An investigation carried out by scientists in the US has revealed that people who consume large amounts of red meat have higher chances to develop Alzheimer's at some point in their lives.

The researchers believe this is because red meat is rich in iron. They say that this chemical compound causes oxidant damage in the human body, and therefore makes a person's brain more vulnerable to said medical condition.

According to Daily Mail, the researchers base their claims on data collected while analyzing the brains of several Alzheimer's patients.

Thus, they found that, in the case of these patients, an area of the brain known as the hippocampus contained a tad too much iron. The presence of this compound was associated with tissue damage.

“We found that the amount of iron is increased in the hippocampus and is associated with tissue damage in patients with Alzheimer's but not in the healthy older individuals,” Professor George Bartzokis says.

“So the results suggest that iron accumulation may indeed contribute to the cause of Alzheimer's disease,” he further details.

In light of these findings, the researchers recommend that people keep a close eye on their diets and try not to consume too much red meat. Besides, they urge that people limit their intake of iron dietary supplements.