It’s refreshing—finally—to see science catching up to something I’ve been saying for years: what you eat directly affects how you feel.

And not in those overly simplistic, one-size-fits-all soundbites like “cut all fat” or “ditch carbs,” but in a more nuanced, individualized way.

That said, nutrition science still has a major problem.

It tries to study food the same way it studies drugs—isolating variables and making sweeping conclusions.

But that’s not how real people eat.

Our diets change meal to meal, day to day. You can’t put food in a laboratory box and expect to capture real life.

Which is why this new study caught my attention.

Researchers looked at over 2,000 adults and found something pretty remarkable: a higher intake of meat was associated with a protective effect against cognitive decline and dementia.

But there was a catch…

This latest research focused on people with a specific genetic marker called APOE-4.

Now, APOE-4 is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s easy to test for—you can get it done through most standard blood labs.

But here’s where things get interesting…

Among those who did carry the APOE-4 gene, the people who ate the most meat had significantly better cognitive outcomes—and a 55% lower risk of dementia compared to those who ate less.

Yes, 55%.

That’s not a small effect. That’s a game changer.

Now, before you run out and load your plate, there’s an important distinction.

For people without the APOE-4 gene, meat intake didn’t seem to make a difference in cognitive outcomes.

But across the board, one thing was clear: higher consumption of processed meat increased dementia risk by about 14%.

And processed meat means exactly what you think, anything preserved or altered through salting, curing, smoking, or similar methods.

It turns out APOE-4 is an ancient gene—one that likely developed at a time when humans relied heavily on animal meat to survive.

Think pre-agriculture, pre-packaged food… long before modern diets took over.

Fast forward to today, and we’re eating in a way that’s completely disconnected from that biology—thanks in large part to industrialized food systems that prioritize profit over health.

This study is a powerful reminder that our genes haven’t changed nearly as much as our food has.

And here’s why this matters so much…

APOE-4 is estimated to be involved in up to 70% of Alzheimer’s cases in Northern Europe and North America. That’s huge. Which means this isn’t some niche finding—it’s potentially a major modifiable risk factor.

And you know how I feel about those.

So, what kind of meat are we talking about?

The strongest association was seen with unprocessed red meat. Poultry also showed some benefit, but not to the same degree.

No surprise here—I’ve long believed that high-quality, unprocessed, grass-fed and grass-finished red meat is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.

This study doesn’t just support that idea—it gives us a clearer picture of who may benefit the most.

To your health,

Daniel Marshall