Meat consumption increases the risk of dementia

Meat consumption: Saturated fatty acids increase the risk of dementia

It has long been known that high consumption of meat can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. But the frequent consumption of meat can harm not only the physical, but also the mental health, as US researchers reported recently. In addition, saturated fatty acids, such as those found in meat, increase the risk of dementia.

Dementia can not be cured

For years, it has been shown that the number of people with dementia continues to rise. Currently, more than 1.5 million people are affected in this country, most of them have Alzheimer's. Despite medical progress, dementia can not be cured to this day. The currently available therapies can only slow down the disease process and relieve concomitant symptoms. However, an international team of researchers reported that about one-third of dementia cases could be prevented by eliminating nine specific risk factors from childhood on. They did not call the consumption of meat. However, as Chinese scientists discovered in a meta-study, eating meat also increases the risk of dementia.

Scientific research has shown that diet affects the risk of dementia. Researchers have now discovered that meat increases the risk of disease. (Image: MIGUEL GARCIA SAAVED / fotolia.com)

Prevent Alzheimer's

The nine identified risk factors for dementia of the international research team are hearing loss in middle age, lack of education in adolescence, smoking, depression, physical inactivity, social isolation, hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

However, various scientific studies have shown that diet plays an important role in preventing Alzheimer's disease.

For example, there are indications that the Mediterranean diet can protect us from dementia.

Extra virgin olive oil also reduces Alzheimer's risk.

On the other hand, the risk can also increase due to the wrong diet. For example, British scientists have found that heavy drinking increases the risk of dementia enormously.

And Chinese researchers have now discovered that eating saturated fat also increases the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia.

High intake of saturated fats increases the risk of disease

As the researchers from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou (China) report in the journal "Current Alzheimer Research", epidemiological studies showed a correlation between the amount of fats eaten and Alzheimer's disease, but this association remained rather inconsistent.

The researchers therefore searched the medical science databases PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library for publications by May 2017 and included 8,630 participants and 633 cases from four independent prospective cohort studies in the meta-analysis.

It showed that a higher intake of saturated fatty acids (which are mainly contained in animal fats) increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 39 percent and the risk of dementia by 105 percent.

A dose-response analysis showed that a 4g / day increase in saturated fat intake was associated with a 15% higher risk of Alzheimer's.

However, no significant association was found between intake of total fat or monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (ie vegetable fats) and Alzheimer's or dementia risk.

The researchers conclude: "This meta-analysis provides significant evidence for a positive association between higher saturated fat intake and Alzheimer's and dementia risk." (Ad)