This lunch staple, the common-or-garden ham sandwich, has recently come under fire from the press. According to many reportsEating two slices of ham a day may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
But what is the science behind these headlines?
These studies paint a more complex picture. New study from the University of Cambridge highlighted the link between developing type 2 diabetes and eating processed meats comparable to ham and bacon, and red meats comparable to beef and lamb.
This led to headlines suggesting that the risk was mainly related to Ham sandwiches. It looks prefer it’s coming from press releasewhich used ham for instance to find out how much processed meat was related to a 15 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes over a ten-year period.
The study found that this risk was linked to eating an additional 50g of processed meat per day, the equivalent of two slices of ham. The useful example subsequently seems to have been adopted by the media because the fundamental cause, perhaps ignoring some of the important thing messages from the study.
So can processed and red meats really increase your risk of type 2 diabetes?
This biggest risk aspects Factors that contribute to the event of type 2 diabetes include being over 40 years of age, having a family history of type 2 diabetes, being of South Asian or African descent, and being heavier – especially having a bigger waist circumference.
The Cambridge study used data from almost 2 million people from 31 studies. The participants were followed for a mean of ten years. During that point, about one in 20 people developed type 2 diabetes.
The research suggested that a ten% increase within the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes was related to every 100g extra pork consumed per day. Eating half as much processed meat per day was related to an excellent greater risk of developing the disease.
This will not be first time that each processed and pork were linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But a key strength of the Cambridge study was that it tried to regulate for a lot of other aspects related to the disease, including smoking, higher body weight, dietary intake and exercise.
However, the magnitude of the increased risk is small, provided that few people within the study ate 50g or more of processed meat per day – meaning that moderate ham consumption is probably going no significant effect at your risk.
What is the link?
Processed meats have been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes because of the presence of nitrates and salt – additives used to cure many sorts of processed meats.
Nitrates and salt in processed meats too has been merged with increased risk of colon cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization classifies additives as group 1 carcinogenswhich implies they may cause a spread of cancers.
The mechanism linking processed meat to cancer appears to be just like how it could be linked to type 2 diabetes. When digested, processed meat produces N-nitroso chemicalswhich may damage cells. This can result in inflammation and affect the function of insulin, a hormone that controls blood glucose (sugar). This can result in insulin resistancewhen cells in muscle, fat and liver don’t respond well to insulin and cannot easily absorb glucose from the blood.
Meanwhile, pork is wealthy in ironResearch suggests that folks with high iron levels are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, low iron levels constitute a greater health problem for most of the people.
Another potential link regarding pork would be the way it is ready.
Previous studies It has been suggested that charred meat, cooked over an open flame or at high temperatures, can also be related to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetesCharring meat produces toxic chemicals comparable to: heterocyclic fragrant amines and harmful compounds comparable to advanced glycation end productseach of which have been linked insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Goodbye barbecues and bacon sandwiches?
The key message is reduction, not avoidance. The UK government’s dietary advice offers sensible advice: limit your combined intake of red and processed meat to not more than on average 70g per day.
But these guidelines also suggest that pork is usually a precious source of iron. So, should you determine to stop eating pork, you must eat alternative sources of iron, comparable to beans, lentils, dark green vegetables, and fortified cereals.
This must be done as part of a rigorously planned weight loss program. Non-meat sources of iron are harder for our bodies to soak up, in order that they must be consumed with a source of vitamin C, present in green vegetables and citrus fruits.
The best advice to scale back your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is to take care of a healthy weight (should you are chubby, consider losing a few pounds) and be as physically lively as possible.
A healthy weight loss program should include plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds, in addition to whole grains, dairy products, fish and white meat (or vegetarian alternatives) – plus moderate amounts of pork and minimal processed meat. This will help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart diseaseAND many cancers – since it is more environmentally friendly.
But if you may have a soft spot for ham sandwiches, you may bask in them every now and then. It’s your overall lifestyle and weight loss program that really matter for your health and your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.