A major US study by the Harvard School of Public health shows the possibility of increasing the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by having a daily serving of a hot dog and two slices of bacon.
The study by the experts from Harvard, which was published in the American Journals of Clinical Nutrition, is the largest study of its kind.
The risk of getting type 2 diabetes is increased by 19 percent by eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat a day, and by 51 percent with a daily meal of 50 grams of processed red meat.
The risks can however be lowered by substituting red meat with nuts, whole grain proteins, low-fat dairy and white meat.
“Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide,” said senior author Frank Hu.
“The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.”
The study sourced its data from the responses given by over 204,000 people between 15 and 28 years old, in health professionals and US nurses studies.
The US Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention reported that nearly 350 million adults worldwide are affected by diabetes, with over 11 percent of adults more than 20 years of age or 25.6 million people in the United States afflicted with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease which is characterized by high blood sugar levels. It is often caused by unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and obesity.
Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that involves high levels of blood sugar, is often caused by obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits.
——–
Red meat, particularly processed red meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, may increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The more processed or unprocessed red meat a person eats, the greater the risk, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Type 2 diabetes is linked with obesity. It occurs when they body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells do not use insulin properly. Insulin helps the body use glucose or blood sugar for energy. When blood sugar remains elevated with diabetes, complications such as heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage can occur.
In the study, participants who ate one 3.5-ounce serving of non-processed red meat a day, such as steak or hamburger, were almost 20% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Those who ate half of this amount of processed meat, such as two slices of bacon or one hot dog, had a 51% increased risk for developing diabetes.
“The amount is not huge, but the risk is pretty high,” says Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “Regular consumption of red meat, especially processed, is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The findings are important given the rising epidemic of diabetes and the increasing consumption of red meat.”
But an industry group disputes the findings of the study.
“A significant body of research shows lean beef plays a beneficial role in a healthy diet, including reducing type 2 diabetes [and] there is simply nothing in this recent Harvard study that should change how people enjoy nutrient-rich beef as part of a healthy, balanced diet, ” says Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD, the executive director of human nutrition research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in a statement to WebMD.
“The most important health advice for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes is to manage your weight, be physically active and follow a diet consistent with Dietary Guidelines which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and protein such as lean beef,” the statement reads.
Less Red Meat on the Plate
Exactly how red and processed meat may affect diabetes risk is unknown. “For processed meat, the high amount of nitrate preservatives may increase risk for insulin resistance,” a pre-diabetes condition that occurs when the cells of the body become resistant to the effects of insulin, Hu says.
What’s more, red meats also contain high amounts of iron, and high total body iron stores have been associated with an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the study researchers.
“We should minimize the consumption of processed meat as much as possible and also reduce our consumption of red meat,” Hu says. “It shouldn’t be the center of our plate.”
Red meat boosts diabetes risk: US study
A major US study by the Harvard School of Public health shows the possibility of increasing the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by having a daily serving of a hot dog and two slices of bacon.
The study by the experts from Harvard, which was published in the American Journals of Clinical Nutrition, is the largest study of its kind.
The risk of getting type 2 diabetes is increased by 19 percent by eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat a day, and by 51 percent with a daily meal of 50 grams of processed red meat.
The risks can however be lowered by substituting red meat with nuts, whole grain proteins, low-fat dairy and white meat.
“Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide,” said senior author Frank Hu.
“The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.”
The study sourced its data from the responses given by over 204,000 people between 15 and 28 years old, in health professionals and US nurses studies.
The US Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention reported that nearly 350 million adults worldwide are affected by diabetes, with over 11 percent of adults more than 20 years of age or 25.6 million people in the United States afflicted with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease which is characterized by high blood sugar levels. It is often caused by unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and obesity.
Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that involves high levels of blood sugar, is often caused by obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits.
——–
Red meat, particularly processed red meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, may increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The more processed or unprocessed red meat a person eats, the greater the risk, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Type 2 diabetes is linked with obesity. It occurs when they body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells do not use insulin properly. Insulin helps the body use glucose or blood sugar for energy. When blood sugar remains elevated with diabetes, complications such as heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage can occur.
In the study, participants who ate one 3.5-ounce serving of non-processed red meat a day, such as steak or hamburger, were almost 20% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Those who ate half of this amount of processed meat, such as two slices of bacon or one hot dog, had a 51% increased risk for developing diabetes.
“The amount is not huge, but the risk is pretty high,” says Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “Regular consumption of red meat, especially processed, is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The findings are important given the rising epidemic of diabetes and the increasing consumption of red meat.”
But an industry group disputes the findings of the study.
“A significant body of research shows lean beef plays a beneficial role in a healthy diet, including reducing type 2 diabetes [and] there is simply nothing in this recent Harvard study that should change how people enjoy nutrient-rich beef as part of a healthy, balanced diet, ” says Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD, the executive director of human nutrition research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in a statement to WebMD.
“The most important health advice for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes is to manage your weight, be physically active and follow a diet consistent with Dietary Guidelines which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and protein such as lean beef,” the statement reads.
Less Red Meat on the Plate
Exactly how red and processed meat may affect diabetes risk is unknown. “For processed meat, the high amount of nitrate preservatives may increase risk for insulin resistance,” a pre-diabetes condition that occurs when the cells of the body become resistant to the effects of insulin, Hu says.
What’s more, red meats also contain high amounts of iron, and high total body iron stores have been associated with an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the study researchers.
“We should minimize the consumption of processed meat as much as possible and also reduce our consumption of red meat,” Hu says. “It shouldn’t be the center of our plate.”
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