A new study suggests that eating processed red meat, such as bacon, hot dogs, and sausages, may increase the risk of developing dementia. Researchers found that eating just two servings per week was linked to a 14% higher risk compared to people who ate processed meat less than three times a month.
Heather Snyder, an expert from the Alzheimer’s Association, explained that the results fit with what scientists already know about diet and brain health. “We have long encouraged people to eat healthier, less processed foods to lower their risk of memory problems,” she said.
A Long-Term Study
The research was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia. It was led by Yuhan Li, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who conducted the study while at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Li and her team analyzed 43 years of data from two large studies that tracked the health of 130,000 people: the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Every few years, participants answered questions about their diet, including how often they ate processed red meat.
Processed red meat includes:
- Bacon (two slices)
- Hot dogs (one)
- Sausages or kielbasa (two ounces or two small links)
- Salami, bologna, or other processed meat sandwiches
Participants also answered questions about their intake of nuts, legumes (such as beans, lentils, and peas), tofu, and soy milk.
Over the study period, 11,173 people developed dementia.
Processed Meat and Brain Health
The key finding was that people who ate at least a quarter-serving (about half a hot dog or one small slice of bacon) of processed red meat per day had a 14% higher chance of developing dementia than those who ate very little.
In a smaller group of 17,500 people, researchers examined how diet affected thinking skills over time. They found that eating one extra serving of processed red meat per day was linked to:
- An additional 1.6 years of brain aging in overall cognitive function (including memory, reasoning, and decision-making)
- 1.7 years of additional brain aging in verbal memory (the ability to remember and understand words)
A Healthier Alternative
The good news is that making dietary changes may help protect the brain. The study found that replacing processed red meat with nuts or legumes lowered dementia risk by 20% and reduced cognitive aging by 1.37 years.
“We wanted to understand how different types of meat affect brain health,” Li said. “This research suggests that eating processed red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia. Health guidelines should recommend limiting it to support brain health.”
Why is processed meat bad for the brain? Li explained that it contains harmful substances like nitrites (preservatives) and high levels of sodium, which may contribute to cognitive decline.
Other Health Risks
It’s not just the brain that may be affected. Processed red meat has also been linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Interestingly, the study found that unprocessed red meat—such as steak, pork chops, and hamburgers—did not show a strong connection to dementia risk.
Final Thoughts
Because this research was presented at a medical conference, the findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. However, the results align with growing evidence that diet plays an important role in brain health.
For those looking to protect their memory, cutting back on processed red meats and choosing healthier alternatives like nuts, beans, and other plant-based proteins may be a simple but effective step toward better brain health.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and cranberries could help boost memory.
For more health information, please see recent studies about heartburn drugs that could increase risk of dementia, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
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