Most people know that an unhealthy doet – particulat one high in sugar – can increrase your risk of developing diabetes. But what is not so well known is the link between red meat and type 2 diabetes.
A paper published in the Lancet in September highlighted the link using data from the Americas, the Mediterranean, Europe, south-east Asia and the Western Pacific. The recent study, with nearly 2million participants, found that high consumption of unprocessed red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork, and processed meat, such as bacon, salami and chorizo, increased the incidence of type 2 diabetes says Gulshanara Begum, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition & Exercise Science at the University of Westminster.
In type 2 diabetes, due to our body not having enough insulin or inability to use the insulin, blood glucose reaches high levels, causing symptoms such as extreme thirst, increased need to pass urine and feelings of tiredness. Long-term health issues include nerve damage, foot problems and heart disease.
Gulshanara told The Conversation : “The underlying mechanisms linking red meat intake with type 2 diabetes are unclear. Mechanisms could relate to the function of the pancreas, insulin sensitivity or a combination of the two. Red meat has high levels of saturated fat and is low in polyunsaturated fats, which could disrupt insulin sensitivity.
“Research has also shown that a high protein intake from animal sources (compared to vegetarian sources) can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, possibly due to the high levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in animal protein.”
Another potential mechanism involves the microbes in our gut. How we cook meat may also add to the prpblem. Cooking meat at high temperatures, such as grilling and barbecuing, can produce harmful compounds called “advanced glycation end products”.
These compounds can damage cells. And long-term iron intake or iron overload may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Gulshanara said “In the UK, people are advised to consume no more than 70g (cooked weight) of red meat per day and to avoid eating processed meat.”
She added: “Where possible, try to consume fibre-rich vegetables with red meat. Small steps can be taken to reduce your red meat intake by having smaller portions or choosing a day in the week that is meat free (meat-free Mondays, say), or substituting some (or all) of the meat in recipes with chicken, fish, beans, lentils or the like.
“And for those days you do eat red meat, try poaching, steaming or stewing it – it’s healthier than grilling or barbecuing.”