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A sugar molecule found in beef and lamb could help explain why red meat has long been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, a study has found.
The molecule, called Neu5Gc, is not naturally produced by humans – as a result, the immune system may recognise it as foreign and trigger inflammation linked to diabetes.
In the UK, about 4.3 million people are living with type 2 diabetes, which is linked to poor diet and lifestyle, and means the body either does not produce enough insulin or the insulin it makes does not work properly, leading to high blood sugar levels.
A further 12 million are thought to be at high risk of developing the disease.
In the study, researchers asked 90,000 adults in France to complete three 24-hour records of everything they ate and drank, which they used to estimate how much Neu5Gc each consumed.
Participants were then followed for about seven years, and researchers found that those who consumed the most meat-derived Neu5Gc had a 63 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed the least.
People in the highest Neu5Gc intake group ate more red meat. Men consumed an average of 97g a day, while women ate 73g, equivalent to half an 8oz sirloin steak.
The association remained even after factors such as age, smoking, physical activity, diet quality and body mass index were accounted for.
A sugar molecule found in beef and lamb could help explain why red meat has long been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (file photo)
Lead researcher Dr Leopold Fezeu, from Universite Sorbonne Paris Nord, said: ‘Given how common red meat is in western diets, the strong association between meat-derived Neu5Gc and type 2 diabetes risk is an important finding.
‘Future research should explore whether reducing exposure to meat-derived Neu5Gc, for example by favouring poultry or plant-based proteins over beef and lamb, which have the highest Neu5Gc content, could help prevent type 2 diabetes.’
The Department of Health advises that anyone eating more than 90g of red meat a day should cut down to an average of 70g.
