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If you're concerned about your risk of type 2 diabetes, it may be worth considering the types of meat you consume, according to a recent study. Regularly eating red and processed meats is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of data from 31 study cohorts published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The study, described as the most extensive to date, highlights the connection between processed and unprocessed red meats and type 2 diabetes, according to Dr Nita Forouhi, a professor of population health and nutrition at the University of Cambridge.
University of Cambridge researchers studied data involving 1.97 million adults from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Western Pacific, the Americas, and the Eastern Mediterranean, to find the link between meat consumption and type 2 diabetes, which is a chronic condition, characterized by persistently high blood sugar levels and is the most common form of diabetes.
As per the findings, consuming 50 grams of processed meat every day was associated with a 15 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years. Eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat per day was also linked with a 10 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that replacing processed meat with poultry was associated with a lower incidence of the chronic condition.
A 2023 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered a connection between red meat consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that eating two servings of red meat per week raised the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. The study highlights that both processed meats (such as bacon, sausages, and deli meats) and unprocessed red meats (like beef, pork, and lamb) are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
“It is possible that the increased risk associated with processed and red meat intake could be a result of these other confounding factors,” said Dr Duane Mellor, dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association and honorary academic fellow at Aston University in the United Kingdom.
“Current dietary guidance also recommends replacing red and processed meats with meats such as poultry, in addition to reducing overall meat consumption using alternatives such as peas, beans, lentils and tofu,” she added.
