Dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton's response to The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Study

Commenting on The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology study launched today by the University of Cambridge, Dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton said:

“This study – which is mostly based on non-UK populations – doesn’t tell us anything about what causes type 2 diabetes because it is only observational. These designs of studies allow people to eat whatever they want then track their health for several years. Very high meat consumers often drink sugary drinks and alcohol, smoke, eat few vegetables and fruit, and take little exercise. It’s impossible to tease out exactly which parts of this overall lifestyle are the key factor in the development of diabetes.

“In contrast, randomised controlled trials on red meat tell us a different story. These are the gold standard of studies where everything bar the factor under investigation is strictly controlled. These studies show that regular moderate meat intake – the equivalent of a deck of cards size of cooked meat daily – has no impact on body weight, inflammation, cholesterol or blood glucose levels. In some studies, switching from a carbohydrate-rich diet to a healthy diet with red meat actually lowered the risk of diabetes because it stimulates insulin less.

“People who enjoy eating red meat should continue with their normal diets. We can all lower our risk of type 2 diabetes by staying a healthy weight, eating plenty of high fibre foods like wholegrains, vegetables and fruit, and taking regular exercise. There is no need to give up red meat which, in fact, is a major source of iron, protein, B vitamins and selenium – nutrients which are vital for optimal health”.

Key facts about this study:

It is an observational study, which means that people could eat what they liked. This type of study design makes it impossible to single out one dietary factor as a cause of type 2 diabetes as many other dietary and lifestyle factors will be in play.

The researchers mined the data from 31 international studies which used different dietary methods, had different meat intakes and were done to varying standards. Some were not published in peer-reviewed journals meaning they have not been given adequate scrutiny.

The statistical associations between meat and type 2 diabetes were very weak (around 1.07 for the UK which indicates a relative risk of 7%). For comparison, an obese person has a 728% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (relative risk 7.28) than someone of a normal weight. So, it’s much more effective to manage our weight to prevent type 2 diabetes.

The UK’s recommendation for red and processed meat consumption is up to 70g per day cooked weight. Average intakes in the UK are now below this, especially for women. Few people in the UK are eating too much red meat.