Eating Red Meat May Raise Dementia Risk by 13 Percent: Study Finds - Video

A new study has found that eating greater quantities of red meat, especially in processed forms, increased risk for dementia. Results, published online in Neurology, highlight that replacing processed red meat with protein sources like nuts and legumes or fish may decrease dementia risk by approximately 20 percent.

Among 133,771 individuals included in this study with an average age of 49 years at baseline, 11,173 were diagnosed with dementia up to 43 years later.

A typical serving of red meat is 3 ounces — approximately the size of a bar of soap. Those eating a daily average of one-quarter or more of a serving of processed red meats, compared to those consuming a minimal amount, had a 13 percent higher risk of developing dementia, adjusting for numerous clinical, demographic and lifestyle factors such as socioeconomic status and family history of dementia.

The researchers measured objective cognitive function using standard cognitive assessments. They found that this measure was also worse among those with greater processed meat consumption, with cognitive aging accelerated by approximately 1.6 years per average daily serving.

The researchers also examined self-reported subjective cognitive decline, which may precede markers of cognitive decline on standard evaluations. A greater risk of subjective cognitive decline was associated with consuming either processed or unprocessed meats.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a product of the bacteria-mediated breakdown of meat, may increase cognitive dysfunction due to its effects on the aggregation of amyloid and tau, proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease, but research is limited. The saturated fat and salt content of red meat may also impair brain cells’ health.

“Dietary guidelines tend to focus on reducing risks of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, while cognitive health is less frequently discussed, despite being linked to these diseases,” said corresponding author Daniel Wang, MD, ScD, of the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “We hope our results encourage greater consideration of the connection between diet and brain health.”

References: Li Y et al. “Long-Term Intake of Red Meat in Relation to Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Function in US Adults ”Neurology DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000210286