Scientists looking into how what we eat affects the risk of dementia say that higher consumption of one surprising food could significantly lower the chances of developing the condition.
About one in four people carry APOE4, a gene variant linked to a higher likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s later in life. Around 90 percent of Alzheimer’s patients are reported to have this genetic marker.
In research described as a first of its kind, a team from Stockholm University found that people who ate more of a particular type of food were far less likely to go on to develop Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia.
The researchers tracked more than 2,000 cognitively healthy adults in Sweden aged over 60, monitoring diet and health outcomes for 15 years to see which habits correlated with later dementia diagnoses. The results, published in JAMA Network, may be unwelcome news for those avoiding animal products.
Participants completed extensive dietary surveys covering 98 different food categories they commonly ate, but the key factor the team focused on was how much meat each person typically consumed.
Among those with the APOE4 risk gene, higher meat consumption was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline and a notably reduced likelihood of developing dementia.
In fact, adults over 60 who ate more meat than the average participant saw their dementia risk drop by up to 45 percent.
However, the researchers stressed that the type of meat appeared to matter. They also examined whether processed products differed from unprocessed options.
Processed meats are products that have been preserved or altered through methods such as salting, curing, smoking, or fermentation—ham being a common example.
The analysis suggested that eating processed meats like bacon or salami may raise dementia risk, and that pattern appeared regardless of whether someone carried APOE-related risk variants.
Interestingly, when the team compared unprocessed meats, they did not see a meaningful split between options often framed as “healthier,” such as chicken, and unprocessed red meat like beef—even though red meat has frequently been associated with other health concerns.
“Viewed alongside reinterpreted evidence from the UK Biobank focusing on unprocessed meat, these findings point to a consistent gene-diet interaction with important implications for public health,” study author Dr Jakob Norgren said.
He added: “Results reinforce the urgency of investing in precisions nutrition research with a focus on APOE, which could ultimately inform future policy development.”