The main line
Eating meat, especially red and processed meat, and even poultry like chicken and turkey can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future, according to a new study published Tuesday, adding growing evidence linking meat and ultra-processed foods to health problems including heart disease, cancer, depression, anxiety and even premature death.
Red meat is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers found.
Key facts
Regular consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat is associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the medical journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
While previous research has shown that eating more processed meat and unprocessed red meat is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers said the results have been inconclusive and variable, leading to debate. confusing and often polarizing about whether foods are safe for eat and, if so, how much.
To assess the link between meat and the risk of type 2 diabetes, the team, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, analyzed existing data from almost 2 million people in 31 study groups in 20 countries to see if their eating habits eating was associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes when other factors such as age, gender, energy intake, body mass index and health-related behaviors were taken into account.
Eating the usual 50 grams of processed meat a day – roughly equivalent to two slices of bacon – was associated with a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years, the researchers found, and consuming 100 grams raw red meat. day – the equivalent of a small steak – was associated with a 10% higher risk.
Nita Forouhi, a professor of population health and nutrition at the University of Cambridge and a senior author on the paper, said the research “provides the most complete evidence yet” of a link between eating red and processed meat and a higher risk in the future. type 2 diabetes.
“It supports recommendations to limit the consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the population,” added Forouhi.
Is it safe to eat other meats like chicken and turkey?
Poultry such as chicken, turkey and duck are often touted as a healthier source of protein than red and processed meat. The idea is supported by research, which shows lower risks for many of the health issues associated with red and processed meat consumption such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, but the issue is a comparison and does not mean that eating birds is without risk. More and more research shows that regular consumption of poultry meat is linked to harmful health effects such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, gall bladder disease and diabetes. Research on this association is more limited, the researchers noted, taking the opportunity to investigate the possible link as well. They found that habitual consumption of 100 grams of poultry per day was associated with an 8% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next 10 years. However, Forouhi cautioned that the evidence linking poultry consumption and diabetes was much weaker than that for red and processed meat when subjected to further analytical scrutiny. “While our findings provide more comprehensive evidence on the link between poultry consumption and type 2 diabetes than was previously available, the link remains uncertain and needs further investigation,” said Forouhi.
Surprising fact
While it’s often considered a “white meat” alongside poultry like chicken, experts and regulators say pork is a “red meat” like beef, veal and lamb. The US Department of Agriculture says the difference is determined by the amount of the oxygen-carrying protein myoglobin in the meat, which determines the color of the meat. Pork is considered red meat because it contains more myoglobin than chicken or fish.
What to look for
Growing evidence on the negative health associations of eating various meats has sparked campaigns to limit consumption of red and processed meat, and sometimes meat in general, as a public health issue and to reduce the burden of diseases such as diabetes. In recent years, this health-driven message has been joined by a more climate-focused approach, calling on people to limit their meat consumption as part of reducing their carbon footprint and tackling the climate crisis. Research has also increasingly identified potential health problems such as heart disease and early death associated with ultra-processed foods, including ultra-processed plant-based foods.
What we don’t know
Most of the research between food consumption and various health risks is observational in nature. This means that causal relationships are very difficult to determine. More research—much of which would be difficult or impossible to conduct in humans—is needed to establish causal claims that reducing red meat intake will reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
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