People who consume high amounts of red meat and other animal products may be at a risk of type 2 diabetes, mainly because of the content of heme iron in the food items, say Harvard researchers.
The study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that higher consumption of heme iron, primarily found in red meat and other animal products, is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, proving a detailed understanding of this link.
Heme iron, found in red meat, poultry, and fish, is a type of iron derived from hemoglobin and myoglobin. It is highly bioavailable, meaning the body easily absorbs it.
While essential for oxygen transport and energy production, excessive intake, particularly from red meat, has been linked to increased health risks, including type 2 diabetes.
The study, published in Nature Metabolism, utilised 36 years of dietary data from 2,06,615 adults participating in the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Researchers examined the participants’ intake of various forms of iron – total, heme, non-heme, dietary, and supplemental – and analysed their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, taking into account other health and lifestyle factors.
The study revealed that participants with the highest heme iron intake had a 26% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest intake.
Heme iron was found to account for more than half of the type 2 diabetes risk associated with unprocessed red meat and a moderate portion of the risk linked to certain dietary patterns related to diabetes.
The research also identified a connection between higher heme iron intake and elevated levels of blood metabolic biomarkers associated with type 2 diabetes, such as C-peptide, triglycerides, and markers of iron overload.
The implications of these findings on public health provide an insight into how dietary guidelines should be framed.
It also raises concerns about the addition of heme iron to plant-based meat alternatives, which are becoming increasingly popular.
According to the researchers, these products’ potential health effects need further investigation.
“Reducing heme iron intake, particularly from red meat, and adopting a more plant-based diet can be effective strategies in lowering diabetes risk,” said Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and corresponding author of the study.
However, there were some limitations to the study.
There may be some errors in the data, and not all factors that could affect the results were fully accounted for.
They also noted that the findings, derived from a predominantly white study population, should be validated in other racial and ethnic groups.
