A RECENT global study, led by Chunxiao Li, University of Cambridge, UK, has confirmed a significant link between a diet that includes meat consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study, analysed data from 1,966,444 adults across 31 international cohorts, including participants from the Americas, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific.
The research focused on the consumption of unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry across these diverse regions. The findings revealed that higher consumption of all three types of meat is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Specifically, consuming 100 grams of unprocessed red meat daily was linked to a 10% higher risk, while 50 grams of processed meat per day increased the risk by 15%. Although poultry consumption also showed an increased risk, the association was weaker and less consistent.
These associations were particularly strong in North America, Europe, and the Western Pacific. Notably, the study found that replacing processed meat with unprocessed red meat or poultry could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This suggests that dietary modifications could be an effective public health measure to combat the rising incidence of type 2 diabetes, which currently affects over 500 million people worldwide.
These findings underscore the possible use of dietary guidelines recommending reducing meat consumption, particularly processed and red meat, to help curb the global diabetes epidemic. As meat production and consumption continue to rise globally, these findings could have a significant impact on public health policies aiming to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Katie Wright, EMJ
Reference
Li C et al. Meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes: an individual-participant federated meta-analysis of 1·97 million adults with 100 000 incident cases from 31 cohorts in 20 countries. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2024;12(9):619-30.
