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in collaboration with
Alexandra Murcier (Liberal dietician-nutritionist)
Medical validation:
October 24, 2023
According to a new study, consuming two servings of red meat per week is enough to significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Explanations.
According to a new study published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, just two servings of red meat per week would be enough to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Update on this announcement.
62% more likely to develop diabetes
For this study, data from 216,695 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) were analyzed. Their eating routine was also observed for a period of up to 36 years.
During this period, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes. This is how researchers discovered that the consumption of red meat (processed or unprocessed) was strongly associated with “at increased risk of type 2 diabetes“.
More precisely, the biggest meat lovers had a 62% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. Each additional daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 46% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and each additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24% higher risk.
“Our findings strongly support dietary guidelines that recommend limiting red meat consumption, and this applies to both processed and unprocessed red meat.“, confirms Xiao Gu, the principal investigator of the study.
Favor plant-based proteins
In addition, the scientists wanted to observe the effects of plant proteins on the candidates, by replacing a portion of meat with a portion of legumes. Concretely, they noticed that eating a portion of nuts and legumes reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 30%. Same positive impact on the side with dairy products which reduce the risk of diabetes by 22%.
“Our results strongly support that limiting the consumption of red meat and instead choosing mainly plant-based protein sources helps reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and its consequences.assures first author Xiao Gu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard in Boston, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Two servings maximum of 150 grams
Faced with these astonishing results, researchers invite the population to limit their personal red meat consumption to “two servings“maximum per week, if not”one, to optimize your health and well-being“.
Advice approved by Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist.
“Current recommendations already recommend not exceeding two servings per week. But in reality, our consumption of red meat is still far too high. Ideally, it should be half and half: 50% portions of animal origin and 50% portions of plant origin. As a bonus, lentils, chickpeas, beans are much more economical“recalls Alexandra Murcier, before adding”if we know the harmful effects of meat on health, particularly cardiovascular health, we must also not be too greedy on the plate: a portion of meat is 150 grams. So be careful in the restaurant!“.