It’s no secret that meat has been connected to health problems throughout the years, including increased risk of cancer, but did you know that consuming red meat also heightens your chance of developing diabetes?
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a person has about a 1 in 3 chance of developing type 2 diabetes by eating red meat. That’s right: You have more than a 33 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes thanks to red meat consumption.
Another study by Harvard School of Public Health found that a daily 100-gram serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 19 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes. A daily 50-gram serving of processed meat was associated with a 51 percent increased risk. To put this into perspective, one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon amount to 50 grams. Yikes!
Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, states:
Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide. The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.
If you have type 2 diabetes, there is hope! After consulting with nutritionists and his doctors, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams switched to a vegan diet and completely reversed his type 2 diabetes.
Not only is adopting a vegan diet better for your health; it’s also the most compassionate choice to help countless farmed animals who suffer in factory farms every day.
To learn more about how meat consumption affects your body, check out the groundbreaking film What the Health.
Ready to ditch animal products? Click here for your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide.
