People’s love for processed meat may bite them again in the long run, new UK research suggests. The study found a link between larger consumption of processed meat and higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. At the same time, he also found a possible link between eating unprocessed meats and a lower risk of dementia.
Processed meats like bacon, shakes, and hot dogs don’t have exactly that reputation for being healthy in the first place. There is other research suggested that diets rich in these foods are related to chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. Some studies even have pointed out to a link between processed meats and increased risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as episodes of bipolar depression.
There have been mixed tests indicating a high-meat diet it could increase a person’s risk of dementia in recent years. But according to the authors of this new study, published On Monday, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, less work has been done to separate the possible risk of dementia from different types of meat (processed versus no) and whether genetics can play a role in this risk.
The study was based on population data from the UK Biobank, an ongoing research project that collects health and genetic information from nearly half a million residents, ages 40 a 69, between 2006 and 2010. As part of the project, volunteers were filled out a questionnaire about theirs diet at the beginning of your enrollment and in regular online surveys up to 16 months later. Due to the UK’s nationalized health system, researchers were able to track the health outcomes of these participants, including whether they developed or died of dementia.
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About 2,900 cases of dementia were diagnosed across the group, for an average of eight yearsrise period. And when researchers tried to account for people’s diets, they found a clear association between processed meat and the risk of dementia, but they didn’t see the correlation when it came to other types of meat.
For example, the associated risk of dementia increased by 44% for every 25 grams of processed meat eaten daily. But no significant link was found between the risk of dementia and total meat consumption or between the risk of dementia and a person’s daily chicken intake. Meanwhile, the associated risk of dementia decreased slightly in those who regularly ate unprocessed red meat (cooked beef, veal, pork, etc.).). The risk of dementia increased for those carrying the APOE ε4 genetic variation, as expected, but this risk was not affected by meat consumption..
“Our findings suggest that eating processed meat may increase the risk of incident dementia, and that eating unprocessed red meat may be associated with lower risks,” the authors wrote.
Of course, nutritional studies like this have their limitations. For example, they can only show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between two things a correlation. Studying people’s diet is generally difficult, as we are not the best at remembering what and how much food we eat regularly. And, of course, a person’s diet at age 40 or 50 can still change significantly between then and the time of their dementia diagnosis years or decades later.
No study should be seen as the final verdict on a topic. More research will be needed to eliminate the potential effects of a diet high in andn processed meats with our risk of dementia and how these diets may be causing it. That said, as mentioned above, this would not be the first study to link processed meats to worsening health. Therefore, although specific data needs to be worked on, it is likely that in many of our best interests it will be reduced bacon or sausage anyways.
“Worldwide, the prevalence of dementia is increasing and diet as a modifiable factor could play a role,” said lead author Huifeng Zhang, a doctoral student at Leeds University School of Food and Nutrition. . released by the university based in the United Kingdom. “Our research adds to the growing body of evidence linking processed meat consumption to an increased risk of a number of noncommunicable diseases.”