People who eat just two servings of red meat per week may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who eat fewer servings, and the risk increases with greater consump…

It’s worth noting that the correlation held for total red meat consumption along with considering just processed red meats and unprocessed red meat separately

There are certainly some limitations of this study but it does align with the growing body of evidence suggesting a potential link between any red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes

  • @zero_gravitas@aussie.zoneEnglish
    33•7 months ago

    Per-capita beef consumption has fallen by ~40% since 1976 (source) and rates of diabetes have nearly tripled since then (source).

    So it doesn’t seem like telling people ‘eat less red meat’ moves the needle on diabetes rates.

    • @usernamesAreTrickyOP
      5•7 months ago

      This study looks at the effects more so of replacing red meat with plant-based foods, not so much the effects of replacing it with chicken which is what the per capita consumption changes so more there

      There are of course a number of other factors indeed that influence diabetes, yes

  • @socphoenix@midwest.social
    21•7 months ago

    Any idea if they controlled for other factors? Like were those who are the most red meat also the most likely to overeat etc?

    It sounds fascinating but there’s almost no details unless you purchase a day pass to view the journal

    • @socphoenix@midwest.social
      22•7 months ago

      Found the answer on npr:

      It’s difficult to unravel whether the meat itself, or some constituent of the meat, may explain the increased risk of diabetes. Another possible explanation is, people who consume a lot of red meat may have other things in common that could drive up their risk. For instance, excess body weight is a key risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

      It turned out, the participants in the study who consumed high amounts of red meat also had higher BMIs. They consumed more calories and were less physically active compared to those who consumed the least red meat. Researchers used statistical methods to adjust for confounding variables. “We found that about half of the excess risk with red meat consumption was explained by excess body weight,” Willett says, “but there was still an increased risk [of developing diabetes] even after taking into account body weight,” he says.

      source

      So basically 50% of the risk was lack of activity/obesity, with the other half variable risks from things like (possibly even primarily) red meat.

  • UlyssesT [he/him]English
    -3•7 months ago

    Sunk cost fallacy compels “renew your man card with le epic bacon and epic le steak” consumers to ignore or outright angrily reject such information. up-yours-woke-moralists