Bad news for fry-up fans as cutting these breakfast foods could lower dementia risk

Tofu, bean and nuts in a fry-up don't quite have the same appeal - but they could be better for your health.

Anyone fancy a nut, bean and tofu fry-up?

No, us neither – but a new study reckons swapping bacon and sausages for the above could help cut a person’s risk of developing dementia.

Experts analysed a long-term study tracking the health of more than 130,000 people in the US to see if there are any links between processed red meat consumption and a person’s risk of developing dementia.

They were tracked for up to 43 years, entering information on their dietary habits every two to four years, and sharing how often they ate certain foods.

While they were quizzed on the amount of processed meat they ate, from bacon and hotdogs to salami and other sandwich meat, they were also asked how often they ate nuts and legumes.

More than 11,000 people had been diagnosed with dementia during the follow-up period, and the analysis found that eating two servings of processed red meat per week raised the risk of dementia by 14% compared to eating about three servings a month.

Yuhan Li, lead author of the study, is a research assistant at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, who conducted the study while a graduate student at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

She explained: ‘Study results have been mixed on whether there is a relationship between cognitive decline and meat consumption in general, so we took a closer look at how eating different amounts of both processed and unprocessed meat affects cognitive risk and function.

‘By studying people over a long period of time, we found that eating processed red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia.

‘Dietary guidelines could include recommendations limiting it to promote brain health.

‘Processed red meat has also been shown to raise the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It may affect the brain because it has high levels of harmful substances such as nitrites (preservatives) and sodium.’

Other findings in the study suggested replacing one serving of processed red meat with nuts, beans or tofu every day could lower the risk of dementia by 20%.

It also found that there was no significant link between unprocessed red meat – like steak or pork chops – and dementia risk.

Heather Snyder, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the US Alzheimer’s Association, said: ‘Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and all other dementia is a major focus, and the Alzheimer’s Association has long encouraged eating a healthier diet – including foods that are less processed – because they’ve been associated with lower the risk of cognitive decline.

‘This large, long-term study provides a specific example of one way to eat healthier.’

While Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at the Society, added: ‘It’s important to remember that this doesn’t mean that eating processed red meat is directly related to developing dementia.

‘It may be that people who avoid processed red meat are generally more health conscious and avoid other unhealthy habits that increase dementia risk.

‘The diseases that cause dementia are very complex, and it is unlikely that one food group would make a significant difference.

‘Instead, we know that what is good for the heart is good for the head, and recommend everyone to eat a healthy balanced diet.’

The full study is not yet available to read, with only the abstract published so far.

Dr Hilda Mulrooney, reader in nutrition and health at the London Metropolitan University, said: It is unclear what is meant by “subjective cognitive decline”, and while follow up occurred over a long time period, diet was assessed only every two to four years, and diets could change a lot during that time period.

‘This study focused on only some aspects of diet, and there are others which could potentially play a part in risk of cognitive decline. It is not clear whether any of those were taken into account.

‘The full paper will be of interest so that the tools and methods used to assess diet and cognitive decline, the characteristics of the study population and factors controlled for, can be understood.’

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