Type 2 diabetes continues to rise globally, and new research has identified a significant contributing factor.
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that high consumption of red meat substantially increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The research analysed data from more than 34,000 individuals collected between 2003 and 2016, examining the relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes risk.
Researchers found that individuals who consumed higher amounts of processed or unprocessed red meat faced a greater likelihood of developing diabetes. According to the findings, consuming large quantities of red meat such as beef or mutton was associated with up to a 49 per cent increase in diabetes risk.
The study also indicated that replacing red meat with legumes, beans, nuts, poultry, dairy products, chilli or eggs could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 9 to 14 per cent.
Researchers acknowledged certain limitations, noting that the study relied on self-reported dietary data. The exact biological mechanism linking red meat consumption to increased diabetes risk was not definitively established.
However, they suggested that the high fat content in red meat may contribute to increased insulin resistance over time. Additionally, red meat contains elevated levels of iron, which may increase oxidative stress and damage insulin-producing cells. Many red meat dishes also contain high levels of salt and nitrates, both of which may reduce insulin sensitivity.
Globally, the number of people living with diabetes has doubled over the past 30 years to more than 800 million, with Pakistan ranking as the fourth most affected country.
A separate study published in The Lancet reported that the global prevalence of diabetes among adults rose from 7 per cent in 1990 to 14 per cent in 2022, with the sharpest increases observed in low- and middle-income countries.
