For years type 2 diabetes has been associated with high sugar consumption. But a new meta analysis from Cambridge University involving 2 million people worldwide now shows that the culprit is also processed meat (like bacon, ham, salami and sausages) and unprocessed red meat (e.g. beef, lamb, pork).
Two slices of ham a day can raise type 2 diabetes risk by 15%, research suggests
"Experts who conducted a meta-analysis of data involving 1.97 million adults from 20 countries across Europe, the Americas, eastern Mediterranean, south-east Asia and the western Pacific say the results support recommendations to limit consumption of processed and red meat.
Their findings were published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.
Prof Nita Forouhi, of the University of Cambridge, a senior author of the study, said: “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 the consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat to reduce type 2 diabetes cases in the population.”
Researchers analysed data from 31 study groups through InterConnect – a project funded by the EU to understand more about type 2 diabetes and obesity in different populations.
They found habitual daily consumption of 50g of processed meat – equivalent to two slices of ham – was associated with a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.
Consuming 100g of unprocessed red meat a day – the equivalent of a small steak – was associated with a 10% higher risk of the disease.
Habitual consumption of 100g of poultry a day was associated with an 8% higher risk. When further analyses were conducted to test the findings under different scenarios the association for poultry consumption became weaker but the associations with type 2 diabetes for processed meat and unprocessed red meat persisted, the researchers found."
Two slices of ham a day can raise type 2 diabetes risk by 15%, research suggests
"Experts who conducted a meta-analysis of data involving 1.97 million adults from 20 countries across Europe, the Americas, eastern Mediterranean, south-east Asia and the western Pacific say the results support recommendations to limit consumption of processed and red meat.
Their findings were published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.
Prof Nita Forouhi, of the University of Cambridge, a senior author of the study, said: “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 the consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat to reduce type 2 diabetes cases in the population.”
Researchers analysed data from 31 study groups through InterConnect – a project funded by the EU to understand more about type 2 diabetes and obesity in different populations.
They found habitual daily consumption of 50g of processed meat – equivalent to two slices of ham – was associated with a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.
Consuming 100g of unprocessed red meat a day – the equivalent of a small steak – was associated with a 10% higher risk of the disease.
Habitual consumption of 100g of poultry a day was associated with an 8% higher risk. When further analyses were conducted to test the findings under different scenarios the association for poultry consumption became weaker but the associations with type 2 diabetes for processed meat and unprocessed red meat persisted, the researchers found."