Korean people are so serious about meat that there is a joke that says, ‘When there is low pressure, go for meat.’ There are also statistics that show that as a country’s economic level increases, meat consumption also increases. However, as interest in animal welfare has recently increased and the need to respond to global warming has been raised, there are voices calling for reducing meat consumption.
In this situation, research has shown that consuming red meat more than twice a week increases the risk of diabetes.
A research team at Harvard University’s안전놀이터 School of Public Health announced on the 20th that people who eat red meat more than twice a week have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (adult diabetes) than people who eat less or eat vegetarian food. The results of this study were published in the October 19th issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an international journal in the field of food and nutrition.
Type 2 diabetes, commonly called adult diabetes, is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, cancer, and dementia, and the number of patients is steadily increasing worldwide. Although many previous studies have analyzed the association between red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes risk, there have been no long-term follow-up results.
Accordingly, the research team analyzed the health data of 216,695 people who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professional Tracking Study (HPFS). The data analyzed by the research team also included evaluations of health status and diet at intervals of 2 to 4 years for up to 36 years.
During the survey period, approximately 22,000 diabetes patients occurred, and it was confirmed that red meat consumption, regardless of whether it is processed or non-processed meat, is closely related to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
It was found that people who consumed the most red meat had a 62% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to people who consumed the least. Consuming processed red meat such as sausage every day increased the risk of developing diabetes by 46%, and consuming unprocessed red meat daily increased the risk by 24%.
Replacing red meat with plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the research team, the risk of diabetes increases as the amount consumed exceeds the number of times consumed.
The research team also measured the effects of replacing red meat with other protein sources. The research team found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was lowered by 30% when replaced with plant-based proteins such as nuts or legumes, and by 22% when replaced with dairy products.
“The results of this study show that red meat consumption needs to be limited as it increases the risk of not only cardiovascular disease but also diabetes,” said Dr. Xiao Gu of Harvard University’s Department of Nutrition, who led the study. “Replacing red meat with plant-based protein sources can improve your health.” “In addition to the commercial benefits, we can also gain environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he explained.
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