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Red meat consumption in higher healthy eating index diets is associated with brain health critical nutritional adequacy, and fecal microbial diversity
Red meat consumption and brain health among American adults
This research evaluated the relationship between red meat consumption and brain health, including critical micronutrient adequacy, mental health, diet quality, and fecal microbiota composition, among 3643 adults in the American Gut Project. Participants were categorized into four groups based on their Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores and red meat consumption: high-HEI with red meat (HH-R), high-HEI without red meat (HH-NR), low-HEI with red meat (LH-R), and low-HEI without red meat (LH-NR). Results indicated that the HH-R group exhibited higher protein intake and lower carbohydrate intake compared to the HH-NR group, maintaining saturated fat levels within recommended limits. Notably, brain health-critical micronutrient adequacies, including selenium, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium, vitamin D3, and choline, were significantly greater in the HH-R group (p < 0.001) than in the HH-NR group. Moreover, higher HEI scores, regardless of red meat consumption, correlated with reduced odds of depression (logOR = −2.22), PTSD (logOR = −3.80), and bipolar disorder (logOR = −5.90). The fecal microbiota analysis revealed that diversity and richness were highest in the HH-R group, with elevated levels of Bacteroides caccae (padj = 0.003) and Clostridium hathewayi (padj < 0.001). Conversely, the HH-NR group showed increased levels of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bacteroides eggerthii (padj < 0.001). In conclusion, the findings suggest that incorporating red meat into a high-HEI diet enhances brain health-supporting micronutrient adequacy without negatively impacting mental health or microbial diversity.
Year: 2025
