A recent review published in the Annual Review of Nutrition has warned against the regular consumption of processed and deli meats, reporting a strong association between consuming small amounts of these products daily and higher rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
اضافة اعلان
After analyzing data from around 500,000 people in the United Kingdom, researchers found that every additional 25 grams of processed meat consumed per day equivalent to just one or two slices of turkey, ham, salami or bologna was associated with a 44% higher risk of developing dementia of any type and a 52% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease specifically.
The review examined the potential health consequences of diets high in ultra-processed foods, a category that includes deli meats because of their high levels of sodium, fats and chemical preservatives.
Dr. Owen Carmichael, the study’s lead researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, said food products can easily enter the food supply chain without their potential long-term effects on the brain and body being fully recognized.
Scientists believe that the effects of processed meats on cardiovascular and blood vessel health may have a direct negative impact on cognitive function and brain aging.
The study does not call for completely eliminating these foods, but recommends reducing their consumption and choosing whole, less-processed sources of protein.
The review indicated that replacing some ultra-processed foods with whole, natural foods could reduce the risk of dementia by 19%.
