Meat Consumption Linked to Increased Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Consumption of unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry is associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online in the September issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Chunxiao Li, Ph.D., from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine in the United Kingdom, and colleagues used data from worldwide cohorts and harmonized analytical approaches to examine the associations of unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry consumption with type 2 diabetes. Data were included from 31 cohorts participating in the InterConnect project.

The researchers identified 107,271 incident cases of type 2 diabetes during a median follow-up of 10 years among 1,966,444 adults. Median meat consumption across cohorts was 0 to 110, 0 to 49, and 0 to 72 g/day for unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry, respectively. An increased incidence of type 2 diabetes was seen in association with greater consumption of each of the three types of meat. In North America and in the European and Western Pacific regions, positive associations were seen between meat consumption and type 2 diabetes, while in other regions, the confidence intervals were wide.

"The current findings support the notion that lowering the consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meat could benefit public health by reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes," the authors write. "Uncertainty remains regarding the positive association between poultry consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, and this association should be further investigated."

Several authors disclosed ties to dairy associations.

Abstract/Full Text

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)