Eating processed meat could increase dementia risk

Eating processed meat could increase dementia risk Eating processed meat has been linked with an increased risk of developing dementia. Scientists from the University’s Nutritional Epidemiology Group used data from 500,000 people, discovering that consuming a 25g serving of processed meat a day, the equivalent to one rasher of bacon, is associated with a 44% increased risk of developing the disease. But their findings also show eating some unprocessed red meat, such as beef, pork or veal, could be protective, as people who consumed 50g a day were 19% less likely to develop dementia. The researchers were exploring whether there is a link between consumption of meat and development of dementia, a health condition which affects 5%-8% of over 60s worldwide. Our research adds to the growing body of evidence linking processed meat consumption to increased risk of a range of non-transmissible diseases. Their results, titled Meat consumption and risk of incident dementia: cohort study of 493888 UK Biobank participants , are published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Lead researcher Huifeng Zhang, a PhD candidate from Leeds’  School of Food Science and Nutrition , said: “Worldwide, the prevalence of dementia is increasing and diet as a modifiable factor could play a role.