Eating a lot of sausage increases the risk of dementia... Replacing it with 'this' leads to a surprising result?

Everyone knows... that processed meat is not good...

It increases the risk of dementia and accelerates aging...

For the sake of health, to avoid developing dementia... and to age more slowly...

I should reduce processed meat and increase nut consumption.

Wow... even when I went on a trip... I grilled and ate spam, you know. Haha ㅠ_ㅠ

I'll try to avoid processed meats as much as possible, but if I do eat them, I should blanch them in water first...;;;

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Replacing processed meats with protein-rich nuts and beans reverses the trend.

Processed meat has been shown to increase the risk of dementia, while consuming nuts, legumes, and similar foods appears to reduce the risk. [Photo = Getty Images Bank]

Processed meat typically refers to processed red meat. Ham, bacon, and sausages are representative examples of processed red meat. However, new research has shown that consuming a lot of such processed meats increases the risk of developing dementia.

According to the research team at the Brigham and Women's Hospital network affiliated with Harvard University in the United States, people who consume two servings of processed meat per week have a 14% higher risk of dementia compared to those who consume less than three servings per month.

The research team analyzed data from over 130,000 individuals collected over more than 43 years in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The team specifically investigated the relationship between red meat consumption and dementia.

The research team surveyed how often and how much the participants ate various foods, including processed meats, every 2 to 4 years through questionnaires. One serving of foods in the processed meat category was defined as bacon (2 slices), hot dogs (1 piece), or sausages (56g or 2 pieces), and salami, bologna, or other processed meat sandwiches were also included in this category.

Additionally, the research team defined the standard serving sizes for other food categories as 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 28 grams of nuts such as peanuts and walnuts, approximately 230 ml of soy milk, and half a cup of soybeans, beans, lentils, peas, or lima beans. They also investigated the intake of nuts and legumes, including tofu or soy protein.

Processed meat increases the risk of dementia and accelerates cognitive aging

During the research period, 11,173 cases of dementia occurred. The study results showed that people who consume more than a quarter of a daily serving of processed meat have a 14% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who eat less than one-tenth daily.

The research team also investigated cognitive aging in over 17,500 participants. As a result, it was found that adding processed meat to daily intake was associated with an additional 1.6 years of overall cognitive decline, including language, executive function, and mental processing.

However, there was a dietary change that could help prevent this cognitive decline. It was when processed meats were replaced with nuts and legumes.

Replacing with nuts and legumes reduces risk

According to this study, consuming nuts or legumes instead of processed meat was associated with a 20% lower risk of developing dementia and a reduction of 1.37 years in overall cognitive aging. However, since this study was designed to identify associations, it could not prove causality.

Researcher Yoo Hanli, who led this study, said, "Because previous research results have been inconsistent regarding the relationship between cognitive decline and overall meat consumption, we examined in detail how different intake levels of processed and unprocessed meats affect cognitive risk and function." She added, "As a result of studying people over a long period, we found that consuming processed red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia."

He said, "Processed meats contain harmful substances like preservatives such as nitrites and sodium, which can be harmful to the brain," and added, "And it's not just the brain that's at risk; processed meats have also been shown to increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes."

However, according to the research team, no significant association was found between unprocessed red meats such as hamburgers, steaks, pork ribs, and the risk of dementia.

The results of this study (A prospective study of long-term red meat intake, risk of dementia, and cognitive function in U.S. adults) were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference held in Philadelphia, USA, on July 31 (local time).