Enormous study shows eating any kind of meat could lead to diabetes

Paper Summary

Methodology

The researchers conducted what’s called a “federated meta-analysis” of individual participant data. This means they looked at data from 31 different studies, but instead of combining all the raw data in one place, they used a method that allowed them to analyze the data while it remained within each study’s own system. This approach helps maintain data privacy and security.

For each study, they collected information on participants’ meat consumption (how much unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry they ate), as well as whether they developed Type 2 diabetes during the study period. They also gathered data on other factors that might influence diabetes risk, like age, sex, education, physical activity, and BMI.

Using statistical methods, they then calculated the relationship between meat consumption and diabetes risk, adjusting for these other factors. They did this for each study separately and then combined the results to get an overall picture.

Key Results

The study’s findings revealed a consistent pattern linking increased meat consumption with higher Type 2 diabetes risk. For every 100g increase in daily unprocessed red meat consumption, the risk of developing diabetes rose by 10%. The association was even stronger for processed meat, with a 15% increase in risk for every 50g consumed daily.

Surprisingly, poultry consumption also showed a positive association, with an 8% increase in risk for every 100g consumed daily. These associations were most pronounced in North America and Europe, while the relationship was less clear in other regions. Interestingly, the study also found that replacing processed meat with either unprocessed red meat or poultry was associated with lower diabetes risk, suggesting that processed meats may be particularly detrimental to metabolic health.

Study Limitations

As an observational study, it can demonstrate associations but cannot prove causation between meat consumption and diabetes risk. Additionally, dietary data was mostly collected only once at the start of each study, which doesn’t account for potential changes in eating habits over time. The methods used to assess diet and diagnose diabetes weren’t consistent across all studies, which could introduce some variability in the results.

There was also limited data from some regions, particularly Africa and the Middle East, potentially affecting the global representativeness of the findings. Lastly, despite the researchers’ efforts to account for various factors, it’s impossible to control for all potential confounding variables that might influence diabetes risk.

Discussion & Takeaways

The study provides strong evidence that high meat consumption, especially processed meat, is associated with increased Type 2 diabetes risk across diverse populations. This supports existing dietary recommendations to limit meat intake, particularly processed meat. However, the unexpected association with poultry consumption suggests that simply switching from red to white meat may not be sufficient to reduce diabetes risk.

The study highlights the need for more research into the mechanisms linking meat consumption to diabetes and the potential benefits of more plant-based diets. It also underscores the importance of considering both health and environmental impacts when developing dietary guidelines.

Funding & Disclosures

The study was primarily funded by the European Union, the Medical Research Council, and the National Institute of Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. Some authors reported receiving research grants from dairy industry organizations, but these were unrelated to the current study. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, or writing of the report.