Despite the fact that former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) himself follows a diet consisting only of vegetables and fish, he has recommended that consuming meat for individuals with a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Speaking to the Funke Media Group’s newspapers (Sunday editions), Lauterbach stated, “We now have strong indications that people with a genetic predisposition for dementia can protect themselves from cognitive deterioration by consuming a lot of meat”. According to Lauterbach, a study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden technically convincingly shows a link between meat consumption and protection against dementia. He added that, for those predisposed, it could potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by more than half. However, he specified that this finding is only applicable to individuals with a proven genetic predisposition to dementia, such as the “Alzheimer gene” ApoE43, which can be determined through a genetic test. For Lauterbach, a vocal meat skeptic, this Swedish study presents a pressing health policy issue: “I first had to process this” said the SPD man, who has long advocated for a meat-free diet. Nevertheless, he asserted that research findings cannot be ignored simply because they contradict personal convictions. Previously, meat had been viewed only as a risk factor for nearly all health problems, ranging from cancer to heart disease. However, he noted that, in the area of dementia prevention specifically, thinking regarding meat must now be reconsidered. Nonetheless, Lauterbach warned that the general public should not “massively switch to eating meat” explaining, “That would be madness, because only an estimated 25 percent of people have this genetic risk. I cannot encourage 100 percent of people to eat meat”.
Mixed
