Meat consumption – particularly processed meat and unprocessed red meat – has been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
According to a new study by the University of Cambridge, regular consumption of 50 grams of processed meat a day – equivalent to two slices of ham – is associated with a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.
It also found that the consumption of 100 grams of unprocessed red meat a day – equivalent to a small steak – was associated with a 10% higher risk of the condition.
Habitual consumption of 100 grams of poultry a day was associated with an 8% higher risk.
However, when further analyses were conducted to test the findings under different scenarios, the association for poultry consumption became weaker. In contrast, the associations with the condition for processed meat and unprocessed meat persisted.
Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high.
According to the NHS, it is caused by problems with a chemical in the body (hormone) called insulin. It is often linked to being overweight or inactive, or having a family history of the condition.
Symptoms can include:
- Urinating more than usual
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- Feeling tired
- Losing weight without trying to
- Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
- Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
- Blurred vision.
Reduce type 2 diabetes
Professor Nita Forouhi, of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, is a senior author on the paper. She said: ‘Our research provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of an association between eating processed meat and unprocessed red meat and a higher future risk of type 2 diabetes.
‘It supports recommendations to limit the consumption of processed meat and unprocessed red meat to reduce type 2 diabetes cases in the population.
‘While our findings provide more comprehensive evidence on the association between poultry consumption and type 2 diabetes than was previously available, the link remains uncertain and needs to be investigated further.’
Professor Nick Wareham, director of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, was a senior author on the paper. He said: ‘Most research studies on meat and type 2 diabetes have been conducted in USA and Europe, with some in East Asia.
‘This research included additional studies from the Middle East, Latin America and South Asia, and highlighted the need for investment in research in these regions and in Africa.’
Diagnose diseases
This comes as an AI computer algorithm that analyses the colour of the human tongue to diagnose diseases such as diabetes has been developed.
Other illnesses that can be detected include anaemia, asthma, COVID-19, liver and gallbladder disease, and a range of vascular and digestive problems.
Senior author Ali Al-Naji said ‘the colour, shape and thickness of the tongue can reveal a litany of health conditions’.
For example, a yellow tongue indicates diabetes while white is linked to anaemia. Cancer patients typically have purple tongues with a greasy coating, and indigo or violent indicates vascular or digestive issues or asthma. Severe COVID-19 can cause the tongue to be deep red, while an unusually shaped red tongue is a sign of stroke.
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