Frequently eating bacon, hot dogs, and other processed red meat could be putting your brain health at risk, according to a new study.
Research published on Jan. 15 in Neurology found that people who consumed greater amounts of processed red meat products had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia down the line as compared to those who consumed these foods less often.
The findings are significant, particularly because processed red meat remains prevalent in the average person’s diet—between 63% and 74% of people in North America eat these foods on a daily basis, experts estimate.
Dementia, too, is quite common, with recent projections estimating about one million people will develop the condition annually by 2060.
“These findings build on our existing understanding by providing further evidence that higher red meat consumption—especially processed red meat consumption—is associated with higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia risk,” study author Yuhan Li, MHS, research assistant at the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Health.
But the study also found that swapping out bacon, bologna, and other processed meat products for healthier alternatives such as nuts and legumes can have the opposite effect, she said.
Overall, the research contributes to “the development of actionable diet guidance for improving dietary patterns to support cognitive health,” Li explained.
For this study, Li and her colleagues examined data from 133,771 healthcare professionals enrolled in one of two large prospective cohort studies. The participants were 49 years old on average, about 65% were female, and they didn’t have dementia when the study began.
To determine their overall diets, researchers gave the participants questionnaires examining their consumption of various food items every two to four years. Items such as bacon, bologna, hot dogs, salami, and sausages, among others, were considered “processed red meat.” Beef, hamburger, lamb, and pork were deemed unprocessed red meat options.
One serving of red meat was defined as 3 ounces of food, and from there, participants were sorted into groups based on their average consumption. The low group ate 0.10 servings of processed red meat daily, the medium group consumed between 0.10 and 0.24 daily servings, and the high group ate over 0.25 servings daily.
Over time, the research team documented how many people developed dementia and found that participants who fell into the high-consumption group had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia compared to the low-consumption group.
A subset of the study’s participants were also asked about subjective cognitive decline, or self-reported memory issues or confusion. Again, the researchers found that those who ate the most processed red meat had a 14% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline.
Plus, any kind of red meat seemed to raise the risk of these concerns—participants who reported eating at least one serving of unprocessed red meat daily had a 16% higher risk of reporting subjective cognitive decline.
Additionally, about 17,500 female participants had their objective cognitive function—or their thinking, memory, and problem-solving abilities—tested. For this group, too, eating more processed red meat was linked to brain health issues, including accelerated brain aging.
This connection between cognitive decline and processed red meat can largely be explained by the harmful substances often found in these products, Li explained.
Nitrates are used to cure meats, giving these products their color and distinct flavor. However, they (and the compounds they release) can be damaging to human health.
“Nitrates, N-nitroso compounds, sodium, and potentially damaging by-products—these substances contribute to mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance,” Li said.
The high amounts of saturated fats, sodium, and nitrates found in bacon, hot dogs, bologna, and other products make them ultra-processed, said Amber Pankonin, RD, a registered dietitian and certified executive chef.
Ultra-processed foods have been linked to cognitive decline, as well as a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and overall mortality.
“It’s important to understand that many of these ultra-processed foods are high in calories and provide few beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats,” Pankonin told Health. “Consuming too many of these types of foods could put you at risk for heart disease or other chronic diseases.”
Even when red meat isn’t processed, it’s still not considered healthy. According to the National Cancer Institute, red meat such as beef, lamb, and pork have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.
Though experts agree processed red meats are generally not great for your health, more research needs to be done specifically on how eating red meat affects the brain.
“Observational studies can give us some valuable insights for future research, but they can only show associations and not cause and effect,” said Pankonin.
This new study was also done in a cohort of mostly white participants, limiting its applicability to the American public more generally, Yian Gu, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurological sciences at the Columbia University Medical Center, told Health.
Still, Gu explained, the findings are supported by other research—a study she authored in 2015 with a more diverse study cohort found a link between lower meat intake and better brain health.
So, despite the study’s limitations, you may want to consider cutting back on processed red meat to protect your cognition.
However, it is really hard to quantify what a “healthy” amount of processed red meat might look like in a person’s diet, Gu said. Instead, Pankonin recommended, it’s best to practice moderation and make swaps where you can.
“For example, you can easily make your own breakfast sausage at home using a blend of fresh pork, whole grain rice, and traditional sausage seasonings,” she said.
The study itself also offered some paths forward—substituting a daily serving of processed red meat for a serving of legumes and nuts was linked with a 19% reduced dementia risk, as well as a 1.37-year reduction in cognitive aging. Switching out processed red meat for chicken or fish was linked to a lower dementia risk, too.
If you’re looking for a more complete diet overhaul, adopting the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, or MIND diet can also be effective, said Gu.
“[These diets] are all associated with reduced risk of dementia,” she said. “They all emphasize a low intake of red meat, consistent with the current findings.”
But reducing consumption of processed red meat isn’t always easy, Li noted, particularly because these products are often easier to access than healthier options at your local supermarket.
“These ultra-processed foods are not only affordable, but they are also typically ready to eat, which is why so many people find them convenient,” she said.
