Red meat increases diabetes risk

A person’s chances of developing diabetes can be increased by eating large amounts of red meat, according to a new study involving 150,000 men and women. Over a period of four years, researchers at the National University of Singapore found that people who increased their consumption of red meat by more than half a serving a day were 48 per cent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Lowering red meat consumption by the same amount resulted in a 14 per cent reduction in risk. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level, or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin that is being produced. In the UK, about 90% of all adults with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Dr An Pan, from the National University of Singapore, wrote in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal: “Our results confirm the robustness of the association between red meat and T2DM and add further evidence that limiting red meat consumption over time confers benefits for T2DM prevention.” This study comes in a long line of studies pointing to the health benefits of a reduced meat or vegetarian diet.