PROCESSED RED MEAT INTAKE INCREASES DIABETES RISK

A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health finds that intake of red meat, especially processed products such as hot dogs, sausage, and salami, increases your risk of type 2 diabetes.  It also found that you can significantly lower your diabetes risk by replacing red meat with healthier proteins such as nuts and low-fat dairy products. 

Researchers examined dietary and disease rate data collected from 3 important studies that tracked  more than 200,000 individuals over 14-28 years.  After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary risk factors including body weight and activity level, the researchers determined that a daily 100-gram serving (about the size of a deck of cards) of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 19% increased risk for type 2 diabetes.  Even worse, a mere 50-gram daily serving of processed meat (equivalent to one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon) was associated with a 51% increased  risk of diabetes.

Among people who ate one daily serving of red meat, substituting nuts resulted in a 21% lower risk, and substituting a low-fat dairy product, a 17% lower risk.  Additionally substituting a serving of meat with a serving of fiber rich whole grains (mainly containing carbohydrates) reduced the risk of diabetes by 23%.

Why is meat intake associated with diabetes, even when controlling for body weight?  A recent study at the University of California, San Diego found that saturated fats which are found in high levels in red meat and full fat dairy, activate a key metabolic pathway associated with the development of type 2 diabetes while polyunsaturated fats like omega-3s shut this pathway down. 

What to do: Diversify your protein sources.  Opt for lean sources including skinless poultry, fish and seafood (especially fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel), eggwhites, lowfat dairy, and beans more often than meat.  Nuts contain both protein and healthy fat so to control your calorie intake, it is important to control your portions of this healthy option.   When you do have meat, choose lean cuts to minimize your intake of unhealthy saturated fat and choose fresh sources over processed sources such as hot dogs, sausage, and salami.  And, when you do go with a processed meat, make a wise choice by selecting a lean, reduced-sodium option without “nitrite” preservatives which appear to increase the risk of cancer. 

SOURCE: Harvard School of Public Health, news release, Aug. 10, 2011.  Adapted from report at:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_115226.html