Red meat may accelerate the development of dementia
Aldino Hartan Putra, Unsplash
A study conducted by experts from Harvard University, MIT and Mass General Brigham Health System found a link between consumption of processed red meat and the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. These findings support earlier findings about the cardiovascular harms of meat and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
According to data collected from 1980 to 2018, each serving of processed red meat (approximately 85 grams) can accelerate brain aging by 1.6 years. Researchers found that replacing this portion with plant-based protein sources, such as nuts or legumes, could reduce the risk of dementia by 19 per cent and the risk of cognitive decline by 21 per cent.
Cognitive health is rarely considered in the context of nutrition, despite the fact that it is closely linked to other chronic diseases such as heart disease. The study, published in the journal Neurology, emphasises the need to include brain health in nutritional recommendations. "We hope our findings will draw more attention to the link between diet and brain health," said Harvard professor Daniel Wang, an author of the study.
Nevertheless, experts remind that this study is observational in nature. As emphasised by Kevin McConway, a professor of statistics from the UK, it is difficult to claim that it is meat consumption that directly causes dementia, as the cause-and-effect relationships in such studies remain not entirely clear.
Existing dietary guidelines already call for a reduction in red meat consumption. For example, reports from the EAT and The Lancet advise limiting it to 98 grams per week for environmental and health reasons.
Nevertheless, this study reinforces the position of replacing meat with healthier foods such as nuts, legumes or poultry, which may have beneficial effects not only on the cardiovascular system but also on cognitive health.
As the study authors emphasised, further work is needed to explore the mechanisms that link nutrition to dementia and cognitive decline. This knowledge will help to develop better recommendations and possibly preventive measures.
