Red Meat and Diabetes - Is There a Connection?
The findings in this recent study were similar to other previous studies that eating red meat may increase your risk of Type 2 Diabetes, and the more red meat eaten, the higher the risk.
Medical News
In a study published December 2023, data from 216,695 participants, in three longitudinal studies, were used to see if eating red meat increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The researchers excluded subjects with some pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. They also excluded those whose diets were calorically very low or very high.
Subjects in the highest quintile who ate an average of 0.54 to 0.71 servings of red meat per day had a 62% higher risk of developing T2D than those in the lowest quintile who ate an average of 0.14 to 0.18 servings of red meat per day. Subjects who ate the highest levels of processed meat had a 51% higher risk of developing T2D than those in the lowest level. The highest unprocessed meat eaters had a 41% higher risk of T2D compared to the group that ate the least.
In substitution analysis, replacing one serving per day of red meat with one serving per day of nuts and legumes was associated with an estimated 30% lower risk of T2D.
An interesting finding in the authors’ analysis was that substituting fish for red meat resulted in an 11% increased risk of T2D. The authors’ comment on this was that it is possible that some methods of fish preparation such as frying or grilling may decrease its health benefits as a substitute for red meat. As it is an observational study there is also a possible risk of confounding variables affecting results.
This Study Reinforces the Connection Between Red Meat and Type 2 Diabetes:
The findings in this large observational study were similar to other studies that eating red meat may increase the risk of T2D, and the more red meat eaten, the higher the risk. Processed meats had a higher risk of causing T2D than unprocessed meats. A theory of why red meat may lead to a higher risk of developing T2D is that the high saturated fats and low amounts of polyunsaturated fats in red meat may reduce insulin sensitivity in the body.
Reference
Gu X et al. Red meat intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study of United States females and males. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 118, ISSUE 6, P1153-1163, December 2023. Retrieved from: https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)66119-2/abstract#%20
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