Eating Too much Red Meat May Increases the risk of Alzheimer’s

Eating too much red meat, which raises brain levels of iron, may heighten the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, researchers from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Iron can accelerate the damaging reactions of free radicals. Over time, iron builds up in the brain's gray matter and appears to contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other age-related illnesses.

Alzheimer's disease has been an exceptionally challenging enemy. Its number 1 risk factor in aging..

Most scientists and specialists agree that Alzheimer's is caused by one of two proteins:

Tau and Beta-amyloid

As we get older, these two proteins either disrupt signaling between neurons or kill them off.

Team leader, Dr. George Bartzokis and colleagues believe there is a third likely cause of Alzheimer's is iron accumulation.

Professor Bartzokis and team compared the hippocampus and the thalamus using MRI instruments. The hippocampus is a brain region that is damaged early on in Alzheimer's, while the thalamus is only affected during the late stages.

In early stage Alzheimer's, iron has built up in the hippocampus but not the thalamus.The MRI scans showed that iron builds up over time in the hippocampus but not the thalamus. They also saw an association between iron accumulation levels in the hippocampus and tissue damage in that area.

Communication between neurons is disrupted when myelin, a fatty tissue that coats nerve fibers, is destroyed, promoting the accumulation of plaques. These plaques then destroy more myelin - a self-perpetuating cascade of destruction. The more the signaling is disrupted, the more the nerve cells die, and the classic signs of Alzheimer's appear.

Iron is vital for cell function. However, too much of it encourages oxidative damage, something to which the brain is particularly susceptible.

The buildup of iron in the brain could be the result of some modifying environmental factors, including how much red meat the person consumes, or their intake of iron dietary supplements. Another factor that can raise iron levels in the brain is having a hysterectomy before the menopause.