- A recent study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2024 reveals that daily consumption of processed red meat, such as bacon and bologna, increases the risk of dementia by 14%.
- Replacing processed red meat with nuts and legumes can lower this risk by 20% and reduce cognitive aging by over a year.
- While a heart-healthy diet is beneficial, no single food has been proven to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting the complexity of addressing dementia through diet alone.
According to a new study, individuals who consume at least 1/4 serving of bacon, bologna, or other processed red meat daily (approximately 2 servings per week) have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who consume less than 1/10 of a serving daily (about 3 servings per month).
The research also indicates that replacing 1 serving of processed red meat with 1 serving of nuts and legumes, such as beans and peas, each day can reduce the risk of dementia.
The study authors recently presented their findings at the at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2024, held in Philadelphia and online. They are yet to publish these findings in a peer-reviewed journal.
However, the caveat is that while eating a heart-healthy diet overall may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, there is no direct evidence that any single food or ingredient can prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
Furthermore, given the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease, it is improbable that one food or ingredient will have a significant beneficial impact.
The researchers monitored over 130,000 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study for up to 43 years to examine the link between red meat consumption and dementia.
They identified 11,173 cases of dementia. Participants’ diets were assessed every 2 to 4 years using food-frequency questionnaires.
These questionnaires asked how often…
Read the full article here
