Cambridge-led study of 2m people globally is most comprehensive evidence yet of red meat link to diabetes

Eating processed or red meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, with just two slices of ham a day raising the danger by 15%, the largest study of its kind suggests.

Research led by the University of Cambridge and involving 2 million people worldwide provides the most comprehensive evidence yet of a link between meat and the disease that presents one of the most pressing dangers to global health.

More than 400 million people have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and lower limb amputation. As well as maintaining a healthy weight and moving more, evidence suggests one of the main ways to lower the risk of the disease is improving diet.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Eat a bunch of fiber, and you can kind of still eat stuff that’s bad

      High calorie easily digestable food causes blood sugar to spike and then crash.

      Eat some beans (not covered in sugary bbq) and it’ll stay in your stomach all day being slowly digested and slowly putting sugar in your blood.

      I think a big part of American diet is we dont really do “sides”, especially the low calorie high fiber ones.

      • FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        My eating habits changed forever after dating a Korean. Banchan is a great way to get a variety of vegetables in a meal.

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Yeah, it’s a side effect of wanting to show wealth.

          When we do have sides, they’re usually fried, drenched in a sugary topping, or just carbs and cheese.

          Pick any other type of historical diet, and the sides was what filled up the plate. Because the protein source was the most expensive. But because Americans always think more expensive means better, we supersized the protein and replaced all the cheap healthy stuff.

          Making food both more expensive and also unhealthy.

          I really thought with Covid and the recession we’d see a return to beans and rice as a staple. But people are still getting fast food burgers, fries, and a liter of cola.

          We’re literally spending more to get worse food on a national scale, and I have no idea why.

  • TriflingToad@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    This isn’t really my field so I’m unknowledgeable, isn’t sugar the main thing that’s causing diabetes?

    • r0ertel@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I think this is an old myth that keeps circulating. According to the Mayo Clinic, “In type 2 diabetes, there are primarily two problems. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells. And cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar.”

  • MajorHavoc@programming.dev
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    3 months ago

    My first thought on reading this was “who has that kind of access to ham? I’m kind of jealous.”

    I guess I shouldn’t be jealous.