RED MEAT AND PROCESSED MEATS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK

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RED MEAT AND PROCESSED MEATS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK


    


An analysis of data from 1.97 million participants, published today in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, has found that meat consumption, mainly processed meat and unprocessed red meat, is associated with a higher type 2 diabetes risk.

Global meat production has increased rapidly in recent decades, and meat consumption exceeds dietary guidelines in many countries. Earlier research indicated that higher intakes of processed meat and unprocessed red meat are associated with an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. Still, the results have been variable and need to be more conclusive.

Poultry such as chicken, turkey, or duck is often considered an alternative to processed meat or unprocessed red meat. Still, fewer studies have examined the association between poultry consumption and type 2 diabetes.

To determine the association between the consumption of processed meat, unprocessed red meat, and poultry and type 2 diabetes, the team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge used the global InterConnect project to analyze data from 31 study cohorts in 20 countries. Their extensive analysis considered age, gender, health-related behaviors, energy intake, and body mass index.

The researchers found that the habitual consumption of 50 grams of processed meat a day—equivalent to 2 slices of ham—is associated with a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years. The consumption of 100 grams of unprocessed red meat a day—equivalent to a small steak—was associated with a 10% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

Habitual consumption of 100 grams of poultry daily was associated with an 8% higher risk. Still, when further analyses were conducted to test the findings under different scenarios, the association with poultry consumption became weaker. In contrast, the associations with type 2 diabetes for each processed and unprocessed meat persisted.

Professor Nita Forouhi of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, and a senior author on the paper, said:

"Our research provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of an association between eating processed meat and unprocessed red meat and a higher future risk of type 2 diabetes. It supports recommendations to limit the consumption of processed and unprocessed red meat to reduce type 2 diabetes cases.

While our findings provide more comprehensive evidence on the association between poultry consumption and type 2 diabetes than previously available, the link remains uncertain and needs further investigation."

InterConnect uses an approach that allows researchers to analyze individual participant data from diverse studies rather than being limited to published results. This enabled the authors to include as many as 31 studies in this analysis, 18 of which had not previously published findings on the link between meat consumption and type 2 diabetes. By including this unpublished study data, the authors considerably expanded the evidence base and reduced the potential for bias from the exclusion of existing research.

Lead author Dr Chunxiao Li, also of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, said:

"Previous meta-analysis involved pooling together published results from studies on the link between meat consumption and type 2 diabetes. However, our analysis examined data from individual participants in each study. This meant that we could harmonize the critical data collected across studies, such as the meat intake information and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Using harmonized data also meant we could more easily account for different factors, such as lifestyle or health behaviors, that may affect the association between meat consumption and diabetes. "

Professor Nick Wareham, Director of the MRC Epidemiology Unit and a senior author on the paper, said:

"InterConnect enables us to study the risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes across populations in many different contexts worldwide, helping to include populations underrepresented in traditional meta-analyses.

Most research studies on meat and type 2 diabetes have been conducted in the USA and Europe, with some in East Asia. This research included additional studies from the Middle East, Latin America, and South Asia and highlighted the need for investment in research in these regions and in Africa.

Using harmonized data and unified analytic methods across nearly 2 million participants allowed us to provide more concrete evidence of the link between consumption of different types of meat and type 2 diabetes than was previously possible."

InterConnect was initially funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under grant agreement no 602068.


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