We’ve got bad news for the bacon-lovers out there. A new study by the Harvard School of Public Health has found that even a modest consumption of processed or red meat significantly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Somewhere, cows are rejoicing and hoping for widespread awareness.
According to an article in Scientific American, after looking at the health records of over 440, 000 men and women over a period of 14 to 28 years, researchers found that eating the equivalent of 2 slices of bacon per day (that’s just 50 grams of meat) increased the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 32% percent over a decade or two.
Non-processed red meat was not off the hook, either. Eating a small hamburger a day, which roughly translates to 85-grams, can increase your chances of type 2 diabetes by 12%.
"On a gram-per-gram basis, unprocessed red meat is still better," says Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of the new paper. "But unprocessed red meat is still associated with a significantly increased risk."
Hu went on to say that the findings were not that surprising since “one of the most well-established dietary risk factors.”
To be clear, the article is not saying that eating red meat once in a while will give you diabetes. It’s simply saying that research show the habitual consumption of red meat significantly increases the risk of diabetes over time.
The good news is, if you’re pining for some bacon or a burger, there are now some good alternatives in the vegetarian section of your local grocer. Give them a try; you may like them. Or, perhaps you might enjoy this vegan BLT recipe we just happen to have!
