Study Finds Red Meat Consumption Associated with Elevated Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

 

A recent study conducted by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, has revealed that individuals who consume just two servings of red meat per week may face an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who consume fewer servings. The risk of developing diabetes further escalates with higher red meat consumption. The study, which was published on October 19 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also demonstrated that replacing red meat with healthier plant-based protein sources like nuts, legumes, or small amounts of dairy products was linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Xiao Gu, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition and the first author of the study, emphasized, "Our findings strongly endorse dietary guidelines that recommend limiting the consumption of red meat, whether it's processed or unprocessed."

While prior research had already hinted at a connection between red meat intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes, this study, notable for its large-scale analysis of diabetes cases over an extended observational period, provides a higher degree of confidence regarding this association.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is on the rise both in the United States and worldwide, and this trend is a cause for concern due to the disease's substantial health and economic burdens, as well as its role as a major risk factor for cardiovascular problems, kidney disease, cancer, and dementia.

To conduct this study, the researchers analyzed health data from a pool of 216,695 participants from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). These participants' dietary habits were assessed using food frequency questionnaires every two to four years over a span of up to 36 years. During this period, more than 22,000 individuals developed type 2 diabetes.

The results of the study indicated that the consumption of red meat, encompassing both processed and unprocessed forms, was significantly correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Those who consumed the highest quantities of red meat had a 62% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest consumption. Moreover, each additional daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 46% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while each additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was linked to a 24% higher risk.

The researchers also estimated the potential benefits of substituting one daily serving of red meat with another protein source. Their findings suggested that substituting red meat with nuts and legumes was associated with a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and substituting it with dairy products was associated with a 22% lower risk.

Senior author Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition, proposed, "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 well-being."

In addition to the health advantages, shifting from red meat to healthier plant-based protein sources would also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change, along with providing other environmental benefits, as highlighted by the researchers.

Reference: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/red-meat-consumption-associated-with-increased-type-2-diabetes-risk/