New Scientific Study supports red meat for brain health

Written by Max Lugavere on October 14, 2025. Posted in Current News

A new 2025 study in Scientific Reports looked at how red meat fits within healthy versus unhealthy dietary patterns using data from over 3,600 adults in the American Gut Project.

Researchers divided participants by both their Healthy Eating Index (HEI) — a 0-100 score measuring adherence to U.S. dietary guidelines — and whether they ate red meat.

They found that when red meat was consumed as part of a high-HEI diet (scores ≥80), participants had higher intakes of key “brain-health critical” nutrients like vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, choline, and vitamin D — without exceeding recommended saturated fat limits or showing worse mental health outcomes.

In fact, higher HEI scores — regardless of meat intake — were linked to lower odds of depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. Gut analyses showed that high-HEI meat eaters had the greatest microbial diversity, often viewed as a marker of gut health.

I’ve caught flack for promoting red meat within the context of brain health, but data like this is hard to ignore. The study suggests that when eaten as part of an overall nutrient-dense diet, red meat may actually enhance nutritional adequacy without compromising mental or gut health, and it also supports that red meat is not a major contributor of saturated fat to an overall healthy dietary pattern.

Of course, it’s important to note that the study was cross-sectional (so it can’t prove cause and effect), actual brain health outcomes weren’t measured, and participants were self-selected, likely more health-conscious than the general population.

Still, the findings reinforce a point I’ve made for years: red meat is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, rich in brain-supporting nutrients, and overall diet quality matters far more than any single food. Read the study here.

Key Findings

1. Micronutrient adequacy

   • Among high-HEI diets, those consuming red meat (HH-R) had significantly higher intakes of several brain-health–relevant micronutrients (selenium, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium, vitamin D3, choline) compared to high-HEI non–red meat (HH-NR). Nature+2ResearchGate+2

   • Across both high and low HEI strata, red meat consumers generally had better micronutrient adequacy (though some nutrients, e.g. folate, were lower among red meat consumers). ResearchGate+2Sciety+2

   • Importantly, even though red meat groups had higher micronutrient intake, the intakes remained well below tolerable upper limits (i.e. not excessive) for most participants. Nature+2cdn.nutrition.org+2

2. Mental health / neurodevelopmental associations

   • Higher HEI score (i.e. better diet quality) was independently associated with lower odds of several mental health / neurodevelopmental conditions (depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, migraines, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder). Nature+2Sciety+2

   • Red meat consumption within a high HEI diet was not significantly associated with worse mental health outcomes. In other words, including red meat in a high-quality diet did not seem to worsen mental health risk. Nature+2ResearchGate+2

   • There was a borderline signal that red meat consumption might slightly increase risk of ADHD (log odds ≈ 0.6648, p ≈ 0.076), but this was not statistically conclusive. Nature+1

3. Gut microbiome / microbial diversity

   • The highest diversity and richness (α-diversity) in fecal microbiota was observed in the HH-R group (high diet quality + red meat). Nature+2Sciety+2

   • Some taxa were significantly more abundant in red meat consumers (e.g. Bacteroides caccae, Clostridium hathewayi) while non–red meat high HEI (HH-NR) had higher Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bacteroides eggerthii. Nature+2Sciety+2

   • The authors interpret this as suggesting that red meat in a high-quality diet does not harm microbial diversity; indeed, it might support favorable microbial profiles. cdn.nutrition.org+2Sciety+2

About the author: Max Lugavere is a health and science journalist, New York Times bestselling author, and the host of The Genius Life — consistently ranked among the top health podcasts in the U.S. With over 80 million downloads

source  www.maxlugavere.com

Please Donate Below To Support Our Ongoing Work To Defend the Scientific Method

PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.