed with the consumption of red meat processed with dementia is not surprising,” said Wired Alessandro Padovani, director of Neurological Clinic at the University of Brescia and President of the Italian Neurology Society (SIN). He added that there are very specific records that a diet rich in red meat predisposes the patient to an increase in fat, diabetes and diseases such as hypertension, obesity and brain damage.
“This study reaffirms that excessive consumption of red meat can act as an independent dementia factor, but it remains to be seen if there is a direct effect not mediated by these factors,” says Padovani. According to the expert, it is likely that the substances present in meats favor atherosclerosis and the increase in cholesterol. The authors themselves recognize them as possible mechanisms involved in the deterioration of cognitive function, along with changes in genetic expression, neurotrophic factors induced by the fats of red meat and insulin resistance. “Diets based on meat, even those very rich in eggs and generally rich in protein, induce the production of a substance due to intestinal bacteria, trimethylamine-N-oxide, which is related to the risk of atherosclerosis,” Padovani suggests .
The message that emerges from this report is clear: brain health is closely linked to that of the body and heart. “To favor a healthy aging of the population, we must fight against old age in every way, and we know that food is a central intervention,” concludes the president of Sin. “Moderation in the consumption of certain substances in the diet, such as red meat, but also alcohol, is fundamental, although it requires a different culture than we are accustomed.”
Article originally published in Wired Italy. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
#study #relates #consumption #meat #processed #risk #dementia