Processed red meats identified as a major cause of diabetes
Eating just 50 g of processed meat every day—which is the equivalent of one sausage or two slices of bacon—increases your risk of developing diabetes by 51 per cent. But there’s also a diabetic risk with eating any sort of red meat, although it’s much lower than with the processed versions. A 100-g serving of unprocessed red meat—such as a small steak or lamb chop—increases the risk by 19 per cent.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health say that substituting one serving of processed meat for a healthier option—such as nuts, whole grains, beans or fish—can reduce the risk of diabetes by as much as 23 per cent (Am J Clin Nutr, August 10, 2011; doi: 10.3945/?ajcn.111.018978).
WDDTY 22 no 7, October 2011