Red Meat Associated With Increased Diabetes Risk in Large Study

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data related to diet and to diabetes from the long-term “Health Professionals Follow-Up”, the “Nurses' Health” Studies, and other published studies. The data included more than 440,000 individuals with 28,000 cases of diabetes. Adjusting for age, weight, activity level, smoking, family history of diabetes and other lifestyle and dietary factors the numbers showed that consumption of red meat, and particularly processed red meat like hot dogs or bacon, significantly increased the risk for Type 2 diabetes.The findings, published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, specifically showed that

• A 2-ounce serving a day of processed meat (hot dog, bacon, salami or bologna) increased the risk of diabetes by 50 percent.
• A 4-ounce serving a day (the size of a deck of cards) of unprocessed red meat such as hamburger, steak, pork or lamb was associated with a 20 percent increased risk of diabetes.
• Substituting nuts, whole grains and low-fat dairy like yogurt for a serving a day of these types of processed or unprocessed meats lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 16 percent to 35 percent.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data related to diet and to diabetes from the long-term “Health Professionals Follow-Up”, the “Nurses' Health” Studies, and other published studies. The data included more than 440,000 individuals with 28,000 cases of diabetes. Adjusting for age, weight, activity level, smoking, family history of diabetes and other lifestyle and dietary factors the numbers showed that consumption of red meat, and particularly processed red meat like hot dogs or bacon, significantly increased the risk for Type 2 diabetes.The findings, published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, specifically showed that

• A 2-ounce serving a day of processed meat (hot dog, bacon, salami or bologna) increased the risk of diabetes by 50 percent.
• A 4-ounce serving a day (the size of a deck of cards) of unprocessed red meat such as hamburger, steak, pork or lamb was associated with a 20 percent increased risk of diabetes.
• Substituting nuts, whole grains and low-fat dairy like yogurt for a serving a day of these types of processed or unprocessed meats lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 16 percent to 35 percent.