Red Meat Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

Red meat consumption, especially in a processed form, is linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study released Wednesday from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The research team found that one daily serving of 100 grams of unprocessed red meat accounted for a 19 percent increase in risk of developing diabetes, and a 50 gram serving of processed meat, which includes foods like hot dogs, sausages, and bacon, was linked with a whopping 51 percent increase in risk.

With 350 million adults worldwide affected by diabetes—25.6 million of them in the United States alone—the researchers advised the public to limit their consumption of red meat, especially processed red meat.

“We should eradicate [processed meats] from our diets,” said lead study author An Pan, citing the high level of sodium and nitrates in unprocessed meat that can increase risk of insulin resistance. “Unprocessed, people should allowed to have one or two servings per week. That’s fine.”

The study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also found that substitution of healthier proteins for red meat had significant health benefits. For example, substituting one serving of low-fat dairy for red meat leads to a 17 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. Similar benefits were observed for nuts and whole grains, with a 21 percent and 23 percent reduction in risk, respectively.

“I think the study conclusion could be to replace red meat with white meat. Consider nuts, soybeans, and other sources of protein,” said co-author Qi Sun. “That is the key message this paper is delivering to the public.”

The study is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, following 442,101 participants—28,228 of whom eventually developed type 2 diabetes—for up to 28 years across both long-term studies of health professionals and existing data sets from other studies.

It is one of the first studies to identify an increased risk for diabetes from both processed and unprocessed red meats. It is also one of the first to quantify health benefits from substitution of other protein sources.

—Staff writer Leanna B. Ehrlich can be reached at lehrlich@college.harvard.edu.