Scientists have said that cutting one food out of your diet could drastically reduce the chances of getting dementia. Writing on The Conversation website, Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Biological Psychology, Loughborough University and
Emma D’Donnell, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, Loughborough University said processed red meat has a number of major health concerns, according to new research.
They said reducing consumption of red and processed meat could reduce your risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease and added: “These diseases share risk factors with dementia, including the most common type, Alzheimer’s disease.”
The pair explained: “Besides being good for the planet and kinder to animals, eating less red meat is also better for your health. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are the UK’s leading cause of death. With Alzheimer’s, memory problems are often the first issue to become apparent and these are later followed by other cognitive impairments significantly affecting daily life and social interactions.”
A new large US-based study investigated different foods and their associated dementia risk in over 133,000 healthcare professionals who did not have dementia when the study started. They were tracked for over four decades. In that time, just over 11,000 developed dementia.
The research showed that eating processed red meat such as sausages, bacon, hotdogs and salami was linked to a 16% higher risk of dementia and a faster rate of cognitive ageing. Eating about two servings of processed red meat a week raised the risk of dementia by 14% compared with those who ate less than about three servings a month.
They said: “If people substituted processed red meat protein for that found in nuts, tofu or beans, they could reduce their dementia risk by 19%, the study found. The rate of cognitive ageing was also reduced.
“In this same sample, eating less red and processed meat was shown to substantially reduce the risk of death from cancer and heart disease. The researchers estimated that almost one in ten deaths could have been prevented if everyone had eaten less than 42g of red meat (less than half a serving) a day throughout the study.”
Red meat has been highlighted by other experts too. Professor Tim Spector said that he cut red meat which has a ‘bad reputation’ out his diet when he had a major review of his diet after a health problem.
The 65-year-old had suffered a mini-stroke in his 50s and thought he needed to make root and branch reform of how he lived his life.
The professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and Zoe app founder said: “Red meat has a bad reputation, which is at least partly fair. Ethically and environmentally, there are some serious issues. But if you enjoy eating meat, you do not need to cut it out of your life permanently. It doesn’t have to be a black-or-white issue.”
Speaking about his own issue he said: “After a health scare, I gave up meat for about six years. At the time, it was the easiest way radically to change my diet.” However Prof Spector explained that doing this actually led to problems: “Although I didn’t miss it terribly, my body did, and I became vitamin B12 deficient, as I have always had borderline low levels. So I started having meat once or twice a month rather than popping vitamin pills.
Professor Hoervorst and Ms O’Donnell said: “Red or processed meat can result in high levels of “bad fats” in the blood because of its saturated fat and cholesterol content. This can result in fatty deposits building up in the blood vessels, explaining some of the association with heart disease deaths. High blood pressure can result from the high salt content in processed meats. The fat around the tummy caused by these calorific foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle is also linked to high blood pressure, in addition to inflammation of the blood vessels and diabetes.
“These factors are all also associated with Alzheimer’s. “Good fats” found in nuts, fatty fish, olive oil and avocado could help reduce these mechanisms and may protect against dementia and memory decline.”
To read the full report on The Conversation click here.