by
A recent study found that even two servings of red meat per week may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As consumption increases, so does risk. However, you can lower this risk by replacing red meat with healthier plant-based protein sources such as nuts, legumes, and dairy products. Choosing plant-based proteins over red meat not only has health benefits, but also helps reduce environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions.
Switching from red meat to plant-based protein sources may lower your risk of diabetes and provide environmental benefits.
A recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that consuming just two servings of red meat per week may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who consume less red meat. Ta. The study further shows that this risk increases with increased meat intake. However, you can reduce your chances of developing this condition by replacing red meat with healthy plant-based proteins such as nuts and legumes, or with moderate amounts of dairy products.
This research recently of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Our findings strongly support dietary guidelines that recommend limiting intake of red meat, and this applies to both processed and unprocessed red meat,” said lead author Xiao, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Nutrition.・Mr. Gu said.
Previous studies have found an association between red meat intake and type 2 diabetes risk, but this study, which analyzed a large number of type 2 diabetes cases in participants followed over a long period of time, found that this association Added a higher level of certainty about sex. .
Growing concerns and research methods
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing in the United States and around the world. This is concerning because the disease is not only a significant burden, but also a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, cancer, and dementia.
For the study, researchers analyzed health data from 216,695 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Diet was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire every 2 to 4 years for up to 36 years. During this period, more than 22,000 participants developed her type 2 diabetes.
Main research results
Researchers found that red meat intake, including processed and unprocessed red meat, was strongly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Participants who ate the most red meat had a 62% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate the least. Each day of processed red meat consumed increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 46%, and each daily intake of unprocessed red meat increased the risk by 24%.
The researchers also estimated the potential effect of replacing one serving of red meat per day with another protein source. Researchers found that replacing one serving with nuts or legumes lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 30%, and replacing one serving with dairy products lowered the risk by 22%.
“Based on our findings and previous work by other researchers, it seems reasonable to limit red meat intake to about one serving per week for people who want to optimize their health and well-being.” said lead author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition.
In addition to health benefits, replacing red meat with healthy plant-based protein sources can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and provide other environmental benefits, according to researchers. It is said that it will be done.
Reference: “Red meat intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study of U.S. women and men” Xiao Gu, Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, Frank M. Sacks, Frank B. Hu, Bernard Rosner, Walter By C. Willett, October 19, 2023, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.08.021
Other authors at the Harvard Chan School include Frank Sachs and Frank Fu.
NHS, NHS II, and HPFS are supported by the National Institute for Health Research (grants UM1 CA186107, U01 CA176726, and U01 CA167552).
