Meat-Eating is a Risk Factor for Developing Diabetes

Doctors should consider meat-eating to be a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, according to an article published this week in the journal Nutrients. Researchers from the Physicians Committee evaluated studies that examined different levels and types of meat consumption and the risk for developing diabetes. Meat-eaters had significantly higher risk of developing diabetes, compared with people who avoided meat. Meat’s effect on diabetes risk appears to be due to its content of saturated fat and heme iron, among other factors. The authors recommend that consumption of meat products should be part of any screening for a patient’s risk for diabetes, alongside other established risk factors.