Can Meat Slow Brain Aging? It Might If You Have This Gene

Meat Shield: Meat often gets cast as the villain when it comes to health. But a new study published in JAMA Network Open suggests the story may be more complicated, at least when it comes to the brain. Researchers found that among people who carry a gene variant called APOE ε4, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s that affects roughly one in four people, eating meat was linked to slower cognitive decline.

The Study: Swedish researchers followed 2,157 adults 60 and older for up to 15 years, tracking diet and brain health. Among ε4 carriers, the biggest meat eaters saw slower decline and less than half the dementia risk of those who ate the least. Meat made no clear difference for everyone else. The team suspects this difference is rooted in evolution, since ε4 is the oldest human version of the gene and may date to a very meat-heavy era.

The Takeaway: The best diet for your brain may depend partly on your genes. The type of meat matters too, since a bigger share of processed meat (think cured or smoked) was tied to higher dementia risk no matter the gene.

Keep in Mind: Participants were also older and mostly Northern European, so results may vary for those who don’t fit that description.