Study: Red Meat And Heme Iron Linked To Type 2 Diabetes
Study: Red Meat and Heme Iron Linked to Type 2 Diabetes A new study confirms the link between eating meat and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) by demonstrating that the link isnt exclusive to western diets. Researchers from Singapore and China wanted to find out if the association between meat and T2D could be replicated in an eastern population. Woon-Puay Koh (pictured), PhD, a professor in the Office of Clinical Sciences at Duke University-National University of Singapore Medical School, in Singapore, said there are a number of important differences between eastern and western diets. Those differences prompted researchers to take an eastern-specific look at the issue of meat and diabetes risk, something they had never seen done before. One key difference between western and eastern diets is that people in Singapore and China tend to eat more fish and less red meat, and the red meat they eat tends to be pork, rather than beef, due to religious dietary restrictions. Koh said food preparation methods are also different meat tends to be cooked using lower-temperature methods like steaming and stewing. The diabetes risk profile is also different in Singapore, T2D is associated with a lower BMI than in the west. Despite the dietary differences, the association between meat and T2D persisted. Our findings are very similar to the studies from western population, Koh told MD Magazine. In addition, we demonstrated that the risk could be reduced if red meat or poultry was substituted by fish or shellfish. The basis of the new research was the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a massive public health study that tracked 63,000 Chinese patients between 1993 and 1998. The participants ranged in age from 45-74. Two follow-up interviews were conducted with each patient betw Continue reading >>
Red Meat And Poultry Tied To Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Red Meat and Poultry Tied to Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk Eating red meat or darker cuts of poultry may be associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, with higher levels of consumption linked to higher risk, according to new results from the Singapore Chinese Health Study , published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The trial is one of the largest to evaluate meat consumption and diabetes risk in Asian populations. "Compared with those who ate the least amount, those with the highest levels (approximately one serving a day) of red meat or poultry consumption had a 23% and 15% increased risk of diabetes, respectively," lead author Woon-Puay Koh, PhD, a professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, commented by email. Results also suggest that different types of meat may have different effects on type 2 diabetes risk. Varying levels of heme iron, which is found only in meat, may be involved. "After adjustment for heme-iron content in the diet, the red-meat/diabetes association was still present, suggesting that other chemicals present in red meat could be accountable for the increase in risk of diabetes," Dr Koh explained. "Conversely, the association between poultry intake and diabetes risk went away, suggesting that this risk was attributable to the heme-iron content in poultry." The darker cuts of poultry, such as chicken thighs, have higher heme-iron content than breast meat, she noted. Results also indicate that the increased diabetes risk associated with red meat and poultry was reduced if they were substituted by fish or shellfish. "Replacement of red meat and poultry with fish/shellfish may reduce type 2 diabetes risk, and it is worth testing this theory in experimental studies," she added. Asked for outside comment, Keith Ayoob, EdD, a nutrit Continue reading >>
Meat Consumption Associated With Diabetes Risk
Meat Consumption Associated with Diabetes Risk Heme iron content and other chemicals may cause red meat to increase the risk of diabetes. It is thought that a plant-based diet may be more effective preventing diabetes than a meat-based diet; however, not all meat has a similar impact on diabetes risk. In a new study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, a high intake of red meat and poultry significantly increased the risk of diabetes largely due to the high content of heme iron. These findings may provide the basis for shaping dietary recommendations to reduce the risk of diabetes and associated healthcare costs, according to the authors. Included in the study were 63,257 adults aged 45 to 74 years participating in the Singapore Chinese Heath Study between 1993 and 1998. Patients were followed up with for an average of 11 years. The authors noted a positive association between red meat and poultry consumption and diabetes risk. Patients with the highest intake of red meat and poultry had a 23% and 15% increased risk of diabetes, respectively, compared with those who had the lowest consumption, according to the study. Notably, consumption of fish or shellfish did not impact the risk of diabetes. When red meat or poultry was substituted with fish or shellfish, the risk of diabetes was lessened, according to the study. In an attempt to determine the association between meat intake and diabetes, the authors explored the content of dietary heme iron. They discovered a dose-dependent positive association between heme iron content and diabetes risk. After adjusting for heme iron content, the link between red meat and diabetes was still evident, suggesting that other factors are involved, according to the study. However, the relationship between poultry and diabe Continue reading >>
