According to research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, sodium nitrate reacts to a protein in meat that damages DNA cells in a way that is similar to the way aging damages cells. “Until this point there has been a lot of focus on defective genes but now it is becoming clear that really represents a small proportion of the total community who are at risk of getting Alzheimer’s,” said the lead scientist of the study Prof. Ralph Martins. The scientists found that found that a massive rise in nitrogen-containing fertilizer and processed food sales coincided with an increased prevalence of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s’ and type 2 diabetes in the US. Researchers are now studying the link between Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, Prof Martins said.