Eating processed meats may increase your risk of dementia

Using data from 500,000 people, scientists from the University of Leeds Nutrition Epidemiology Group found that eating 25g of processed meat per day, equivalent to one rusher of bacon, increased the risk of developing the disease by 44%. discovered.

But their findings also show that they eat some Raw lean meatBeef, pork, veal, etc. may be protective because people who consume 50g daily are 19% less likely to develop dementia.

Researchers were investigating a potential link to consumption meat Onset of dementia, Health This affects 5% to 8% of people over the age of 60 worldwide.

Their results are entitled “Meat consumption and risk of developing dementia.” Cohort study 493888 Among UK Biobank participants, today American Journal of Clinical Nutrition..

Dr. Huifeng Zhang, Senior Researcher, a student at the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, said: “The prevalence of dementia is increasing around the world, and diet as a correctable factor may play a role. Meat consumption, To increase the risk of various non-communicable diseases. “

The study was supervised by Professor Janet Cade and Professor Laura Hardy of Leeds.

The team explored data provided by UK Biobank, a database containing detailed genetic and health information from 500,000 UK participants aged 40-69, and consumed and recognized different types of meat. We investigated the association with the risk of developing dementia.

The data includes how often participants consumed different types of meat, and there are six options, once or more than once, collected by UK Biobank from 2006 to 2010. This study did not specifically assess the impact of a vegetarian or vegan diet on the risk of dementia, but included data from people who stated they did not eat lean meat. It was.

Among the participants, an average of 8 years of follow-up resulted in 2,896 cases of dementia. These people are generally older, less economically educated, more likely to smoke, less physically active, have a history of stroke and family dementia, and are highly demented. Probably a carrier of the relevant gene. In the study population, men were diagnosed with dementia more than women.

Some people were 3 to 6 times more likely to develop dementia because they were well established. Genetic factorsHowever, findings suggest that the risk of eating processed meats is the same regardless of whether a person has a genetic predisposition to develop the disease.

People who consume large amounts of processed meat are more likely to be men, poorly educated smokers, overweight or obese, consume less vegetables and fruits, and have energy, protein, and fat (including saturated fat). The intake was high.

Meat intake was previously associated with the risk of dementia, but this is the first large-scale long-term participant to investigate the association between a particular meat type and quantity and the risk of developing the disease. It is considered a study.

There are about 50 million cases of dementia worldwide, and about 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50% to 70% of cases, and vascular dementia accounts for about 25%. Its development and progression are associated with both genetic and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle.

“More confirmation is needed, but the direction of the effect suggests that reducing the intake of raw lean meat may be beneficial to health,” said Zhang. Is related to. “

Professor Kade said: dementia It may help reduce the rate of this debilitating condition. This analysis is the first step in understanding whether what we eat can affect that risk. ”