Harvard University: Iron from red meat increases risk of type 2 diabetes

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American scientists have found that high consumption of iron-containing animal products increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes type by 26%, while plant sources of iron do not have such an effect. This was reported by the press service of the Harvard University Medical School.

«Our study highlights the importance of making the right dietary choices to reduce the risk of diabetes. Reducing your intake of animal-based iron, especially from red meat, and increasing your intake of plant-based iron can significantly reduce this risk,» said Harvard professor Frank Hu.

Scientists recall that ten years ago, data was obtained showing that foods high in heme iron can increase the likelihood of type 2 diabetes. This sparked interest in studying the effect of heme and other forms of iron on the development of the disease.

The study analyzed data from the NHS-I initiative, which involves tens of thousands of nurses and health workers who agreed to long-term monitoring of their health, including diet and habits.

Researchers compared the diets of about 37.5 thousand NHS-I participants with biomarkers associated with diabetes, such as insulin and blood sugar levels. The results showed that high intake of heme iron of animal origin is associated with a 26% increase in the risk of diabetes and impaired metabolism of fats and some amino acids.

At the same time, large amounts of plant iron were not found to significantly increase the risk of diabetes or related diseases. This points to differences in the effects of iron-containing compounds from plant and animal sources and calls into question the idea of ​​adding heme to plant foods to improve their taste, the researchers concluded.