Red meat increases the risk of diabetes

Consumption of red meat seems to increase the risk of type 2 (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus), perhaps in part because of its iron content, according to a study published in the journal "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Red meat is rich in a form of iron easily absorbed by the body, the heme iron. It is a complex between iron and a molecule called heme. Heme iron is found in meat, fish and seafood, while the non-heme iron, less easily absorbed, is found in grains, legumes, nuts, eggs.

The researchers believe that the heme iron in red meat increases the risk of diabetes and yet they admit that the link found between diabetes risk and red meat consumption could be due to something other than the iron content Also in meat.

Studies have suggested a link between excessive amount of iron stored in the body and the development of insulin resistance or diabetes. However, few follow-up studies have confirmed this link.

This is why Dr. Rui Jiang, the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston (USA), studied with his team the link between iron intake and the onset of diabetes type 2 in 38,394 men enrolled in the U.S. study Health Professionals' Follow-up Study.

None of them had diabetes at baseline (1986) and none had heart disease or cancer.

During the 12 years of monitoring, 1,168 men developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that the risk of diabetes appeared to be directly related to the decision-heme iron from red meat. In contrast, no link was found between the total intake of iron or heme iron from other sources than red meat. Finally, the donation has not been associated with such a risk.

"The contribution of heme iron from red meat appears to be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but this study did not determine whether this association is due to the heme iron itself or other components present in red meat, "the researchers said. "Other studies measuring both the intake of heme iron and the amount of iron stored in the body in relation to the risk of type 2 diabetes are needed."