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Eating just two slices of ham could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes, study says
Eating processed or red meat, even just two slices of ham, could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 15%, research suggests.
You might want to consider swapping your food choices and cutting down on processed meat, as a study led by the University of Cambridge shows the most comprehensive evidence yet of the link between red meat and diabetes.
Study shows eating processed red meat could risk type 2 diabetes
Cambridge-led research involving 2 million people worldwide provides evidence of a link between meat and type 2 diabetes. The findings were published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, where it looked into data from 20 countries.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by a problem in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel, resulting in too much sugar circulating in the blood. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous, and immune systems.
The disease is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and lower limb amputation. Evidence suggests improving diet is one of the main ways to lower the risk, as well as maintaining a healthy weight and moving more.
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Experts 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 and revealed that the results support recommendations to limit the consumption of processed and red meat.
Red meat includes beef, lamb, mutton, pork, veal, venison and goat. Processed meat is any meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives, including sausages, bacon and ham.
As commonly consumed, 100 g per day of red meat equates to a daily consumption of a small steak or a medium-sized hamburger patty; 50 g per day of processed meat equates to two or three slices of bacon or a medium-sized sausage.
You should limit the consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat
The background of the study explains meat consumption could increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers analyzed 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.
Findings showed that habitual daily consumption of 50g of processed meat, which is equivalent to two slices of ham, was associated with a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years.
A senior author of the study, Professor Nita Forouhi at the University of Cambridge, stated: “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.”
Consuming 100g of unprocessed red meat a day – the equivalent of a small steak – was associated with a 10% higher risk of the disease.
It found that replacing processed meat with unprocessed red meat or poultry was associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes.
