Approved research

Dietary influences on the brain: an analysis of the effects of meat consumption on cognitive function and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases in older age

Lay summary

In a world where our choices impact both our health and the environment, one important decision revolves around what we eat, especially our consumption of meat. Research has looked at the link between meat consumption and diseases like heart problems, diabetes, and colon cancer. However, there has been limited research into how meat consumption affects cognitive function and the development of dementia. Past studies have provided mixed results, with some finding no clear connection between meat consumption and cognitive function, while others suggest that eating meat may increase the risk of cognitive problems. To investigate this further, researchers like Zhang et al. (2021) have already used the UK Biobank dataset to study the relationship between meat consumption and dementia risk. Their findings suggest that eating processed meat may contribute to the development of dementia. It is crucial to replicate these results and broaden the study's focus to include an analysis of cognitive function and a comparison between meat eaters and non-meat eaters. The UK Biobank's large dataset allows for a thorough examination. This study will explore the connections between meat consumption, dementia, and cognitive function using statistical methods like logistic regression, with age as a continuous variable. It will also delve into the details using ANOVAs and ANCOVAs, while considering variables like gender, BMI, income, and education. Differentiating between meat consumers and non-meat eaters will provide valuable insights for future research.