Diets with more servings of red meat are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published Thursday in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Participants who ate the most red meat had a 62% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate the least,” said a press release from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Every additional daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 46% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and every additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24% greater risk.”
More than 80% of the 216,695 study participants were female, as they were pulled from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Red meat intake was assessed through semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires every two to four years.
Researchers found that just two servings of red meat per week were associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“Our findings strongly support dietary guidelines that recommend limiting the consumption of red meat, and this applies to both processed and unprocessed red meat,” said first author Xiao Gu, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition.
According to Harvard, this study expanded upon past research on the link between red meat and diabetes by using a large number of type 2 diabetes cases. Since the group was large and followed for a number of years, the new research provides a new level of certainty about the link.
Study authors also found that replacing red meat with plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. In fact, they “found that substituting a serving of nuts and legumes was associated with a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and substituting a serving of dairy products was associated with a 22% lower risk.”
Last October, Audacy reported on the Beyond Steak plant-based meat substitute made from faba bean protein for those who want to cut down on red meat but are worried about missing the meat-eating experience. For true meat lovers, researchers said that red meat can be included in a healthy diet – in moderation.
“Given our findings and previous work by others, a limit of about one serving per week of red meat would be reasonable for people wishing to optimize their health and wellbeing,” said senior author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard.
Type 2 diabetes rates are increasing rapidly in the U.S. and worldwide, said the institution. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 37 million Americans have diabetes, and most (approximately 90-95%) have type 2 diabetes. People usually develop the condition after age 45, but the CDC said more children, teens and young adults are developing it.
Those who develop type 2 diabetes have cells that don’t respond normally to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. High blood sugar unregulated by insulin can be damaging to the body and increases the risk for other serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
Red meat isn’t the only thing that might increase the risk of developing the condition. Last month, Audacy reported that people with later sleep and wake times were also more prone to developing type 2 diabetes.
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