The Red Meat & Diabetes Harvard Study

Bob · October 22, 2023

Tell me how sold you are on the quality of this study.

Full Article: Harvard.edu

Here's is how the article starts off....

Quote

Red meat consumption associated with increased type 2 diabetes risk

Replacing red meat with plant-based protein sources may reduce risk of diabetes and provide environmental benefits

For immediate release: October 19, 2023

Boston, MA—People who eat just two servings of red meat per week may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who eat fewer servings, and the risk increases with greater consumption, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They also found that replacing red meat with healthy plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, or modest amounts of dairy foods, was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

And here's a quote on how they gathered their data...

Quote

Diet was assessed with food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, for up to 36 years. During this time, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes.

And somehow this data also produced these results....

Quote

In addition to health benefits, swapping red meat for healthy plant protein sources would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and provide other environmental benefits, according to the researchers.

Attached to this post is the actual study. Here it is...

Download (must be logged in to download):
Red_meat_intake_and_risk_of_type_2_diabetes_in_cohort_study.pdf

A couple things that caught my attention in that study were the following quotes....

"Red meat intakes were assessed with semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires."

"Processed red meats included... sandwiches; ... Unprocessed red meats included... a sandwich or mixed dish"

Questionnaires every 2 to 4 years? Can you remember what you ate over the last 2-4 years? And then sandwiches have bread which actually does increase diabetes risk.

And finally, in the results....

"In both females and males, those with higher total red meat intake had higher BMI and total energy intake, were less physically active, were more likely to be current smokers, and were less likely to use multivitamins."

So they were overweight, overate, sedentary, and more, but it's the red meat that was the problem?

I'm sure there is more to discuss, but I am tired.