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A recent study has revealed that even two servings of red meat per week can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk rises with increased consumption. However, substituting red meat with healthier plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, or dairy foods can lower this risk. Beyond health implications, choosing plant proteins over red meat can also help mitigate environmental issues like greenhouse gas emissions.
Switching from Red Meat to Plant-Derived Protein Sources Could Lower the Risk of Diabetes and Offer Environmental Benefits
Consuming as few as two servings of red meat weekly could elevate the risk of type 2 diabetes in comparison to those who consume less, reveals a recent study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study also indicates that this risk escalates with increased meat intake. However, substituting red meat with wholesome plant-based proteins like nuts and legumes or moderate portions of dairy can help lower the chances of developing the condition.
The study was recently published in The American Journal of Clinical 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,” said first author Xiao Gu, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition.
While previous studies have found a link between red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes risk, this study, which analyzed a large number of type 2 diabetes cases among participants being followed for an extended period of years, adds a greater level of certainty about the association.
Rising Concerns and Research Methodology
Type 2 diabetes rates are increasing rapidly in the U.S. and worldwide. This is concerning not only because the disease is a serious burden, but it also is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease, cancer, and dementia.
For this study, researchers analyzed health data from 216,695 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Diet was assessed with food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, for up to 36 years. During this time, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes.
Key Research Outcomes
The researchers found that consumption of red meat, including processed and unprocessed red meat, was strongly associated with 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. Every additional daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 46% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and every additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24% greater risk.
The researchers also estimated the potential effects of substituting one daily serving of red meat for another protein source. They found that substituting a serving of nuts and legumes was associated with a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and substituting a serving of dairy products was associated with a 22% lower risk.
“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 wellbeing,” said senior author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition.
In addition to health benefits, swapping red meat for healthy plant protein sources would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and provide other environmental benefits, according to the researchers.
Reference: “Red meat intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study of United States females and males” by Xiao Gu, Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, Frank M. Sacks, Frank B. Hu, Bernard Rosner and Walter C. Willett, 19 October 2023, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Other Harvard Chan School authors included Frank Sacks and Frank Hu.
The NHS, NHS II, and HPFS are supported by the National Institute of Health (grants UM1 CA186107, U01 CA176726, and U01 CA167552).
