The Effects of Eating Red and Processed Meats on Type-2 Diabetes

The objective of a recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, published in October 2023, was to confirm the relationship between eating meat and type-2 diabetes.  The analysis revealed associations between the consumption of red and/or processed meats and the development of type-2 diabetes.  (1)

• Each daily serving of processed red meat consumed is linked to a 46% higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes
• Each daily serving of unprocessed red meat consumed is linked to a 24% higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes
• Substituting one daily serving of nuts and legumes for one daily serving of total red meat is linked to a 30% lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes
• Substituting one daily serving of nuts and legumes for one daily serving of processed red meat is linked to a 41% lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes
• Substituting one daily serving of nuts and legumes for one daily serving of unprocessed red meat is linked to a 29% lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes

This study included over 216,000 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study with almost 484,000 person-years of follow-up. Its results added to the conclusions of earlier studies, including the two following examples. (1)

A report from April 2023 looked at the effects of dietary factors on the incidence of type-2 diabetes in 184 countries between the years of 1990 and 2018.  It concluded that 70.3% of new cases of type-2 diabetes globally could be attributed to the intake of eleven foods – insufficient intake of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and yogurt; and excessive intake of refined rice and wheat, processed meats, unprocessed red meats, potatoes and fruit juices. (2)

A review of nine previous studies, which was published in 2019, also illustrated that eating a plant-based diet was associated with significantly lowered risk for type-2 diabetes.  The greatest reduction in risk  resulted from eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes.  The beneficial effects of these foods likely stem from their high concentrations of protective nutrients such as antioxidants and phytonutrients, their low levels of saturated fat and their complete lack of cholesterol. (3)

In 2022 an expert consensus statement from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine declared that plant-based diets should be the primary intervention for type-2 diabetes.  The statement reported that low-fat, whole food, plant-based diets with minimal consumption of meat and other animal products are extremely effective in achieving remission from type-2 diabetes.  Contrarily, very low-carbohydrate diets, such as keto and paleo diets, are associated with significant adverse outcomes and increased cardiovascular risk and are not linked to long-term reductions of type-2 diabetes.  This statement was endorsed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Endocrine Society.  (4)

 

 SOURCES

1 Gu, X., Drouin-Chartier, J.P., Sacks, F.M., et al. Red meat intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study of United States females and males.  Am J Clin Nutr. 2023. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.08.021.

2  O’Hearn, M., Lara-Castor, L., Cudhea, F., et al. Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries. Nat Med. 2023;(4):982-995. doi:10.1038/s41591-023-02278-8.

3  Qian, F., Liu, G., Hu, F.B., Bhupathiraju, S.N., Sun, Q. Association between plant-based dietary patterns and risk of type 2 diabetes. A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2019 Oct 1; 179(10): 1335-1344. Doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2195. PMID: 31329220; PMCID: PMC6646993.

4  Rosenfeld, R.M., Kelly, J.H., Agarwal, M., et al. Dietary interventions to treat type 2 diabetes in adults with a goal of remission: an expert consensus statement from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. Published online May 18, 2022. Doi: 10.1177/15598276221087624.