Meat Consumption As A Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes
2.1. Risk Associated with Meat Consumption as a Categorical Variable Researchers investigating relationships between diet and disease risk have sought to identify groups of individuals who differ on relevant dietary variables while remaining reasonably homogeneous in other respects. In this regard, Seventh-day Adventists have been an attractive population for study, because nearly all Adventists avoid tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine, while roughly half are omnivores and half are vegetarians, allowing researchers to identify the effects of dietary variations in an otherwise health-conscious population. Three large Adventist cohorts have examined relationships between meat consumption and diabetes risk in both cross-sectional and prospective analyses (Table 1). The Adventist Mortality Study included a baseline survey of 24,673 white Seventh-day Adventists living in California in 1960, revealing 40% and 80% higher prevalences of diabetes among meat-consuming women (prevalence ratio = 1.4, 95% CI, 1.2–1.8) and men (prevalence ratio = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.3–2.5), respectively, compared with vegetarians, after adjustment for age and body weight [7]. Diabetes prevalence increased as the frequency of meat consumption increased. During the 21-year follow-up of this cohort focusing on those who did not report diabetes at baseline, the mention of diabetes on a death certificate was used as a surrogate for diabetes prevalence [7]. Compared with those who avoided meat, the relative risk of having diabetes on a death certificate, adjusted for age, was 2.2 (RR = 2.2, 95% CI, 1.5–3.4) for meat-consuming men and 1.4 (RR = 1.4, 95% CI, 1.0–1.9) for meat-consuming women. Meat consumption was defined as having red meat or poultry at least once weekly (fish was reportedly rarely consumed i Continue reading >>
Lots Of Red Meat And Poultry Linked To Diabetes Risk
Lots of red meat and poultry linked to diabetes risk Posted by National University of Singapore September 13th, 2017 You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. New research links an increased risk of diabetes to higher intake of red meat and poultry, and suggests dietary iron may play a role in the association. These findings come from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which recruited 63,257 adults aged 4574 years between 1993 and 1998, and then followed them up for an average of about 11 years. The study found a positive association between intakes of red meat and poultry and the risk of developing diabetes. Specifically, compared to those in the lowest quartile intake, those in the highest quartile intake of red meat and poultry had a 23 percent and 15 percent increase in risk of diabetes, respectively, while the intake of fish/shellfish was not associated with risk of diabetes. Substituting fish/shellfish for red meat/poultry reduced the risk. In trying to understand the underlying mechanism for the role of red meat and poultry in the development of diabetes, the study also investigated the association between dietary heme-iron content from all meats and the risk of diabetes, and found a dose-dependent positive association. After adjusting for heme-iron content in the diet, the red meat and diabetes association was still present, suggesting that other chemicals present in red meat could be accountable for the increase in risk of diabetes. Conversely, the association between poultry intake and diabetes risk became null, suggesting that this risk was attributable to the heme-iron content in poultry. This is one of the largest Asian studies looking at meat consumption and diabetes risk. While the findings are consistent with o Continue reading >>
Meat And Diabetes
Singer Chaka Khan says she reversed her Type 2 diabetes with a vegan diet. We know from several studies that vegetarian and vegan (no meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey) diets help prevent, control, and even reverse diabetes. But how do they do that? Neal Barnard, MD, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, is probably the leading advocate for medical veganism. He says that animal fats cause diabetes; that they block cells’ insulin receptors. He says insulin is like a key, opening a lock to get glucose into cells. Fats are like chewing gum stuck in the keyhole so insulin can’t work. Barnard cites data tracking the rise of diabetes in Japan. He shows how closely this rise follows the introduction of the meaty American diet, so he blames the meats for the diabetes. Some studies back him up. An article in Diabetes Care in 2002 reported that “A large body of experimental data generated in laboratory animals strongly supports the notion that high-fat diets are associated with impaired insulin action.” But many disagree. Quinn Phillips wrote here last year about studies showing people given vegan diets reduced their A1C and their diabetes medicines. Quinn got some interesting comments. Reader VegLowCarbDiabetic wrote, I adjusted my…diet to a very low-carb, high-good-fats (olive, coconut, avocado) [diet] with moderate protein [—] mostly from eggs, nuts, and fermented homemade organic raw milk products, such as kefir and strained yogurt, [as well as] fish oils… My A1C went from 11.5 down to 5.5 currently. Note that this is not a vegan diet — it includes eggs, dairy, and fish oil — but it does not include meat. So was it the decreased animal fat that lowered his A1C? Commenter Glen says no: Any glycemic changes in a vegan diet are usually t Continue reading >>
