A new study confirms a link between the consumption of red or processed meat and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Eating processed meat or red meat is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
- While a link has been found between poultry and type 2 diabetes, it remains somewhat uncertain.
- Further work is needed to verify the health impact of poultry consumption.
Be careful if you are a fan of red meat, sausages and chipolatas. A study, published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinologyreveals that consumption of red or processed meat is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes: two slices of ham increase the risk
To assess the links between the consumption of different types of meat and type 2 diabetes, researchers from the University of Cambridge decided to take data from 31 study cohorts from 20 countries. This represented nearly 2 million participants.
The analyses revealed that eating 50g of processed meat a day – the equivalent of two slices of ham – increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 15% over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, eating 100g of unprocessed red meat a day, the equivalent of a small steak, increased the risk of developing the chronic disease by 10%.
“Our research provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of an association between consumption of processed meat or unprocessed red meat and a higher future risk of type 2 diabetes. It supports recommendations to limit consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat to reduce cases of type 2 diabetes in the population.”explains Professor Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study.
Diabetes and poultry: an “uncertain” link
The study also found that eating 100g of poultry per day was associated with an 8% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. However, the researchers note that this link remains uncertain. “When further analyses were conducted to test the results under different scenarios, the association for poultry consumption weakened, whereas the associations with type 2 diabetes for processed meat and unprocessed red meat persisted.”they specify in a press release.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge say further studies are needed to assess the link between chronic disease and poultry in more detail.
