Eating More Meat May Lower Alzheimer's Risk for Some People
Scout Impact
Supports the case for higher consumption of unprocessed meat over conventional dietary recommendations, particularly for individuals with high-risk genetic variants related to Alzheimer's disease.
Key Takeaways
- Older adults with high-risk APOE gene variants consuming higher amounts of meat had slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk.
- Individuals with these genetic variants who ate less meat had more than double the dementia risk compared to those without them.
- Unprocessed meat consumption showed greater protective benefits against dementia than processed meat varieties.
Summary
A new study from Karolinska Institutet reveals unexpected findings about genetics and diet in Alzheimer's prevention. Researchers discovered that older adults carrying high-risk APOE gene variants (3/4 or 4/4) who consumed higher amounts of meat showed slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk, contrary to conventional dietary expectations. The study tracked over 2,100 Swedish adults aged 60+ for up to 15 years. Among those eating less meat, individuals with these genetic variants had more than double the dementia risk compared to those without them. However, this elevated risk disappeared in the highest meat-consumption group. The type of meat mattered too — unprocessed meat showed greater protective benefits than processed varieties.