A Diabetes Link To Meat
Right Now | Getting the Red out [extra:Extra] Read more about Harvard’s “Healthy Eating Plate.” Also: Red-meat consumption is already linked to higher levels of colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease (atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke). Now researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have added an increased risk of type 2 (adult onset) diabetes to that list. The incurable illness occurs when the body’s ability to control blood glucose levels by means of insulin secretion becomes impaired, either because of “insulin resistance” (when insulin fails to trigger effective glucose uptake by muscle or other tissues), or because production of insulin by beta cells in the pancreas declines. The HSPH investigators, led by professor of epidemiology Frank Hu and research fellow An Pan, analyzed data from three longitudinal studies of male and female healthcare professionals who were followed for 14 to 28 years. After adjusting for other risk factors, the researchers found that a daily serving of red meat no larger than a deck of cards increased the risk of adult-onset diabetes by 19 percent. Processed red meat proved much worse: a daily serving half that size—one hot dog, or two slices of bacon, for example—was associated with a 51 percent increase in risk. (The average 10-year risk of getting diabetes for U.S. adults is around 10 percent.) Why is red meat harmful? “Saturated fat, which can lead to cardiovascular disease, is really just the beginning of the story,” explains Hu. Even though it is “difficult to pinpoint one compound or ingredient” as mechanistically linked to diabetes risk, three components of red meat—sodium, nitrites, and iron—are probably involved. Sodium is well known to increase blood pressure, but it also c Continue reading >>
How To Reduce Your Risk Of Diabetes: Cut Back On Meat
You probably know that eating too much sugar and fat increases your risk of getting type 2 diabetes . But research increasingly shows that a food you might not expect meat can dramatically raise your chances as well. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Your body needs protein. But if you have diabetes or a risk of diabetes its wise to cut back onyour meat intake to improve your health. A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association examined the deaths of nearly 700,000 people in 2012 from heart disease, stroke and type 2diabetes. They found that nearly 50 percent of the deaths were related to poor nutritional choices . For people who already had diabetes, their risk of death increased if they consumed more processed meats. Another study released this spring from researchers in Finland analyzed the diets ofmore than 2,300 middle-aged men, ages 42 to 60. At the outset, none of the participants had type 2 diabetes. In the follow-up, after 19 years 432 participants did. Researchers found that those who ate more animal protein and less plant protein had a 35 percent greater risk of getting diabetes. This included any kind of meat processed and unprocessed red meat, white meats and variety meats, which include organ meats such as tongue or liver. The study concluded that choosing plant and egg proteins may help prevent type 2 diabetes. And a final study out of Harvard University found that people who ate a single serving of red meat each day had a 19 percent higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes than those who didnt. An even smaller-sized serving of processed red meat, such as one hot dog or two slices of bacon, in Continue reading >>
The Truth About Red Meat And Diabetes
Not all red meat is created equal – some isn’t even good enough to even be considered food. Yet when a news article talks about red meat being bad for you, you can bet the author (or the study behind the news) failed to distinguish between processed meat and unprocessed meat, as well as overcooked meat and properly cooked meat. That’s not even considering grass-fed meat vs. industrial meat, which I’ve blogged about extensively. “Red-meat-is-bad” articles don’t always deserve a rebuttal because *most* red meat actually is bad for you. However, it’s a major mistake to say all red meat is bad for you. This post serves to confront misleading headlines about red meat and diabetes risk. Let’s ask a few questions, see what the science actually says, and talk about the Bulletproof recommendations. Processed meats like hot dogs, bologna, deli meats etc. contain high omega-6’s, often have mold toxins called mycotoxins, and nitrates that can combine with bad gut bacteria. All of these can be correlated with an increased risk of diabetes. Instead, insist on eating grass fed, low toxin meat to promote good health and optimize performance. Research Doesn’t Distinguish Between Processed Red Meat and Unprocessed Red Meat When articles suggest red meat causes chronic diseases like diabetes, you would expect a high degree of specificity and accuracy. Unfortunately all you get are alarming headlines and half-truths. When you see blog posts like “Hot Dogs, Bacon and Red Meat Tied to Increased Diabetes Risk,” you should ask yourself how the authors justify lumping hot dogs (a blend of soy, wheat, MSG, and cast off animal parts) in with meat and what the study design looked like. Of course, the recent news about diabetes referenced a study that did not distinguish h Continue reading >>
Does Eating Red Meat Increase The Risk Of Diabetes?
