The smell of that hamburger or steak (unprocessed meat) on the backyard grill is tantalizing, but we all know that we’re not supposed to have too much of it simply because it’s not great for our health for a number of reasons, to include the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.  But, it’s now known that that hotdog (processed meat) lying beside that hamburger on the grill might be a little bit worse for your health than the burger or steak, including your susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.

A new study has shown that eating either unprocessed and/or processed meat can increase a person’s susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.  Processed meats are meats such as hotdogs, deli meats, bacon, or sausage.  Unprocessed meats are meats such as beef; in other words, that hefty steak on your plate that smells so good when it’s cooking.

But, the conclusion of this study indicates that the consumption of processed meats, which are usually high in sodium and nitrites, should be cut back dramatically, and that the intake of unprocessed red meat should be reduced.

The study was conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health and was led by An Pan, a Research Fellow in the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition.  The conclusion of this study will be published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

These study conclusions were cultivated from questionnaire responses that involved a long time period and a myriad of participants.  For 20 years, 37,083 men were followed in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; for 28 years, 79,570 women were followed in the Nurses’ Health Study 1; and for 14 years, 87,504 women were followed in the Nurses’ Health Study 11.  Included in the study’s conclusions were combined data from existing studies for a total of 442,101 participants, and 28,228 of those participants developed type 2 diabetes during the study; therefore, there were many, many people involved in these studies, and these study questionnaires covered a very long period of time.

The study concluded that one daily serving of 100 grams of unprocessed red meat (example:  steak, the size of a deck of cards) increased the percentage of a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes by 19 percent.  But, one daily serving of processed meats (example:  one hotdog) increased the percentage of a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes by 51 percent.

Senior author on the paper, Dr. Frank Hu, stated, “Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide.”  Dr. Hu added, “The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.”

There are many ways an individual can reduce their intake of unprocessed red meat, or that steak on your plate.  Unprocessed meats are also a big part of the backyard cookout, that famous hotdog on a bun, and it can also be swapped out for more nutritious food.

Red meat is high in protein, a necessity for the body to function properly, but protein can be found in many healthier choices.  An individual could use nuts instead of red meat on a number of occasions, switch to low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and increase one’s consumption of whole grains.  Fish is a great source of protein, as is legumes.  Nuts are a healthy option for protein, but are high in calories, so an individual would take that into account in their caloric intake for the day.

Over 25 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, which is usually controlled through diet restrictions, increased exercise, and medication, if necessary.  If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to the same very serious complications of the body that type 1 diabetes causes, such as heart problems, kidney problems, vision problems and nerve problems (neuropathy).

“Our study clearly shows that eating both unprocessed and processed red meat – particularly processed – is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes,” Pan stated.

This study result might make you pause a little in the supermarket and choose a salmon steak over a T-bone, scallops instead of that hotdog.  If a salmon steak isn’t to your taste, you can make salmon patties with canned salmon (good source of healthy protein) mixed with cooked brown rice (good source of whole grains), egg whites (more protein), and some grated onion and fresh ground pepper for zip.  You might even stick your nose in the air and breeze right past the processed foods case (baloney, hotdogs, bacon), and make a fat-free cottage cheese and egg white omelet instead.  Each little healthy food choice helps in the long run, but avoidance of known health hazards is a giant step in the right direction for healthy eating, which might lead to a longer and healthier life.

Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.