Diabetes and Meat Consumption. Is it a Risk Factor?
Updated: May 2
One important risk factor for type 2 diabetes is the role of meat, especially red and processed meat. Seemingly the facts behind this are less well known than other risk factors. Perhaps because other factors have been prioritised and studied in greater depth. Or, perhaps because people don’t want to hear more bad news about meat.
Before we go any further, this article is not going to tell you not to eat meat. Some readers might find the evidence to be useful or applicable to their circumstances. Discuss the evidence with your medical practitioner if you have questions or concerns; links to relevant studies are provided at the end of the article.
So, what is the diabetes risk from meat, is it significant? A recent major study that analyses overall risk from various eating patterns estimates the risk factor as: 20.3% from excess processed meat and 20.1 % from unprocessed red meat, compared to the risk of consuming insufficient whole grains (26.1%) or consuming excess refined rice and wheat (24.6%).
Diabetes is an illness that is often associated with excess weight, a high BMI. Most people with diabetes or pre-diabetes focus their attention on managing sugar and, to a lesser degree fat, in their diet. Meat is a major source of saturated fat. Even seemingly lean cuts of meat contain invisible fat within the muscular tissues and cells themselves. When consumed, fat in our muscle cells increases insulin resistance and fat in the diet leads to weight gain and inflammation.
Other factors relate to meat’s role in inflammation within the body. Meat is high in heme iron. Heme iron is linked to inflammation and oxidative stress. There is evidence that meat negatively affects the gut microbiome and increases insulin resistance. Grilling, frying and roasting meat creates advanced glycation end products. These compounds are associated with insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation in patients with diabetes. All these factors affect the body and can result in chronic illness, not only diabetes.
Processed meat appears to hold the highest risk. Replacing meat with fish reduces risk. Whole food and plant forward diets like the popular Mediterranean diet (that does not exclude meat but rather limits it) are associated with decreased risk of diabetes. Lower in saturated fat, high in fibre and rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, especially polyphenols. The Mediterranean diet is just one of many traditional diets, or eating patterns, that can be enjoyed both for health and for taste.
Diabetes is complex, widespread and dangerous. If you live in Singapore the chance of developing T2 diabetes is about 1 in 3. Various lifestyle factors are in involved: being-overweight, poor diet, being sedentary. The same issues that affect us all, right? Moderating meat consumption is one - often overlooked area - that could be of benefit to many.
Stay healthy,
Alastair
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Related studies:
O'Hearn M, Lara-Castor L, Cudhea F, Miller V, Reedy J, Shi P, Zhang J, Wong JB, Economos CD, Micha R, Mozaffarian D; Global Dietary Database. Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries. Nat Med. 2023 Apr;29(4):982-995. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02278-8. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37069363; PMCID: PMC10115653.
Ibsen DB, Warberg CK, Würtz AML, Overvad K, Dahm CC. Substitution of red meat with poultry or fish and risk of type 2 diabetes: a Danish cohort study. Eur J Nutr. 2019 Oct;58(7):2705-2712. doi: 10.1007/s00394-018-1820-0. Epub 2018 Sep 17. PMID: 30225630.
Prasad C, Davis KE, Imrhan V, Juma S, Vijayagopal P. Advanced Glycation End Products and Risks for Chronic Diseases: Intervening Through Lifestyle Modification. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 May 15;13(4):384-404. doi: 10.1177/1559827617708991. PMID: 31285723; PMCID: PMC6600625.
Zelber-Sagi S, Ivancovsky-Wajcman D, Fliss Isakov N, Webb M, Orenstein D, Shibolet O, Kariv R. High red and processed meat consumption is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance. J Hepatol. 2018 Jun;68(6):1239-1246. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.01.015. Epub 2018 Mar 20. PMID: 29571924.
Zelber-Sagi S, Ivancovsky-Wajcman D, Fliss Isakov N, Webb M, Orenstein D, Shibolet O, Kariv R. High red and processed meat consumption is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance. J Hepatol. 2018 Jun;68(6):1239-1246. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.01.015. Epub 2018 Mar 20. PMID: 29571924.
Guasch-Ferré M, Merino J, Sun Q, Fitó M, Salas-Salvadó J. Dietary Polyphenols, Mediterranean Diet, Prediabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review of the Evidence. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:6723931. doi: 10.1155/2017/6723931. Epub 2017 Aug 13. PMID: 28883903; PMCID: PMC5572601.