Higher meat consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing type II diabetes

This study was published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences 2006 Oct 27;3(4):152-9

Study title and authors:
The association of meat intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes may be modified by body weight.

Villegas R, Shu XO, Gao YT, Yang G, Cai H, Li H, Zheng W.
Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232-8300, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17088942

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between meat intake and incidence of type II diabetes. The study included 74,493 middle-aged Chinese women, average age 51 years, who were followed for 4.6 years.

The study found:
(a) Those who consumed the most meat had a 17% reduced risk of developing type II diabetes compared to those who consumed the least meat.
(b) Those who consumed the most red meat had a 6% reduced risk of developing type II diabetes compared to those who consumed the least red meat.
(c) Those who consumed the most bacon had a 7% reduced risk of developing type II diabetes compared to those who consumed no bacon.

This study shows that higher meat consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing type II diabetes.