Processed red meat and dementia: What a new study means for your diet – The Boston Globe

Regularly eating processed red meat has long been linked to heart disease and cancer — now, researchers say it could also raise your risk of dementia.We asked nutrition experts how consumers can make informed and healthy choices about eating red meat.Red meat refers to “all mammalian muscle meat,” including beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, and goat, according to the World Health Organization.Processed meat is meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to improve taste or preservation, according to the National Institutes of Health.Meat that is preserved usually has high amounts of salt or other preservatives like nitrates. Some studies have found that nitrates can interact with components in meat to form potential carcinogens.Common examples of processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and cold cuts like salami and bologna.AdvertisementIn the recent dementia study, published online Wednesday by scientists at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, researchers did not find a significant increase in dementia risk from consuming unprocessed meat. But dementia risk increased by 13 percent for those who ate two 3-ounce servings of processed meat a week when compared to those who ate about three servings a month.However, health problems including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease have been correlated with all kinds of red meat, said Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Researchers have suggested this could be because of high amounts of saturated fats in red meat when compared to plant-based protein sources as well as chicken and fish.Alice H. Lichtenstein, a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts, said it’s generally recommended that people eat leaner cuts of meat because they have less saturated fat and carry lower risks for cardiovascular disease and obesity. She said differences in health outcomes for those who eat grass-fed or organic red meat had not yet been established in research.“Having about one serving a week of red meat would have minimal risks associated with it,” Willett said.AdvertisementLiechtenstein said cutting portion sizes can also help reduce intake.Willett recommended people think of red meat as a treat for a special occasion, like lobster.“I really like lobster, but I don’t have it every day,” he said. “It’s special, and I really enjoy it. So I think with people who like red meat, rather than having it every day, thinking about it as something special.”Willett said that it’s important to be mindful of how you replace red meat in your diet. For example, if people replace it with refined starches like white bread, potatoes, and “things with a lot of sugar in it, then that way to reduce meat is not going to have health benefits and sometimes could even make outcomes worse.”“The real double win is when you replace red meat with healthy plant-based protein sources,” he said. That can include nuts, soy products, and beans. “You remove something that has some excess risk and replace it with a healthy alternative.”The new study concluded that replacing a serving of processed red meat with a serving of nuts or legumes, which include beans, peas, and lentils, per day might lower the risk of dementia by 19 percent and by as much as 28 percent if the serving is replaced with fish.Emily Spatz can be reached at emily.spatz@globe.com. Follow her on X @emilymspatz.Digital AccessHome DeliveryGift SubscriptionsLog InManage My AccountCustomer ServiceDelivery IssuesFeedbackHelp & FAQsStaff ListAdvertiseNewslettersView the ePaperOrder Back IssuesNews in EducationSearch the ArchivesPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceTerms of PurchaseContactWork at Boston Globe MediaInternship ProgramCo-op ProgramDo Not Sell My Personal Information

Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/17/metro/processed-red-meat-dementia-harvard/