No matter how often I write articles defending the place of red meat in a healthy diet, there are always people who get bent out of shape whenever a new study is published with a different twist on the same old “red meat is killing us” story. Although I can’t say addressing these (often ridiculous) studies is the most exciting undertaking, I wanted to write about this one because it’s a prime example of the limitations of observational evidence, and what happens when you control for even the most simple confounding variables. Does red meat really increase your risk of diabetes? Read this to find out! The study in question is titled “Associations between red meat intake and biomarkers of inflammation and glucose metabolism in women,” and was conducted by Walter Willet and a group of other Harvard researchers. (1) Using data from the Nurse’s Health cohort, they identified a positive relationship between red meat intake and higher levels of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, fasting insulin, and Hb A1c, after adjusting for demographic, medical and lifestyle factors. CRP (and sometimes ferritin) are markers for inflammation, and elevated fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1c indicate impaired glucose metabolism. Limitations of Observational Evidence Right off the bat, there’s a glaring weakness in this study that has been largely glossed over by many media reports: all but one of these associations disappeared after adjusting for BMI. As the study authors mention, excess body fat is the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that people with higher BMIs have less-than-ideal biomarkers for glucose metabolism. Additionally, it’s common for people who are overweight or obese to have have underlying chronic inflammat Continue reading >>
Red Meat Linked To Increased Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Processed Red Meats Especially Boost Risk For immediate release: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 Boston, MA A new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers finds a strong association between the consumption of red meatparticularly when the meat isprocessedand an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The study also shows that replacing red meat with healthier proteins, such as low-fat dairy, nuts, or whole grains, can significantly lower the risk. The study, led by An Pan, research fellow in the HSPH Department of Nutrition, will be published online in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutritionon August 10, 2011 and will appear in the October print edition. Pan, senior author [[Frank Hu]], professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, and colleagues analyzed questionnaire responses from 37,083 men followedfor 20 years in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; 79,570 women followed for 28 years in the Nurses Health Study I; and 87,504 women followed for 14 years in the Nurses Health Study II. They also conducted an updated meta-analysis, combining data from their new study with data from existing studies that included a total of 442,101 participants, 28,228 of whom developed type 2 diabetes during the study. After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), and other lifestyle and dietary risk factors, the researchers found that a daily 100-gram serving of unprocessed red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) was associated with a 19% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. They also found that one daily serving of half that quantity of processed meat50 grams (for example, one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon)was associated with a 51% increased risk. Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health Continue reading >>
Why Is Meat A Risk Factor For Diabetes?
Bill, I think a lot of McDougall’s program as well. The thing I like about Barnard’s book is that he had recipes that featured low glycemic index plant foods that help to keep blood sugar under control while the diet helps your muscles do a little house cleaning and get the fat out. My understanding is only under high levels of circulating FFA do those fats get stash fat in the muscles, so given an opportunity the fat out of the muscles when the circulating levels of FFA drop. That means the effectiveness of the diet isn’t predicated on losing a bunch of weight, which is good since you say that you are already lean. The trouble is that the source of the free fatty acids is mainly from saturated fat, the very type of fat that is highest in most low-carb diets. So instead of fixing the root cause of diabetes, a low-carb diet that is high in saturated fat may in fact *be* the root cause of diabetes. Thus the recommended diabetic diet might in fact be the cause for why once developed diabetes only progresses and never reverses or stays the same! It is like treating somebody for a toxic effects of a low level poison by putting them on a diet containing the poison. Also non-estrified fatty acids (NEFA) that come from saturated fat also reduced insulin output from the pancreas. So the same high saturated fat diet that is causing insulin resistance looks to be also reducing the body’s ability produce more insulin to compensate. The good news is that without the suppressive effect of saturated fat, you body might be able to produce more insulin than you think it can. And even better new is that the effects of going whole hog (so to speak) and going 100% plant based (with sufficient fore thought and planning and practice so it isn’t punishment food) appears to be rapid Continue reading >>
Does Consuming Red Meat Increase Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk?
