A doctor has warned people that eating too many sausages could increase your risk of developing dementia.
While processed meats are well known for increasing the risk of developing diseases such as bowel cancer, scientists now believe they could lead to dementia as well.
Scientists studied 133,000 people and asked them questions about their diet every two to four years to see if they developed the condition.
They found people eating around two slices of bacon or a single sausage each day were 13 percent more likely to develop dementia.
They said people would cut their dementia risk by around 28 percent by swapping a portion of processed red meat with fish.
Eating poultry, such as chicken, could reduce the dementia risk by around 19 percent.
An alternative would be to swap to plants such as nuts, legumes, lentils or beans, which would cut the chance of developing the condition by 19 percent, reports the Daily Mail.
Dr Daniel Hang, senior author of the Harvard University study, said: “We found processed red meat may increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, but the good news is that it also found that replacing it with healthier alternatives like nuts, fish and poultry may reduce a person’s risk.”
A 2021 study said the nitrites found in processed meats can result in “oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and activation of proinflammatory cytokines or other mechanisms potentially involved in the development of dementia”.
It says increased meat consumption can also lead to fatty acids inside the body.
These acids have also been linked to an increased risk of dementia, scientists say. While processed meat also tends to have higher levels of salt, which can increase blood pressure.
The study found: “Our findings suggest that consumption of processed meat may increase risk of incident dementia, and unprocessed red meat intake may be associated with lower risks.”
It added: “Overall, the research adds to the growing body of evidence linking meat, especially processed meat consumption, to increased risk of a range of noncommunicable diseases.”
