In the meat study, published online Wednesday in the journal Neurology, researchers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University say their findings will help the federal government’s new dietary guidelines. said it focused on processed red meat in hopes of helping. It is in development and expected to be released later this year. In December, scientists advised federal health and agricultural agencies on the latest U.S. dietary guidelines. recommended that they emphasize Replace red and processed meat with alternative protein sources such as beans, peas, and lentils.
For red meat lovers, a new study from Harvard University has some encouraging news. The researchers found that eating “unprocessed” meats such as ground beef and sirloin did not significantly increase the risk of dementia. But scientists have found that eating about two servings of processed red meat per week; This includes some cold meats, which are correlated with a 13% higher risk of dementia compared to those who eat less than approximately three servings per month.
The study also found that replacing the equivalent of 3 ounces of processed red meat per day with one serving of nuts or legumes lowered the risk of dementia by 19 percent, and up to a 28 percent reduction when replacing it with a substitute. concluded that it is possible. fish.
“We want to offer all these healthier alternatives to the public, because we don’t want to just say, ‘Eat less red meat.'” said lead author Dr. Daniel Wang, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. and a women’s hospital. “We don’t just want to limit people’s intake, we want to send a positive message.”
Researchers analyzed data from two long-term health studies involving more than 130,000 participants and used regular food frequency questionnaires to assess the link between red meat and dementia. Patients were followed for up to 43 years.
Other researchers not involved in the study said the large number of participants and length of follow-up was just evidence that regulators should consider when setting food policy. However, the researchers cautioned that this study, like many other food-tracking studies, relied on participants’ memories of what they ate, which could be vague at times.
In the second discovery about dementia, published in natural medicineresearchers came to the surprising conclusion that approximately 40% (percent) of people over the age of 55 will develop dementia in their lifetime. This estimate is based on data from another long-term study of more than 15,000 people across four states.
“Our brains are complex organs,” said Heather Snyder, senior vice president for medical and scientific affairs at the Alzheimer’s Association, who is not involved in either dementia study. “What is affecting the person’s health condition? [dementia] Risks can be many things, including the food we eat and ensuring we have a balanced diet. ”
The association is conducting its own research into the relationship between dementia, diet, and lifestyle, and is calling it a two-year initiative. US pointer The study involved more than 2,000 participants at five locations across the United States. Results are expected to be reported in July.
In the meantime, the association, based on numerous other studies, give advice Healthier foods (vegetables, lean meats and proteins, less processed and lower fat foods) are thought to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Since President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of processed foods, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, public interest in “processed” and “ultra-processed” foods has increased. There is. But researchers and regulators have many questions about what exactly these terms mean and how these foods affect our health.
Committee to advise the federal government on the next edition of the influential U.S. Dietary Guidelines Did not differentiate between unprocessed red meat and processed red meat Its recommendations and concluded as follows further research was needed The health impacts of so-called ultra-processed foods in general need to be considered before further guidance in this category is developed. This is expected to delay any major changes regarding such processed foods until the next update in 2030.
ultra-processed foods “” is an imprecise term and generally refers to foods with many added ingredients such as sugar, oil, fat, artificial colors and preservatives.
Referenced by many organizations. A classification system called NOVA It divides foods into four categories based on the amount of food processing. Fresh or frozen vegetables, grains, beans, and other minimally processed foods are considered the healthiest, while foods like flavored yogurt, breakfast cereals, sweetened juices, ice cream, and cookies are at the bottom of the list. Foods that fall into the “ultra-processed” category are the least healthy.
But Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota and a member of the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, says some seemingly healthy foods fall into the unhealthy category. He said that there are many cases.
“Whole grain bread is ultra-processed. Anything with more than four ingredients is ultra-processed,” Slavin said. “So almost everything falls into the fourth category. You know, it wasn’t intentional, but that’s how it ends up.”
Susan Roberts, senior research director at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine and a longtime nutritionist, will further scrutinize the processed food classification system to better understand what and how the public should eat it. He said it was necessary to make it easy to understand. Eating.
A recent Advisory Committee Report on Updates to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines does a good job of stating that “many ultra-processed foods are likely bad, but there is still no evidence to suggest that as a category.” I haven’t,” she said.
Meanwhile, Slavin said he is warning consumers about information that puts all ultra-processed foods in the bad bin.
“It’s like saying, ‘Don’t eat ultra-processed foods,’ without even defining what ultra-processed foods actually are.” It makes us look bad,” she says. “And I don’t blame consumers for saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you try to understand that?'”
Kay Lazar can be reached at [email protected]. @GrobeKayLazar.