We’ve always been told to make sure you eat your meat, especially red meat as it is chalk full of important vitamins and nutrients such as iron, B12, zinc and protein. But red meat is also full of other things that might not be as beneficial to us. You may be aware that too much red meat is high in saturated fat, which in turn raises your cholesterol. Higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) are associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease. But it was found during many research studies that a higher consumption of red meat can also lead to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Across the world, type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic levels, affecting almost 400 million from all over. In the United States, more than 21 million people have been diagnosed with another 8.1 million undiagnosed or unaware that they have type 2, as estimated by the CDC. The Data Doesn’t Lie Recent studies conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have determined a link between consuming red meat in excess and the increase in incidences of Type 2 diabetes. The study found that those who are eating more red met, roughly 3 ½ servings or more each week, had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 50% within the next four years. When you think about an increase by 50% this is substantial. The study’s co-author, Frank Hu, who is a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health stated this was “a really large and significant increase”. While these results are quite alarming, researchers did find that those who decreased their consumption of red meat, lowered this risk by 14% during their 10-year follow-up. Let’s take a deeper look into what this study truly has revealed. I advise reading the following: W Continue reading >>
“sugar Does Not Cause Diabetes”: Did The Film What The Health Get It Right?
The documentary What the Health is receiving a huge amount of attention and most of it is positive. Many reports of people attempting to eat better are filling social media. I discussed the film on a local TV station in Detroit after two reporters indicated that the movie had made a big impact on their diets. There have even been reports that restaurants serving healthier fare have seen an uptick in customers attributing the change to the film. I have seen this in my own plant-based restaurant and have a What The Health Happy Hour that has been very popular. Naturally, there have been critics of the movie defending their viewpoint that meat based diets are healthy, but most have rallied around a statement in the film by Neal Barnard, MD that “sugar does not cause diabetes”. As the answer to this question may be important to you, I have done some research and share it here but this is in NO way an endorsement to add back soda and candy bars to your diet. In a world stressed by growing obesity and its medical consequences, limiting sugar is a universal recommendation from all health experts. 1) Type 1 diabetes is not caused by sugar. All agree on this as type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease leading to destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. However, patients with type 1 diabetes can develop and reverse insulin resistance (IR) in their muscles and liver so understanding the origin of IR is important. 2) Who is Neal Barnard, MD? Dr. Barnard is a graduate of the George Washington University School of Medicine and an adjunct associate professor of medicine there. He has published over 70 scientific publications (including long term studies on diet and diabetes) and 18 books including several New York Times bestsellers on health and diabe Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Warning: Too Much Red Meat And Poultry Can Increase Risk
Dinner time favourites such as beef and lamb are high in iron, a mineral associated with triggering the debilitating disease. But even chicken thighs and drumsticks can be bad for you, say experts. The darker the meat, the greater the risk, with scientists finding a direct link between consumption and Type 2 diabetes. Almost 12 million Britons are thought to be at risk of developing the condition, which is linked to lifestyle factors such as poor diet. Analysis of more than 60,000 people shows those eating the most red meat increase their risk by 23 per cent while for those who eat a lot of dark poultry meat the risk increases by 15 per cent. Experts suggest cutting out dark meat and replacing it with chicken breast, fish, shellfish and vegetables. Dietitian Pav Kalsi, clinical adviser to charity Diabetes UK, said: “We know eating more red and processed meats is associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. “Simple changes to diet include eating less processed and red meat and instead getting protein from plant sources such as pulses, beans and lentils and from lean poultry and oily fish. “Eating more fruit and vegetables and whole grains, as well as cutting down on the amount of sugar, salt and fat in your diet can help too.” The new study, one of the biggest of its kind, looked at the diets of 63,257 people aged between 45 and 74 who took part in the Singapore Chinese Health Study between 1993 and 1998. Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore then followed the group over the next 11 years, identifying 5,207 new cases of Type 2 diabetes. They say the association between red meat intake and Type 2 risk was “statistically significant”. Senior author Professor Koh Woon Puay said: “We don’t need to remove meat from the diet entirely just re Continue reading >>
