Posted on 03/23/2021
2 min read
British scientists have just established a link between consumption of processed meat and the risk of dementia. Hard to believe, and yet, what you put on your plate could appear essential to guard against the disease. Explanations.
Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have investigated the potential link between meat consumption and the development of dementia. A subject that concerns between 5 and 8% of people aged 60 and over in the world, according to the latest data published by the World Health Organization (WHO), which estimates that 152 million people could be affected by the disease by 2050.
The scientific team took an interest in data provided by UK Biobank, a database that has in-depth genetic and health information, including no less than 493,888 people aged 40 to 69. In particular, it was a question of knowing how often the participants ate a particular type of meat, without evaluating the impact of a vegetarian or vegan diet on the risk of dementia.
A link between processed meat and dementia
Posted inAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study found that consuming a 25-gram serving of processed meat per day, the equivalent of a slice of bacon, would be associated with a 44% increased risk of dementia. Diet could therefore play a key role in disease prevention, suggests this large-scale study.
In detail, the work reports that 2,896 cases of dementia were diagnosed over an 8-year follow-up period, and that those affected were generally older, more disadvantaged, more likely to smoke, less physically active, and more likely to ” have a family history of dementia. The researchers say that some participants were three to six times more likely to develop dementia due to established genetic factors, but that the risks of consuming processed meat were the same for a genetically predisposed person or one who did not. was not.
The protective role of unprocessed meat
Importantly, the report indicates that consumption of unprocessed red meat, on the other hand, may prove to be protective against disease. Scientists report that people who consumed 50 grams per day had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia.
“Anything we can do to explore potential risk factors for dementia can help us reduce rates of this crippling disease. This analysis is a first step in understanding whether what we eat may influence this risk.”says Professor Janet Cade, who oversaw the study.
It remains to confirm these results to allow the public to know more about this potential association between diet and risk of dementia.
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