When we consider ways to maintain brain health, we may think of habits like completing puzzles and memory games. But eating a nutritious diet? Probably not as much. However, research suggests that it really should be near the top of your list.
A recent study published in the journal Neurology found that eating processed red meat was linked to a higher chance of developing dementia or experiencing cognitive decline. The study joins previous research underscoring the risks of eating processed meats, which are also linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The Neurology study followed 133,771 people who did not have a dementia diagnosis when the study started; the participants were followed for up to 43 years and recorded their eating habits every two to four years. During the study period, 11,173 people were diagnosed with dementia.
Participants were categorized by how much processed red meat they ate, with “low” being under 0.1 servings per day, “medium” being between 0.1 and 0.24 servings per day, and “high” being 0.25 or more servings per day. A typical serving of processed red meat is 3 ounces, according to a press release for the study.
When compared with the “low” group, people with the largest consumption of processed red meat per day had a 13% higher chance of developing dementia. Hot dogs, sausage, salami, bologna and bacon were all categorized as processed red meat by the study authors.
Researchers also looked at objective cognitive function, which relates to a person’s memory and ability to solve problems, and found that study participants in the high group had reduced cognitive abilities and faster brain aging compared with those in the low group.
This is all pretty grim. Deli meat sandwiches are a regular lunch staple for many, and eggs and bacon are commonplace as well. All hope is not lost though ― swapping out processed red meat now can help reduce your dementia risk as you age. The study found that eating fish, nuts or legumes instead of processed red meat could lower dementia risk by roughly 20%.
Dr. Dylan Wint, the director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, said the findings of this study are consistent with other research suggesting that people should limit red meat intake for their brain health. (Wint was not associated with the study.)
“Most of the dietary recommendations around reducing dementia risk do talk about trying to limit your total amount of red meat intake,” Wint said. “So, for example, the MIND diet that was developed at Rush University … [suggests] no more than four servings per week of red meat.” Wint recommends this particular diet to his patients.
The MIND diet pulls from two other diets. One is the DASH diet, which aims to help manage high blood pressure and boost heart health. The other is the Mediterranean diet, which is typically low in saturated fats, salt and refined carbohydrates and can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and maintain brain health.
Dr. Andy Liu, an associate professor of neurology at the Duke University School of Medicine, tends to recommend the Mediterranean diet to his patients, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive issues.
“The Mediterranean diet falls in line very well with what they outlined in the [Neurology journal] study — you know, poultry, fish, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables,” said Liu, who was not associated with the new research.
There are a number of ways that processed red meat may harm the brain.
Experts say there are a number of theories on how processed red meat can potentially damage the body or brain, with the exact mechanism depending on the person.
“There are thoughts that saturated fat, which tends to be at higher concentrations in red meat, is not a great thing for the body or for the brain,” Wint explained.
The manufacturing methods for processed meats are believed to be harmful, too, Wint noted. “Processed meats include preservatives that seem to be pretty bad for the brain and the body — the nitrites, in particular,” he said. “And then the bacteria that are in our gut, as they work on red meat and saturated fats, they also potentially produce toxic byproducts.”
All in all, processed red meat is hard on the body, Liu said, saying that it can cause “a lot of damage.”
“There’s a lot of what we call free radicals that can be damaging to not only the cells, but also to the DNA,” he said.
This doesn’t mean you can’t ever have processed red meat, Liu said, but you may want to cut down on how much you eat.
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A healthy diet, together with exercise and cognitive challenges, is important for your brain health.
According to Liu, when people come into his office and ask what they can do for their cognitive health, he tells them that their diet plays a huge role. This notion is not only clear in the recent Neurology study, but in various other studies, too. A diet that’s low in processed red meat and high in foods like poultry, fish, legumes, fruit and nuts is a good place to start.
But getting proper nutrition isn’t the only way to ensure brain health. “I would say that the No. 1 intervention is probably physical exercise,” Wint said.
“Every physician wants you to exercise, but from a brain health perspective we know there are small molecules that help improve brain health,” Liu noted. “Specifically, there’s a growth factor that’s released when we exercise, and there’s another small molecule that’s released that helps people concentrate or focus even more.” This could be why you have an easier time focusing on work after going on a lunchtime walk or finishing a morning yoga class.
Wint said that he’d combine exercise with other activities, too, because “our brains are really made to be moving and to be exploring.”
“We want to do physical exercise to move, and we want to have lots of social or mental [or] intellectual activity to do that exploration and discovery,” he said.
This could include learning a new language, cooking a new dish or planting a new garden, Liu explained. “These are all brand-new things to the brain and the body, which will engage different parts of the brain,” he said.
It’s also important that you manage conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, while also getting enough high-quality sleep. Poor sleep puts you at heightened risk for many health issues, including dementia.
If you notice cognitive changes, talk to a doctor.
If you notice changes to your memory, learning or any aspect of your cognition, it’s important to see a doctor sooner rather than later, Liu said, pointing to dementia as an example of a condition that needs attention as soon as possible.
“The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, and we actually have therapies now that alter the biology of the disease course,” he said. But if folks wait too long to seek medical attention, the therapies won’t work.
“Seeing us earlier is very beneficial,” Liu explained. “Even if we don’t see anything, we tell them to come back and we’ll continue to monitor them, which is much safer. And then we can take action if we do notice changes.”
Wint noted that it’s a doctor’s job to help you feel and function as well as possible for as long as possible. Seeing a doctor about cognition worries (or any concerns, for that matter) will only help you live an optimal life.