‘[Seoul=Newsis] By intern reporter Choi Yoon-seo = A study has found that the more heme iron consumed in red meat such as beef and pork, the higher the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.’
According to a study published in the scientific journal Nature Metabolism on the 13th (local time), researchers at Harvard University in the United States recently revealed the association between heme iron found in red meat and other animal-based foods and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).
The study results showed that consuming heme iron mainly found in red meat and other animal-based foods, as opposed to non-heme iron mainly found in plant-based foods, increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Iron is divided into heme iron mainly found in animal-based foods such as red meat and non-heme iron mainly found in plant-based foods like spinach and nuts.
The researchers explained that unlike non-heme iron found mainly in plant-based foods, heme iron found in red meat and other animal-based foods is closely related to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The association between heme iron and type 2 diabetes was reported by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year. At that time, Dr. T.H. Chan’s doctoral team at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health evaluated the relationship between iron intake and T2D by tracking the health records of over 216,000 American adults for 36 years.
The study result at that time revealed that the group with the highest heme iron intake had over a 50% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to the group with the lowest intake.
However, this latest study reportedly provides more clear evidence of this association.
Dr. Fenglei Wang, the lead author of this study, stated in Nature Metabolism, “Unlike previous studies that relied solely on epidemiologic data, we integrated various layers of information including epidemiologic data and cutting-edge metabolomics. Through this, we could not only understand the association between iron intake and the risk of T2D but also understand potential metabolic pathways supporting this association comprehensively.”
The researchers advised that reducing red meat consumption and opting for a plant-based diet could be an effective strategy to significantly lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.