Processed red meat linked to higher risk of dementia
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Harvard researchers focused on nearly 134,000 adults (average age 49, 64% women) who had participated in two long-running Harvard studies, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Participants, none of whom had dementia when they enrolled in the studies, completed a food diary every two to four years that listed what they ate and how often. The researchers calculated how much red meat participants ate on average each day. Processed red meat was defined as bacon, hot dogs, sausages, salami, and bologna, while unprocessed red meat was defined as beef, hamburger, pork, and lamb.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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