Type 2 diabetes rates have been rapidly increasing worldwide, posing a significant burden and serving as a major risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease, cancer, and dementia.
In a recent study conducted by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it has been found that individuals who consume just two servings of red meat per week may face an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk further escalates with higher consumption of red meat. The study also reveals that substituting red meat with plant-based protein sources, such as nuts, legumes, or modest amounts of dairy products, can potentially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on October 19, the study analyzed a large number of type 2 diabetes cases among participants over an extended period of time, adding a greater level of certainty to the association between red meat consumption and diabetes risk.
According to first author Xiao Gu, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition, "Our findings strongly support dietary guidelines that recommend limiting the consumption of red meat, and this applies to both processed and unprocessed red meat."
The study analysed health data from 216,695 participants from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Diet was assessed through food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, spanning up to 36 years. During this period, over 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes.
The research team found a strong association between red meat consumption, including both processed and unprocessed red meat, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Participants who consumed the highest amounts of red meat faced a 62 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who consumed the least. Additionally, each additional daily serving of processed red meat was linked to a 46 percent greater risk, while each additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24 percent higher risk.
Furthermore, the researchers estimated the potential effects of substituting one daily serving of red meat with another protein source. The results revealed that replacing red meat with nuts and legumes was associated with a 30 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while substituting it with dairy products was linked to a 22 percent lower risk.
Senior author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, emphasized the importance of the study's findings, stating, "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."
Apart from the health benefits, swapping red meat for healthy plant protein sources could potentially contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, combating climate change, and providing other environmental advantages, as noted by the researchers.
