The Monitor: There is strong evidence that lifestyle changes significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes, but it’s not always clear where to start.
Some studies suggest that two types of meat are best avoided because they can interfere with the body’s genetic mechanisms, exposing the body to disease.
Historically, red meat was thought to affect diabetes risk due to its high levels of fat.
Saturated fats, which are abundant in red meat and many processed foods, can contribute to diabetes risk by increasing belly fat.
According to separate research, other biological mechanisms could explain this link.
And a report published in ScienceDaily found that “a higher intake of red meat and poultry is associated with a significantly higher risk of diabetes.”
This is “in particular due to the high heme iron content in these meats,” the researchers noted.
To elucidate the mechanisms, the researchers evaluated the relationship between the dietary iron content of all meats and the risk of developing diabetes.
After adjusting for the blood and iron content of the diet, the link between red meat and diabetes was still present.
This suggests that other chemicals found in red meat may be responsible for the relationship.
Conversely, when the association between poultry and diabetes intake became nil, indicating that the risk was attributable to the heme iron content of poultry.
According to previous research in BMC Public Health: “Heme iron intake was directly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in healthy adults.”
The heme iron in meat is thought to alter many of the molecular and genetic mechanisms that lead to cancer.
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