Love a wholesome salami sandwich or sausages for breakfast? We understand, these cooked meats and cold cuts taste delicious, but you might just consider cutting down on processed meats as a new study links these foods to declining cognitive health. Researchers at the University of Leeds recently found that eating 25gm of processed meat a day is associated with 44 percent increased risk of dementia. For the unversed, dementia is a condition in the functioning of our brain that leads to forgetfulness, impairment of thinking and communication. The study states that this health condition affects 5 percent to 8 percent of the global population aged 60 or above. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
It was a large-scale study with almost 50 lakh participants, aged between 40 and 69. The researchers analysed a database containing in-depth genetic and health information of the participants. They also looked into the association between different types of meat and their effect on our brain functioning, specifically dementia.
As per their findings, while processed meat leads to increased risk of dementia, the unprocessed ones (pork, lamb et al) could be protective. "People who consumed 50g a day were 19% less likely to develop dementia," the study finds.
However, according to lead researcher Huifeng Zhang, a PhD student from Leeds'School of Food Science and Nutrition, "Further confirmation is needed, but the direction of effect is linked to current healthy eating guidelines suggesting lower intakes of unprocessed red meat could be beneficial for health."