New Conclusive Study: Type 2 diabetes warning: Too much red meat and poultry can increase risk

By zevi770 · September 10, 2017

EATING too much dark meat can significantly increase the risk of diabetes, a new study suggests.

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.

Eating too much dark meat can increase your risk of diabetes

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Those eating the most red meat increase their risk by 23 per cent

We know eating more red and processed meats is associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes

Dietitian Pav Kalsi – Clinical adviser to charity Diabetes UK

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.

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Eating more fruit and vegetables can help

“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 reduce the daily intake, especially for red meat, and choose chicken breast and fish or shellfish, or plantbased protein food and dairy products, to reduce the risk of diabetes.”

The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Dr Annie Ling, director of the Singapore government’s Health Promotion Board said: “The findings affirm HPB’s recommendation to consume red meat in moderation and that a healthy and balanced diet should contain sufficient and varied protein sources, including healthier alternatives to red meat such as fish, tofu and legumes.”

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