Bacon for breakfast, yay or nay? Study says replacing it with beans can ward off dementia risk

Bacon for breakfast, yay or nay? Study says replacing it with beans can ward off dementia risk

New Delhi: The classic English breakfast appeals to many but unfortunately not for the best reasons. It is a plateful of eggs, bacon, sausages, and beans, served with toast. On the one hand, half of the meal is healthy, but the other half, which consists of processed meats, is capable of negating the health benefits that can be obtained from the same. However according to research, in an era when mental health is of utmost priority, experts say that swapping some components from this plate could work wonders to slash dementia risk.

How does eating processed meat increase the risk of dementia?

According to US scientists, replacing one serving of processed meats with a serving of beans, nuts, and tofu, can lower the risk of dementia by 20%. Research experts at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, discovered that prolonged intake of red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia. Dietary guidelines have a strong role to play in boosting brain health.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and it is a consequence of the build-up of proteins in the brain, known as amyloid and tau. Although there is no cure for the condition, three promising drugs are known to slow down disease progression significantly. Experts also advise improving the lifestyle in the best possible way to fight the disease. Processed meat like bacon, salami, and sausages go through a lot of processes like smoking, curing, and adding preservatives, sodium, and other ingredients. However, the nitrites in this form of meat can trigger cancer-causing chemicals in the stomach leading to bowel cancer.

According to the research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in the US, processed meats can spike dementia risk. For this, experts evaluated the health and diet of 130,000 people in the US and they tracked the group for 43 years. None of the people had dementia at the start of the study, but later, 11000 cases of dementia were detected. Although the link is unclear, eating processed meat is said to be associated with severe health risks such as obesity and heart disease.

 According to US scientists, replacing one serving of processed meats with a serving of beans, nuts, and tofu, can lower the risk of dementia by 20%. Research experts at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, discovered that prolonged intake of red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia.  Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare