(Bloomberg) — Eating meat increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the findings of a new study.
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 the disease, researchers from the University of Cambridge found. Eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat, such as a small steak, raises the risk by 10%, they said.
There’s currently no cure for diabetes, which affects the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, but it can be controlled. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, affecting more than 500 million people worldwide. Research estimates that global aging and rising body weight will more than double that number by 2050.
More than 107,000 of the 1.97 million adults in the study went on to develop diabetes after 10 years. The research is broader than previous studies because it includes data from the Middle East, Latin America and South Asia, said Nick Wareham, director of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University. Previous studies have focused on the US and Europe, Wareham said.
Global meat production has grown rapidly in recent decades, with consumption exceeding dietary guidelines in many countries, the study said.
Type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight. Drugmakers such as Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. have invested heavily in their treatments, Ozempic and Mounjaro, respectively. Patients with type 2 diabetes can also get insulin injections and take drugs such as metformin.
While there’s currently no cure, physical exercise and better nutritional habits are recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program.
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