A recent study conducted in the United States showed that excessive consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, may increase the risk of developing diabetes, as this risk increases with each additional meal, according to the “Medical News Today” website.
The results also revealed that replacing red meat with plant-based protein alternatives or other healthy protein sources may contribute to reducing this possibility by up to 14%.
This study adds to a growing body of research confirming that eating red meat, especially processed types such as sausage and pastrami, increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
## What is the effect of red meat on increasing the risk of diabetes?
Based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2016, researchers in this study analyzed the dietary pattern of 34,737 adults and its relationship to the likelihood of developing diabetes.
Researchers found that people who consume larger amounts of red meat, whether processed or unprocessed, are more likely to develop diabetes. Specifically, individuals who ate the highest amounts of red meat had a 49% higher risk of infection compared to those who consumed smaller amounts.
In addition, researchers observed an increase in diabetes risk of between 10% and 16% with each additional serving of red meat per day, depending on the type of red meat consumed.
What is striking about these results is that the relationship between eating red meat and diabetes remained statistically significant even after adjusting for body mass index, which indicates that the increased risk of diabetes is not limited solely to body weight or obesity.
On a positive note, researchers also discovered that replacing red meat with plant proteins (such as nuts and legumes), poultry, dairy products, whole grains, fish, or eggs, was associated with a 9% to 14% lower risk of developing diabetes. The greatest benefit was observed with plant sources of protein.
