According to a new study, consuming 50 grammes of red and processed meat each day, such as suya made of beef, pork, or lamb, may increase the chance of acquiring type 2 diabetes over the next ten years.
An analysis of two million people from 31 studies in 20 countries to see if there was a link between eating different types of meat and the condition revealed that eating 50 grammes of processed meat per day was associated with a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next ten years.
Similarly, eating 100g of unprocessed red meat per day – similar to a small steak – was linked to a 10% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, while eating 100g of poultry per day – comparable to a small chicken breast – was associated with an 8% higher risk of the condition. However, further tests to test the findings under various conditions undermined the poultry link.
Professor Nita Forouhi, senior author of the publication from the University of Cambridge, stated that “our research provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of an association between eating processed meat and unprocessed red meat and a higher future risk of type 2 diabetes.”
“It supports recommendations to limit processed and unprocessed red meat consumption in order to lower the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the community. “While our findings provide more comprehensive evidence on the association between poultry consumption and type 2 diabetes than was previously available, the link remains uncertain and needs to be investigated further.”
The authors wrote in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology that it is unknown how meat eating affects the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They propose various probable explanations, including the possibility that cooking meat at high temperatures causes an inflammatory response in the body and leads to insulin resistance.
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Duane Mellor, dietician and spokesman for the British Dietetic Association, said: “The overall message to moderate meat intake is consistent with national healthy eating guidelines and advice to lower the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.
“This involves eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, peas, and lentils, as well as whole grains and moderate amounts of meat and dairy, with little added oil, salt, or sugar.
This should be combined with frequent physical activity to reduce the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. If people want to reduce their meat intake, they must get the nutrients they need from other sources, such as iron, vitamin B12, and protein.
“It is important when considering reducing or taking a type of food out of the diet, that any replacement foods provide the same nutrients to maintain a healthy diet overall.” Type 2 diabetes is characterised by an abnormally high blood sugar level. Type 2 diabetes is connected with being overweight and may be genetic.
The disorder indicates that the body does not respond adequately to insulin, the hormone that controls sugar absorption into the blood, and thus cannot regulate sugar glucose levels in the blood. Excess fat in the liver increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes because it makes it difficult to maintain glucose levels and makes the body more insulin resistant.
