Beef Consumption for Cognitive Ability

Overseen By Douglas Schultz, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Nebraska Lincoln

Must not be taking: Amphetamines, Antidepressants, Statins, others

Disqualifiers: Cognitive diseases, Diabetes, Cancer, others

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 12 weeks

240 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial examines whether increased beef consumption can enhance brain health and cognitive skills in young adults. Participants will consume either 25 ounces or 5 ounces of beef per week for 12 weeks. The researchers aim to determine if higher beef intake improves cognitive test scores and brain function. Ideal candidates are 19-24 years old, students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, without cognitive or metabolic diseases, and willing to adhere to a specific beef-eating plan. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding dietary impacts on brain health.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

Yes, you will need to stop taking certain medications that could affect your response to the dietary intervention, such as amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins, and diuretics.

Is there any evidence suggesting that beef consumption is safe for cognitive health studies?

Research has shown mixed results regarding the impact of increased beef consumption on brain health. Some studies suggest that consuming more unprocessed red meat, such as beef, might raise the risk of memory and cognitive issues. For example, individuals who ate one or more servings of unprocessed red meat daily had a 16% higher risk of experiencing memory and thinking skill decline. However, these studies primarily examined long-term dietary habits and did not focus on the specific amounts of beef used in this trial.

There is no clear information on the short-term effects of beef consumption on memory or overall brain function. This trial will investigate beef consumption in a controlled manner to help clarify these effects. It is important to note that this trial does not involve testing a new drug or treatment, so the usual safety concerns associated with new medications do not apply. Participants will simply adjust their beef intake as part of a study on diet and brain health. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the potential cognitive benefits of beef consumption because it offers a dietary approach to enhancing brain function, which is quite different from traditional cognitive treatments like medications or supplements. Unlike standard treatments that might focus on pharmaceuticals to boost cognition, this approach provides a natural source of nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins, which are essential for brain health. By exploring how different portions of beef consumption could impact cognitive abilities, researchers hope to uncover a simple, everyday dietary change that could support mental acuity in a way that conventional treatments do not.

What evidence suggests that beef consumption might be an effective treatment for cognitive ability?

This trial will compare the effects of different amounts of beef consumption on cognitive ability. Research has shown that eating more red meat, especially processed types, links to a higher risk of dementia and poorer brain function. Studies have found that people who consume a lot of red meat have a 13% higher chance of developing dementia. One study found that eating one or more servings of unprocessed red meat daily could increase the risk of memory and thinking problems by 16%. However, evidence also suggests that when red meat is part of a diet rich in healthy foods, it can provide nutrients important for brain health. These nutrients might support brain function, but the overall risks should not be ignored. Participants in this trial will be divided into an experimental group consuming larger portions of beef and a control group consuming smaller portions to assess the impact on cognitive ability. ^{2 4 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Aron Barbey, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy young adults interested in how beef consumption affects brain and cognitive health. Participants must be willing to eat beef, complete questionnaires, undergo MRI scans, perform neuropsychological tasks, and provide blood samples. Details on specific inclusion or exclusion criteria are not provided.

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 19 and 24 years old.

No history of eating or anxiety disorders

Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently taking medication that could affect my diet response.

Known intolerance or allergy to beef

Current use of nicotine products, including vaping

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive a 12-week dietary intervention with weekly portions of ready-to-eat beef

12 weeks

Weekly surveys about beef consumption

Assessment

Pre- and post-intervention assessments including MRI scans, questionnaires, neuropsychological tasks, and blood draws

1-2 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Beef Consumption

Trial Overview

The study tests the impact of two different amounts of beef consumption (5-oz vs. 1-oz servings) over a period of 12 weeks on cognitive function, psychological well-being, memory, sleep quality, and brain health as seen in MRI imaging.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Experimental Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The experimental group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention study. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 5 ounces.

Group II: Control Group Placebo Group 1 Intervention

The control group will participate in the 12-week beef dietary intervention. Participants will be provided with 5 portions of ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages per week, and consume 5 portions per week. Each portion of beef provided to this group will weigh 1 ounce.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Lead Sponsor

Trials

40

Recruited

13,200+

The Beef Checkoff

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

240+

National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Collaborator

Trials

26

Recruited

1,300+

National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Industry Sponsor

National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff

Industry Sponsor

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study of 2982 older adults, higher intake of processed meat was linked to an increased risk of impaired agility and lower-extremity function over a median follow-up of 5.2 years.

Replacing processed meat with healthier protein sources like red meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, or nuts may help reduce the risk of physical function decline in older adults.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumption of meat in relation to physical functioning in the Seniors-ENRICA cohort. Struijk, EA., Banegas, JR., Rodríguez-Artalejo, F., et al.[2018]

In a study of 34,057 women over an average follow-up of 13.2 years, high consumption of processed red meat (≥ 50 g/day) was linked to a 23% increased risk of heart failure compared to lower consumption (< 25 g/day).

Conversely, the study found no association between the consumption of unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart failure, suggesting that processed meats may pose a greater health risk.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-term processed and unprocessed red meat consumption and risk of heart failure: A prospective cohort study of women. Kaluza, J., Åkesson, A., Wolk, A.[2018]

In a study involving 41 overweight or obese adults, following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern did not significantly improve overall personal well-being, including physical health, mental health, mood, or sleep, regardless of the amount of red meat consumed.

