People who love rib eye steak, pork chops or hotdogs may want to dismiss the bad news about their favorite food, but experts say you must not. Eating red meat, whether unprocessed or processed, increases the risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
Previous studies have shown that consumption of red meat have certain ill effects to the human body. The amount of saturated fats may cause the cholesterol level to go up that makes one more prone to heart disease. Doctors also constantly warn patients that red meat has been linked to different cancers such as colorectal cancer.
The study titled "Changes in Red Meat Consumption and Subsequent Risk of Type Diabetes Mellitus" published on JAMA Internal Medicine evaluated the connection between the changes in the consumption of red meat and subsequent risks of Type II diabetes.
The proponents followed up data of over 150,000 men and women who participated in previous studies and assessed their diet using validated questionnaires.
Upon follow up, Dr. An Pan from the National University of Singapore and colleagues reported that an increased red meat intake translates to increased risk of type two diabetes mellitus. The team documented that 7,540 subjects developed type two diabetes during the 12-year follow up.
"The results indicate that compared with a group with no change in red meat intake, increasing red meat intake of more than 0.50 servings per day was associated with a 48 percent elevated risk in the subsequent four-year period. Reducing red meat consumption by more than 0.50 servings per day from baseline to the first four years of follow-up was associated with a 14 percent lower risk during the subsequent entire follow-up," explained the researchers through a press release.
"Our results confirm the robustness of the association between red meat and T2DM and add further evidence that limiting red meat consumption over time confers benefits for T2DM [type two diabetes mellitus] prevention," the researchers added.
As the study suggests, increased intake ups the risk for diabetes at a more significant rate than when someone lowers consumption and in effect lowering diabetes risk.
About 25.8 million people in the United States are affected by type two diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is the seventh cause of death in the country.
Like with other things, too much of red meat can be bad while eating moderately sans the fats might just be okay.
