Legumes include many of our daily favourites, including peanuts, peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas. Previous studies have shown that swapping a serving of processed red meat for a serving of legumes every day may lower the risk of dementia by 20%.

Legumes don’t just protect the brain, but are linked to significantly lowering the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and type 2 diabetes. They’re packed with protein, fibre, good carbohydrates, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc and more.

In 2024, a study of 130,000 people, followed for up to 43 years, found that people who ate two servings or more of processed red meat daily had a 14% higher risk of dementia than those who ate less than three servings a month. One daily serving of nuts and legumes was linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, and 1.37 fewer years of cognitive ageing in global cognition.

“We took a closer look at how eating different amounts of both processed and unprocessed meat affects cognitive risk and function,” lead author Yuhan Li said at the time.

“By studying people over a long period of time, we found that eating processed red meat could be a significant risk factor for dementia. Dietary guidelines could include recommendations limiting it to promote brain health.”

Sign up to our Well by Stylist newsletter: the latest relatable health and fitness content written by experts and backed up by research.

Get unlimited digital access from £3.49/month