Watch your consumption of processed meat, even unprocessed meat, if you want to avoid type 2 diabetes.
A study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology has found a clear link between eating processed meat and unprocessed red meat and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Analyzing data from nearly 2 million people across 20 countries, researchers from the University of Cambridge found that daily consumption of these meats is associated with a higher chance of diabetes.
The study shows that eating 50 grams of processed meat a day — about two slices of ham — raises the risk of type 2 diabetes by 15% over 10 years.
Similarly, eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat a day — roughly the size of a small steak — was linked to a 10% higher risk.
Interestingly, eating 100 grams of poultry a day, like chicken or turkey, was associated with an 8% higher risk, but this link wasn’t as strong or consistent as with red and processed meats.
Professor Nita Forouhi from the University of Cambridge emphasized that the study provides strong evidence supporting the need to limit processed and unprocessed red meat to help lower diabetes rates.
However, she noted that while the data on poultry consumption is more extensive than before, it’s not yet clear how strong the connection is and more research is needed.
How the Study Was Done
The researchers used data from the InterConnect project, which combines individual participant data from multiple studies rather than just looking at published summaries.
This approach allowed them to include information from 31 different studies, including 18 new ones that hadn’t been previously published.
By using this method, the team was able to reduce potential biases and get a clearer picture of the relationship between meat consumption and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Chunxiao Li, who led the study, explained that previous research often combined results from published studies without looking at raw data from participants.
By examining individual-level data, this study could better account for various factors like lifestyle and health behaviors that might affect the results.
Professor Nick Wareham, Director of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, pointed out that this approach also helped include diverse populations from different parts of the world, including regions not often covered in past studies.
This broader representation helps provide a more complete view of how meat consumption affects diabetes risk globally.
