Eating processed red meats such as bacon, hot dogs, sausage, and salami could increase your risk of developing dementia. According to new research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in the US.
Long-Term Study Finds Higher Dementia Rates
Researchers tracked over 130,000 people for up to 43 years. They found that more than 8% of the participants developed dementia. Those who ate around two servings of processed red meat a week had a 14% higher risk of dementia compared to those who ate fewer than three servings per month.
Dementia is a condition that affects memory, thinking, and social abilities so severely that it interferes with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions are common causes.
Healthier Food Choices Can Lower Dementia Risk
The study also suggests that replacing processed red meat. With healthier options like nuts and legumes (such as beans and peas) can lower the risk of dementia.
Swapping a daily serving of process red meat with a serving of nuts, beans, or tofu linked to a 20% lower risk of developing dementia.
“We discovered that long-term consumption of processed red meat could significantly increase dementia risk,” said Yuhan Li, the study’s lead author and a research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The Dangers of Ultra-Processed Foods
Most process red meats considered ultra-processed foods. These are made with ingredients not typically use in home cooking, such as high-fructose corn syrup and artificial additives. Other examples of ultra-processed foods include chips, ice cream, and instant soups. These foods have been link to various health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
The saturated fat, sodium, iron, and nitrites in process red meat are specifically links to higher risks of stroke, chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, and neurological disorders. “Processed red meat also raises the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes due to its high levels of harmful substances like nitrites and sodium,” Li added.
Study Methods and Findings
The study assessed participants’ diets every two to four years using questionnaires about their intake of processed red meat, nuts, and legumes. Of the 130,000 participants, over 11,173 developed dementias.
Researchers found that eating more processed red meat daily was associated with cognitive decline, affecting the ability to understand and recall information. Conversely, eating nuts and legumes instead of processed red meat was linked to less cognitive decline with age. The study did not find a significant link between eating unprocessed red meat, such as hamburgers and steak, and dementia.
Growing Evidence on Ultra-Processed Foods and Cognitive Decline
This research adds to the growing evidence connecting ultra-processed food consumption with cognitive decline. Previous studies in the UK and Brazil have similarly linked ultra-processed foods to dementia and rapid cognitive decline.
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Regularly eating processed red meats like bacon, hot dogs, sausage, and salami may significantly increase your risk of developing it. Making healthier food choices, such as incorporating nuts and legumes into your diet, can help lower this risk and promote better overall health.
