A new study has revealed a concerning link between poor diet and an increased risk of dementia, as the number of cases worldwide continues to rise. The US alone is expecting to see more than double the current number of patients by 2060, according to Healthline.
The research highlights that processed red meats could increase the risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline by 13%. This includes popular foods like bacon, sausages, and deli meats such as ham and pepperoni.
The high saturated fat content in these meats is the main culprit, having been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, both of which can negatively impact brain health.
However, the study suggests that people don’t need to completely eliminate these protein-rich foods from their diets. By simply reducing the amount consumed and making occasional substitutions, the risk of dementia could be reduced by 19%.
For instance, swapping a serving of processed red meat for fish could reduce the risk by 28%, while making the same swap with chicken could cut it by 16%. The study, published in the medical journal Neurology, followed over 133,000 people for 43 years.
Participants were asked to keep a food diary, noting down what they ate and how often, every two to four years. Over the course of the study, more than 11,000 participants were diagnosed with dementia.
The researchers then analysed these food diaries and found that those who consumed more red meat were more likely to receive this devastating diagnosis compared to those who steered clear of red meat. In this study, one serving size was considered to be around three ounces.
After taking into account other risk factors, the researchers concluded that consuming more processed red meat essentially aged your brain faster, at a rate of 1.6 years for each additional serving consumed daily.
Interestingly, the study also found that unprocessed meat, such as beef or lamb, did not significantly impact a person’s risk of developing dementia, even if they consumed one or more servings of it every day.
Other tests conducted on the participants revealed that those who consumed 0.25 servings or more of processed red meat per day had a 14% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline, compared to those who ate less than 0.10 servings a day.
