GLP podcast: Hot dogs probably don’t cause dementia; Subsidize plant burgers? Drinking fathers might damage fetal brain development

Processed read meat could increase your risk for dementia, a recent study contends. How robust are the results? Can the plant-based burger revolution survive if taxpayers subsidize the alternative meat industry? Fathers who consume too much alcohol might affect the brain health of their future children.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 281 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• Processed meat and memory: Connections between eating bacon, hot dogs and dementia

A study following more than a million people for over four decades recently suggested that consuming processed red meat could increase the risk of developing dementia. It’s an alarming result if it’s legitimate. But is it? We have our doubts.

• How culture wars and ideological polarization are holding back the sustainable meat revolution

The popularity of plant-based meat continues to dwindle as consumers purchase ever-fewer Impossible and Beyond burgers. Advocates of the meat alternatives say there’s a solution that could help save these climate-friendly dinner options: subsidies. If taxpayers are forced to support the industry, it will signal to investors that they can safely put their money into plant-based meat companies. That’s the argument, anyway. Let’s put on our economist hats and see if this idea can withstand scrutiny.

• We know moms shouldn’t drink while pregnant. Now there’s evidence that drinking dads can damage children’s brain development too

Women who drink during pregnancy can put their developing babies at greater risk for birth defects. Now, some research indicates that excessive drinking by prospective fathers may damage their sperm, which could similarly affect their children’s health. Let’s take a closer look at the science.

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish