Health
Meat consumption linked to higher type 2 diabetes risk in observational study
A diet high in meat — particularly processed meat and unprocessed red meat — could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
In analyzing data from nearly two million people who participated in 31 studies across 20 countries, the researchers found that eating 50 grams of processed meat per day — equivalent of two slices of ham or bacon, or one small sausage — led to a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next decade, as a press release from the university noted.
Eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat per day — roughly a small steak — led to a 10% greater risk.
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The findings were published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Eating 100 grams of poultry initially was shown to increase type 2 diabetes risk by 8%, but that link became weaker when tested in different scenarios, which suggests that further research is needed.
A diet high in meat — particularly processed meat and unprocessed red meat — could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. (iStock)
“Our findings provide the largest and most comprehensive evidence to date of the association between meat consumption and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Dr Chunxiao Li, of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, in an email to Fox News Digital.
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“The link between eating processed meat and red meat and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is strong and consistent across populations in different world regions and countries.”
In their analysis, the researchers took into account a wide range of factors, such as age, gender, health-related behaviors (such as smoking, alcohol intake and physical activity), energy intake, body weight, waist circumference and family history of diabetes, as well as other foods that are consumed, Li said.
Deli meats or canned meats can easily have 500 to 1500 mg of sodium per serving, according to a registered dietitian nutritionist. (iStock)
This study follows several others that previously suggested this link.
“It was important that we extended the investigation to under-represented populations in countries outside of North America and Europe, which have previously largely dominated research,” said Li.
‘Example of observational research’
Ken D. Berry, M.D., a board-certified family physician who practices medicine in rural Tennessee, disagrees with the premise that meat consumption increases diabetes risk.
“This is an example of observational research,” Berry, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital via email.
“By its very nature, it can never show that one thing causes another thing to happen,” he went on. “All this type of research can do is report a possible association between one thing and another.”
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Sophie Lauver, a Baltimore-based registered dietitian at Aeroflow Diabetes, which helps patients with diabetes obtain the supplies they need, said that people who eat more meat may tend to eat less of other foods known to promote health and reduce disease risk, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
“All this type of research can do is report a possible association between one thing and another.”
“Meat is also a source of saturated fat, and diets high in fat are linked with insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes,” Lauver, who also did not participate in the research, told Fox News Digital.
There is also the likelihood that people who eat meat may be eating it in large amounts, according to Lauver.
Some dietitians recommend prioritizing plant-based foods rather than eating a diet heavy on meat and animal products. (iStock)
“With this eating pattern, meat tends to be the center of the plate rather than foods lower in calories, higher in fiber, and rich in natural plant compounds,” she said.
“We’re also learning about the importance of a diverse microbiome in obesity and diabetes prevention, and this is achieved by eating a varied diet rich in plant foods.”
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Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who practices as The Lupus Dietitian, warned that processed meat consumption can be inflammatory, and high intake of saturated fats can increase insulin resistance.
“Processed meats can contain a large portion of the recommended daily intake of sodium in one serving,” said Freirich, who is also unaffiliated with the research.
“For example, deli meats or canned meats can easily have 500 to 1500 mg of sodium per serving.”
Potential limitations
The data used to measure how much food people ate were mostly based on a one-time questionnaire, Li noted.
“Previous research shows that measuring food intake just once is less accurate than doing it multiple times, and this tends to weaken the observed connection to health risks,” she told Fox News Digital.
Eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat per day — roughly a small steak — led to a 10% greater risk of type 2 diabetes, the researchers claim. (iStock)
“Therefore, our findings indicate an association between meat intake and developing type 2 diabetes, but the actual link might be stronger than what we found.”
Berry agreed that the questionnaire format is a large limitation.
“This type of research is based on multiple-choice tests given to study participants called Food Frequency Questionnaires,” he said.
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“Participants often fill out these questions every few years, as if they would be able to remember what they ate two years ago, or even longer.”
Although the researchers considerably increased the geographical diversity of study locations compared with previous studies, Li noted that data from some regions, such as Africa, is still limited.
The researchers found that eating 50 grams of processed meat per day — which is the equivalent of one hot dog — led to a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next decade. (iStock)
“This reflects an important knowledge gap and highlights the need for further research in these locations,” she said.
Freirich echoed the fact that the study is observational and looks only at associations — two factors that are increasing or decreasing in the same direction.
“We can not definitively say that one is the cause of the other,” she told Fox News Digital.
The World Health Organization recommends consuming no more than three portions — equivalent to about 12 to 18 ounces of cooked red meat — every week.
“In an observational study, we don’t see the picture of the individual — the researchers are looking at only two factors, like type of protein consumption and type 2 diabetes risk,” Freirich went on.
“We are not understanding or assessing the rest of their diet, like how many vegetables people are consuming, or how much physical activity is happening.”
What’s the recommendation?
“Our research supports the current dietary guidelines that recommend lowering processed meat and unprocessed red meat consumption to reduce disease burdens,” Li said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously classified processed meat and red meat as carcinogenic to humans, as has the American Institute for Cancer Research (AIRC), which recommends avoiding processed meats.
The World Health Organization previously classified processed meat and red meat as carcinogenic to humans. (iStock)
“For processed meat, the WHO recommends that there is no safe limit, so it is best to avoid or minimize consumption,” Li said.
“For red meat, the WHO recommends consuming no more than three portions, equivalent to about 350 to 500 grams (about 12 to 18 ounces) of cooked weight red meat every week.”
Berry disagrees, recommending that people should continue to eat nutrient-dense, healthy red meat — “as our ancestors have done for over a million years.”
“There is a cohort of nutrition researchers who believe in a plant-based diet and they tout research like this to promote this way of eating,” he said.
“People who are not educated about research findings read only the headline of such articles and they stop eating a very healthy, ancestral food that is packed with nutrition.”
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Lauver, on the other hand, recommends prioritizing plant-based foods rather than eating a diet heavy on meat and animal products.
“Plant foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds,” she told Fox News Digital.
“We are not understanding or assessing the rest of their diet, like how many vegetables people are consuming, or how much physical activity is happening.”
“These whole foods tend to be lower in calories, rich in nutrients, minimally processed and high in fiber, and they foster an environment for a diverse microbiome.”
Freirich recommends that people think about their diet and lifestyle as a whole, including their own medical history.
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“All medical decisions and choices regarding diet should be individualized and personalized,” she said. “What works for you may not be appropriate for your neighbor.”
People should also speak with their health care provider to get personalized recommendations, experts agreed.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for comment.
Every day we’re faced with a zillion small choices: Go to sleep early, or watch one more episode of that Netflix drama. Call an old friend to catch up, or cruise social media. Of course, no single action will guarantee a long, healthy life or doom you to an early grave. But those little daily decisions do add up, and over the long term they can make a difference when it comes to both your longevity and your health span, the amount of life spent in relatively good health.
Scroll through this theoretical “day in the life” and select the option that best fits your typical day. Not every situation will apply perfectly, but think about which choice you’d be most likely to make. This isn’t a formal scientific assessment. The goal here isn’t to assign you a “good” or “bad” score, but to help you understand the central factors that shape the way we age and how long we live.
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A study from Harvard Medical School indicates natural selection has favored the red hair gene, resulting in a potential increase in the number of redheaded people as humanity continues to evolve.
By analyzing nearly 16,000 ancient genomes spanning 10,000 years, researchers identified a list of traits that nature is actively pushing forward. Among the most prominent were the genetic variants for red hair.
“Perhaps having red hair was beneficial 4,000 years ago, or perhaps it came along for the ride with a more important trait,” the authors noted.
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The study, published in the journal Nature, relied on a large database of ancient DNA from West Eurasia. Using new computing methods, the team was able to filter out random fluctuations in DNA to identify what it called “directional selection.”
Directional selection happens when a particular version of a gene gives an organism a strong survival or reproductive advantage, causing it to become more common in a population faster than it would by chance, according to experts.
Directional selection is when a specific gene provides such significant benefits that it rises in frequency across a population much faster than random chance. (iStock)
Prior to this study, scientists only knew of about 21 such instances in human history, one of which was lactose tolerance. This new research uncovered hundreds more.
“With these new techniques and a large amount of ancient genomic data, we can now watch how selection shaped biology in real time,” Ali Akbari, first author of the study and senior staff scientist in the lab of Harvard geneticist David Reich, said in a press release.
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The data showed that genetic markers for red hair are among 479 gene variants that have been strongly favored over the past 10,000 years. One likely explanation, the researchers said, is a major shift in human history: the transition to farming.
Scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of traits like fair skin and light hair. (iStock)
As humans moved away from hunting and gathering and settled into agricultural societies, their environment and behavior changed radically, triggering an evolutionary “acceleration.”
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While the Harvard study provides the first definitive statistical proof that red hair was actively selected during the rise of farming, the researchers noted that the exact prehistoric benefit still requires more study.
However, scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of these light-pigmented traits in northern climates.
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While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests that they may not be an evolutionary accident.
While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests they may not be an evolutionary accident. (iStock)
Instead, the red hair trait was “boosted” by natural selection as humans adapted to the challenges of a modern world, according to the researchers.
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The researchers urged caution in how these findings are interpreted.
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“What a variant is associated with now is not necessarily why an allele propagated,” the authors noted.
Dr. Megan Jack, a neurosurgeon in Cleveland, often works 60 or 70 hours a week. And she’s completely unavailable when she’s in the operating room. That makes it tough to be a caregiver for her 76-year-old mother, who lives in a separate unit on Dr. Jack’s property, 30 minutes away from the hospital.
To help care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Jack uses an array of high-tech tools, some of which didn’t exist just a few years ago. She manages her mother’s medications with a smart pill box. She changes her television channels with an app, sends appointment reminders through a digital message board — and, with her mother’s blessing, uses cameras for communication and monitoring.
“It’s been invaluable that I can both make sure she’s safe and make sure everything is going well,” Dr. Jack said, “but also give her the independence and the freedom that she still deserves.”
America is aging rapidly. Roughly 11,000 people are turning 65 each day in the United States. And many of them — 75 percent of people over 50, according to AARP’s most recent survey, from 2024 — hope to spend their remaining years in the comfort of their homes, rather than in assisted-living or other care facilities.
One thing that could help fulfill those wishes is the budding field of “age tech,” which encompasses tools that support older adults. Industry experts say that age tech is making homes safer for older adults and is easing the minds of their caregivers, especially those who live far away or work outside the home.
Dr. Jack said that age tech had “really allowed me to integrate caregiving into my life, as opposed to caregiving taking over my life.”
The age tech boom
If older adults don’t have loved ones who are both close by and able to help, they might believe they don’t have a ton of options. They can live independently, or, if they can afford it and qualify medically, they can move to an assisted-living facility or a nursing home, without a lot of choices in between. In-home help can be expensive without Medicaid and can also be difficult to find, given the serious shortage of home care workers.
Age tech can help bridge some important gaps, said Emily Nabors, the associate director of innovation at the National Council on Aging, a nonprofit advocacy group. Already, AARP reports that 25 percent of caregivers are remotely monitoring their loved ones with apps, videos or wearables, nearly double the percentage from five years ago.
“We used to say homes are the health care settings of the future, but they really are health care settings now,” Ms. Nabors said. “Aging in place is very realistic.”
More than 700 companies are in AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative, a group that connects businesses, nonprofits and funders to help get new technologies off the ground. Altogether, the collaborative’s start-ups have raised nearly $1 billion in the past four years.
The products include smart walkers, glasses with lenses that provide real-time captions of conversations for those with hearing issues, and a concierge service that connects older people to drivers and deliveries, even if they don’t have a smartphone.
Ms. Nabors does foresee some affordability and access barriers to age tech, including the lack of high-speed internet in rural areas, but she said one vital resource would be local aging agencies, which can offer advice and, sometimes, free support.
Janet Marasa leaned on the agency near her home in Rockland County, N.Y., to get a free robotic pet for her mother, Carol DeMaio, 80, who has dementia. The pets, manufactured by a company called Joy for All, aim to offer emotional support without the upkeep.
Ms. DeMaio named the robotic dog Sabrina, after a golden retriever who died. The new Sabrina stays at the foot of her bed at night. As soon as Ms. DeMaio stirs awake, the dog reacts. “She said it gives her a reason to get up in the morning,” Ms. Marasa said.
The dog has been a boon to her, too. “It provides comfort and interaction that I can’t provide every second,” said Ms. Marasa, who lives with her mother but works full time for the county government. “It gives her something that she can feel like is totally her own.”
In Broward County, Fla., where the population of residents over 85 is expected to nearly triple over the next few decades, the local agency on aging has used state and federal money and private grants to provide technologies to nearly 4,000 of the county’s seniors at no cost.
Its offerings include a company that uses radar to sense falls and a program that allows seniors to make video calls through their televisions.
“The possibilities are endless,” Charlotte Mather-Taylor, the agency’s chief executive, said. “It’s pretty great to see all the new technology coming out so quickly, and I think that can only benefit our older population and also our caregivers.”
Here comes A.I.
Even technologies not specifically marketed as age tech can help older adults maintain their independence, said Laurie Orlov, founder of the blog Aging and Health Technology Watch. She pointed to video-calling and telehealth platforms; remotely controlled thermostats and lights; and smart speakers, doorbells and watches.
“All technology can be customized to help older adults stay longer in their homes and help their family members feel good about it, or at least tolerate it,” Ms. Orlov said.
That will only become more true with the continued proliferation of artificial intelligence, Ms. Orlov added. Some older adults are already using conversational A.I. to get answers about things like the weather or their medications. (Relying too heavily on A.I. can, however, have negative consequences because chatbots often give flawed medical advice and can lead patients astray.) A.I. can also assist in pattern detection: alerting caregivers to signals that might indicate declines in someone’s cognition or mental health, such as changing their speech pattern or leaving the house less frequently.
One A.I.-powered age tech tool is ElliQ, a tabletop companion robot that looks like a sleek silver desk lamp with a screen. About a year and a half ago, Camille Wolsonovich got one for free, thanks to a local nonprofit, for her 90-year-old father, Bill Castellano. He lives alone in a senior community.
Ms. Wolsonovich, who runs a consulting business, relies on ElliQ to lead her father in exercises and remind him to take his pills and drink water. The robot also asks her father about his sleep and mood via automated check-ins.
“Everything’s just another layer that gives us more confidence, from a caregiving standpoint, that he’s good,” Ms. Wolsonovich said. “I don’t have to necessarily track everything all the time and be overbearing.”
As for Mr. Castellano? He plays trivia digitally and converses daily with ElliQ. The robot, which has a friendly female voice, asks questions, cracks jokes and remembers his likes, dislikes and friends. “She’s great company,” he said. “Everybody around me wants one.”
What about ethical concerns?
Clara Berridge studies the ethics of age tech at the University of Washington.
She has many privacy concerns, namely that most direct-to-consumer products aren’t subject to medical privacy laws, despite being privy to sensitive health information. Though she hopes the federal government will eventually step in to regulate these products, as it has in other countries, the onus remains on the consumer for now.
And even if an age tech product isn’t selling mom’s personal data to the lowest bidder, Dr. Berridge said there’s still the question of whether certain tools are ethical.
“It’s really important for caregivers to recognize that using these new technologies that give them more information about someone can represent greater intrusion into someone’s life,” she said.
What may be well-intentioned monitoring could reveal information that an older adult would rather keep private, such as issues with incontinence, or the comings and goings of a romantic partner.
“It can lead to somebody feeling infantilized,” Dr. Berridge said. “Like there’s not a place to hide within your own home.”
Her research shows that adult children often underestimate how much their parents can understand about technology and how much they want to be involved in tech-related decisions.
She encouraged caregivers to have transparent conversations about privacy implications and to avoid ultimatums or the idea that any decision must be permanent. She said caregivers should put themselves in their parents’ shoes: Is this something they’d want their own children monitoring?
Dr. Berridge is working on an advanced directive for technology, which outlines older people’s wishes for how technology is used in their care. Ultimately, she hopes that questions about age tech will become a standard part of planning for the future.
“If you’re at the start of what, for many people, ends up being a long road of supporting someone potentially through the end of their life,” she said, “seeking to understand each other’s concerns and priorities better is time very well spent.”
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