Substituting red meat with plant-based proteins can lower diabetes risk and yield environmental advantages, say health experts
A recent study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that individuals consuming only two servings of red meat per week may face an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with lower red meat intake.
Red meat and type 2 diabetes risk
The study reveals that the risk of type 2 diabetes increases as red meat consumption rises. The research indicates that substituting red meat with nutritious plant-based protein sources like nuts and legumes or incorporating modest amounts of dairy products reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
“Our findings strongly support dietary guidelines that recommend limiting the consumption of red meat, and this applies to both processed and unprocessed red meat,” said first author Xiao Gu, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition.
While earlier research had identified a connection between the consumption of red meat and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, this study, which scrutinised a substantial number of type 2 diabetes cases in a cohort monitored over several years, enhances the level of certainty regarding this link.
Impact of red meat consumption
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing in the United States and globally. This is worrying due to the considerable burden this disease places on individuals and because it is a significant risk factor for conditions such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases, cancer, and dementia.
In the investigation, the scientists examined health data obtained from 216,695 participants involved in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Dietary habits were assessed through food frequency questionnaires administered every two to four years over up to 36 years. Over this extended duration, more than 22,000 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Benefits of substituting red meat
The study revealed a robust connection between the consumption of red meat, both processed and unprocessed, and an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. Individuals with the highest red meat intake faced a 62% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest intake.
Each additional daily serving of processed red meat was linked to a 46% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In comparison, each extra daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24% higher risk.
The researchers also computed the potential impacts of replacing one daily serving of red meat with an alternative protein source. Their findings indicated that substituting a serving of nuts and legumes was linked to a 30% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and substituting a serving of dairy products was associated with a 22% lower risk.
“Given our findings and previous work by others, a limit of about one serving per week of red meat would be reasonable for people wishing to optimise their health and wellbeing,” said senior author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition.
Environmental considerations
Aside from the health advantages, the researchers also noted that replacing red meat with nutritious plant-based protein sources would mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, address climate change, and deliver various environmental benefits.
