Red meat increases the risk of diabetes

Diabetes risk increases with consumption of red meat

11.08.2011

Meat consumption increases the risk of diabetes, regardless of the form in which the meat is consumed. So far, mainly processed meat products (sausage products) have been considered risk factors for type 2 diabetes, so US researchers have now identified a fundamental connection between the consumption of red meat and the occurrence of so-called diabetes.

Thus, red meat basically increases the risk of diabetes. It is not only, as previously assumed, from the sausage products due to the high fat, salt and nitrate content, an increased risk of diabetes, but also from untreated meat. This is the finding of US researchers led by study leader An Pan of the Harvard School of Public Health as part of a comprehensive, in the current issue of the journal „American Journal of Clinical Nutrition“ published, meta-study.

Meat increases the risk of diabetes
In the course of the meta-analysis, An Pan's researchers evaluated numerous long-term studies involving a total of 440,000 study participants. The US researchers were able to show clearly that of red meat is basically an increased risk of diabetes, regardless of whether this fried, raw or processed processed as sausage. With the consumption of a 100 gram steak daily, the risk already increases by about 20 percent, which is significantly more than previously thought, Pan and colleagues report. „Our study clearly demonstrates that both processed and unprocessed red meats are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes“, the scientists write „American Journal of Clinical Nutrition“. In addition to the findings of the meta-analysis, the US researchers also rely on the regular questionnaires and health data collected from a good 37,000 men and over 160,000 women between the ages of 14 to 28 years. Pan and colleagues last year looked at a possible association between eating untreated meat and the risk of diabetes in a study, but found no correlation. However, the now much more extensive investigation has clearly shown that untreated meat very well increases the risk of diabetes. For sausage, ham and other meat products, the relationship was already known earlier and was largely attributed to the fat, nitrate and salt content. However, this assumption is now premature, as even unprocessed meat can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Replace meat with nuts, whole grains and fish
In light of current findings, Pan and colleagues are calling for an immediate adjustment of official dietary recommendations. Red meat can no longer be considered fully food-safe, as it is, for example, in the US authorities' 2010 guidelines. Unlike fish or soy products, meat has a health risk that should not be underestimated. „The results of this study are of great importance to public health, considering the epidemic-type increase in type 2 diabetes and the increased consumption of red meat worldwide“, Explained the US researchers. According to scientists, more than 360 million people worldwide currently suffer from diabetes, with much of the type 2 diabetes attributable to overweight, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets as their main risk factors. In view of the current study results, the consumption of red meat should now also be included in the unhealthy diet, reports Pan and colleagues. To reduce the risk of diabetes, ham, sausages, steaks and roasts should be replaced as often as possible with nuts, whole grains or fish, the experts explained. For the first time in their current study, they also took a closer look at reducing the risk of diabetes from healthy eating. Thus, replacing the meat with a serving of nuts can reduce the risk of diabetes by 21 percent, and substitution by whole grains can even reduce diabetes risk by 23 percent, say the US scientists.

Meat consumption as an explanation for the increase in diabetes
With the now established link between red meat consumption and diabetes risk, US researchers provide another explanation for the dramatic increase in diabetes worldwide. Because the international meat consumption per capita has also increased significantly in the past decades. Certainly, this is not the sole reason for the massive increase in type 2 diabetes, but the results of the US researchers suggest that meat consumption plays a significant role in this. (Fp)

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Picture: wrw