Despite his personal diet consisting only of vegetables and fish, former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) advises consuming meat for individuals at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Speaking to the Funke Media Group’s newspapers, Lauterbach stated, “We now have strong indications that people with a genetic predisposition for dementia can protect themselves from cognitive decline through a high intake of meat”.
According to Lauterbach, a study from the Karolinska University in Sweden provides “technically very convincing” evidence linking meat consumption to dementia protection. He claimed that such a diet could reduce one’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease by more than half, but this recommendation applies only to people who have a proven genetic predisposition, such as the “Alzheimer gene” ApoE4. Such conditions can be determined through genetic testing.
For Lauterbach, a long-time advocate for vegetarianism, this Swedish study presents a notable political health finding. The SPD official remarked, “I had to process this first”. He added that research findings cannot be ignored simply because they contradict personal convictions. Previously, meat had generally been regarded as a risk factor for nearly all health issues, ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disease. However, in the area of dementia prevention at least, one must reconsider the issue of meat. Nevertheless, Lauterbach cautioned against all Germans drastically increasing their meat consumption, stating, “That would be madness, because only an estimated 25 percent of people have this genetic risk. I cannot encourage everyone to eat meat”.