However, participants did experience improvements in specific areas such as physical health role limitations and vitality, indicating some benefits from the Mediterranean diet, but these were not influenced by the amount of red meat included.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adopting a Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern with Different Amounts of Lean Unprocessed Red Meat Does Not Influence Short-Term Subjective Personal Well-Being in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. O'Connor, LE., Biberstine, SL., Paddon-Jones, D., et al.[2023]

A scoping review identified only 22 studies examining the relationship between beef consumption and cognition, highlighting a significant gap in research on this topic.

Most studies had a high risk of bias, particularly randomized controlled trials focused on children and observational studies on adults, indicating a need for more rigorous and focused research specifically on beef intake and its effects on cognitive functions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dietary consumption of beef and red meat: a scoping review and evidence map on cognitive outcomes across the lifespan. Paul, TL., Fleming, SA.[2023]

In a study of 2131 individuals who experienced a non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (MI) and 2131 matched controls in Costa Rica, higher intakes of total and processed red meat were linked to increased odds of experiencing an MI, with odds ratios of 1.31 and 1.29 respectively for the highest consumption levels.

Substituting red meat with healthier alternatives like fish, milk, or skinless chicken was associated with lower odds of MI, emphasizing the need for dietary changes to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in middle-income Hispanic/Latino populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Red meat intake is positively associated with non-fatal acute myocardial infarction in the Costa Rica Heart Study. Wang, D., Campos, H., Baylin, A.[2017]

In a study of 61 children in rural Idaho, parents introduced beef as a first food at an average age of 7.79 months, mainly to align with family meals.

Higher consumption of beef, along with nutrients like zinc and choline, was linked to improved attention and inhibitory control in children aged 3-5 years, suggesting that beef may play a beneficial role in early cognitive development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Early Life Beef Consumption Patterns Are Related to Cognitive Outcomes at 1-5 Years of Age: An Exploratory Study. Wilk, VC., McGuire, MK., Roe, AJ.[2022]

In a study of 43 young women over 16 weeks, both beef and non-beef protein lunches improved body iron levels, particularly in those with initially low iron status, indicating that iron-rich foods can enhance iron levels.

While increased body iron positively affected cognitive functions like spatial working memory and planning speed, there was no significant advantage of consuming beef over non-beef proteins for cognitive performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improvements in iron status and cognitive function in young women consuming beef or non-beef lunches. Blanton, C.[2023]

Red meat from ruminants is a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs), which are essential for human health, and it often contains higher levels of these beneficial fats compared to white meat.

The concentration of n-3 FAs in red meat is influenced by the animals' diet, with grass-fed ruminants providing a better n-3 to n-6 fatty acid ratio, making their meat a healthier option for consumers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Increasing omega-3 levels in meat from ruminants under pasture-based systems. Ponnampalam, EN., Hopkins, DL., Jacobs, JL.[2018]

Red meat is a valuable source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients that are particularly beneficial for specific groups such as young infants, adolescents, women of childbearing age, and older adults, as it provides nutrients that may be lacking in their diets.

Including lean red meat in a healthy, varied diet can aid in weight control and satiety, suggesting it can be part of an effective strategy for weight loss when consumed in moderation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The role of red meat in the diet: nutrition and health benefits. Wyness, L.[2017]

Beef consumption may improve cognitive abilities in children and young adults, as indicated by one study that used a non-feeding control arm, although overall evidence is limited.

Most studies reviewed showed inconsistent results regarding the impact of beef on cognition, highlighting the need for more rigorous research with representative samples and better control measures.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of Beef and Beef Product Intake on Cognition in Children and Young Adults: A Systematic Review. An, R., Nickols-Richardson, SM., Khan, N., et al.[2020]

Citations

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pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39813632/

Long-Term Intake of Red Meat in Relation to Dementia Risk ...

Higher intake of red meat, particularly processed red meat, was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia and worse cognition.

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massgeneralbrigham.org

massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/press-releases/red-meat-increases-risk-of-dementia

Red Meat Consumption Increases Risk of Dementia and ...

Researchers found that diets high in processed meats, including bacon, hot dogs and sausage, were associated with a 13 percent higher risk ...

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aan.com

aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/1082

Is Eating More Red Meat Bad for Your Brain?

They also found people who ate one or more servings of unprocessed red meat per day had a 16% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline ...

4.

health.harvard.edu

health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/harvard-scientists-red-meat-tied-to-increased-dementia-risk

Harvard scientists: Red meat tied to increased dementia risk

For every extra serving per day of processed meat, there was an increase of 1.6 years in the speed of cognitive aging. For unprocessed red meat ...

5.

nature.com

nature.com/articles/s41598-025-18907-w

Red meat consumption in higher healthy eating index diets ...

Overall, the findings suggest that integrating red meat into a high-HEI diet elevates intake of some micronutrients essential for cognitive and ...

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10755455/

Dietary consumption of beef and red meat: a scoping review ...

The most frequently measured cognitive outcomes were intelligence and general cognition, memory, and language and verbal function. Auditory and visual function ...

7.

bmj.com

bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r126

Large US study links processed red meat to dementia risk

Processed red meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, sausages and salami, are associated with an elevated risk of developing dementia.