Does eating ham, bacon and beef really increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

The Cambridge study used data from almost 2 million people from 31 studies. Participants were followed for an average of ten years. During this time, about one in 20 people developed type 2 diabetes.

The research found that for every additional 100g of red meat consumed per day, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased by 10%. Eating just half that amount of processed meat per day was associated with an even greater increase in the risk of the disease.

This is not the first time that both processed and red meat have been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but the key strength of the Cambridge study was that it attempted to control for many of the other factors associated with the disease, including smoking, excess weight, diet and exercise.

However, the magnitude of the increased risk is small considering that few of the people involved in the study ate 50g or more of processed meat per day, meaning that moderate ham consumption is unlikely to have a significant impact on your risk.

What is the link?

Processed meat has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes because it contains nitrates and salt – additives used to cure many processed meat products.

Nitrates and salt in processed meats have also been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization classifies these additives as Group 1 carcinogens, meaning they can cause a number of cancers.

The mechanism linking processed meat to cancer appears to be similar to that potentially linked to type 2 diabetes. During digestion, processed meat produces N-nitroso chemicals that can damage cells. This can cause inflammation and interfere with the action of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar (glucose). This, in turn, can lead to insulin resistance, when the cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily absorb glucose from your blood.

Red meat is rich in iron. Research suggests that people with high iron levels are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. However, low iron levels are more of a health risk for the general population.

Another possible connection with red meat could be the way it is prepared.

Previous studies have shown that charred meat cooked over an open flame or at high temperatures is also linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Charred meat leads to the formation of toxic chemicals such as heterocyclic aromatic amines and harmful compounds such as advanced glycation end products, both of which have been linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Goodbye barbecue and bacon butties?

The key message is reduction, not avoidance. The UK government’s dietary recommendations give good advice: limit your combined consumption of red and processed meat to no more than 70g per day on average.

However, these guidelines also suggest that red meat can be a valuable source of iron, so if you decide to stop eating red meat, consider eating alternative sources of iron such as beans, lentils, dark green vegetables and fortified cereals.

This must be done as part of a carefully planned diet. Non-meat sources of iron are harder for our bodies to absorb and should therefore be consumed together with a source of vitamin C, which is found in green vegetables and citrus fruits.

The best advice for reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight (if you are overweight, consider losing weight) and to get as much physical activity as possible.

A healthy diet should be based on plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds, as well as some whole grains, some dairy, fish and white meat (or vegetarian alternatives) – as well as moderate amounts of red meat and little processed meat. This reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many cancers – and is also better for the environment.

But if you have a penchant for ham sandwiches, you can still indulge in them occasionally. It’s your lifestyle and diet that really determine your health and your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Duane Mellor is a member of the British Dietetic Association. He is a vegetarian but his professional work involves promoting healthy diets for individuals and communities that best suit their personal and health needs.