1. In this prospective cohort study, red meat consumption was positively and linearly associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).

2. Furthermore, substituting one serving of nuts, legumes, or dairy per day for total, processed, or unprocessed red meat was associated with a significant decrease in T2D risk.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a highly prevalent chronic disease that is associated with several lifestyle factors. One lifestyle factor in particular that has been implicated in the risk of developing T2D is red meat consumption. However, prior studies investigating this association have had several methodological challenges, given the long course it takes to develop T2D. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the association between red meat consumption and the risk of developing T2D and the impact of substituting protein sources for red meat on this association with extended follow-up.

This prospective cohort study included 216,695 participants from three studies: the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Across the three studies, patients aged 25 to 75 at recruitment were included, which began in 1976 for the earliest study. Female participants with an energy intake of <500 or >3500 kcal/day were excluded, while male participants with an energy intake of <800 or >4200 kcal/day were excluded. Further, participants were excluded if they had a history of diabetes, myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft, or cancer or if they had missing data regarding age or baseline red meat consumption. Red meat and other dietary consumption were assessed every 2 to 4 years using food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), and T2D incidence was obtained from biennial questionnaires. The primary outcome was the risk of developing diabetes based on red meat consumption.

The results demonstrated that there was a positive and linear relationship between red meat consumption and the risk of developing T2D. The risk of developing T2D was highest for total red meat consumption, followed by processed red meat and unprocessed red meat. In investigating the role of other protein sources on T2D, the study found that substituting one serving per day of nuts and legumes for red meat resulted in a decreased risk of T2D and that this reduction was greatest when substituting for processed red meat. A similar finding was found for dairy products, whereby substituting one serving per day of dairy products for red meat was associated with a decreased risk of developing T2D. However, this study was limited by the fact that all included participants were health professionals, which may have limited the generalizability of the findings. Nonetheless, the present study further demonstrated the impact of red meat consumption on the risk of developing T2D.

Click to read the study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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