Significant link found between heme iron, found in red meat and other animal products, and type 2 diabetes risk

Medical Xpress / Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health / Nature Metabolism ^ | Aug. 13, 2024 | Fenglei Wang et al

[ConservativeMind]

Higher intake of heme iron, the type found in red meat and other animal products—as opposed to non-heme iron, found mostly in plant-based foods—was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a new study.

The researchers assessed the link between iron and T2D using 36 years of dietary reports from 206,615 adults enrolled in the Nurses' Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

The researchers also analyzed the biological mechanisms underpinning heme iron's relationship to T2D among smaller subsets of the participants. They looked at 37,544 participants' plasma metabolic biomarkers, including those related to insulin levels, inflammation, and iron metabolism. They then looked at 9,024 participants' metabolomic profiles—plasma levels of small-molecule metabolites.

The study found a significant association between higher heme iron intake and T2D risk. Participants in the highest intake group had a 26% higher risk of developing T2D than those in the lowest intake group. In addition, the researchers found that heme iron accounted for more than half of the T2D risk associated with unprocessed red meat and a moderate proportion of the risk for several T2D-related dietary patterns. In line with previous studies, the researchers found no significant associations between intakes of non-heme iron from diet or supplements and risk of T2D.

The study also found that higher heme iron intake was associated with blood metabolic biomarkers associated with T2D. A higher heme iron intake was associated with higher levels of biomarkers such as C-peptide, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, leptin, and markers of iron overload, as well as lower levels of beneficial biomarkers like HDL cholesterol and adiponectin.

The researchers also identified a dozen blood metabolites—including L-valine, L-lysine, uric acid, and several lipid metabolites—that may play a role in the link between heme iron intake and TD2 risk.

[ConservativeMind]

This was an association found. That said, it could be something else with heme iron-containing meat, and not just this form of iron. It could also be from some other reason.

There are people who need some of what red meat provides. Heme iron is generally considered an excellent way to keep iron levels up, but we don’t need too much iron.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Twotone]

I would think that folks on hi-protein/low-carb diets are already at risk for T2D, & that’s why they started that form of diet.

[madison10]

I do. My iron is consistently low. I take iron pills for it.

[DollyCali]

Thanks again for pings to great articles

[Bookshelf]

On general principals I would say this is malarky. A 21st century report vs. millions of years of hunting-gathering. We should all be dead of diabetes by now.

[Mr Rogers]

More research malpractice. No attempt to discern what ELSE the people with higher heme levels might have in common. And I’m willing to be the answer would be SUGAR! Along with simple carbs and lots of highly processed foods.

But blame the meat...

There is an agenda.

[Pox]

Junk science.

HFCS and too much sugar and you are on your way to type 2 unless you're extremely active on a regular basis.

Always trying to make red meat look unappealing.

I'll go with what my acquaintances in their 80’s and 90’s have eaten with abundance their whole life, red meat.

[rsobin]

I’m calling bullish, likely an agenda biased study.

[sopo]

At least publication bias. What better way to push cricket meal food?

[politicket]

BS study. The prevalence of Diabetes was very small back in the day when red meat was even more of a staple of the American diet.

Listen to the speech of RFK Jr. yesterday. He brought receipts.

[Vaquero]

Yeah an insect diet would be better(s).

More leftist crap.

[Mr Rogers]

I suspect people who eat a lot of red meat, on the standard American diet, also eat lots of bread. And potatoes. And rice. And cake and fries and muffins...

I strongly suspect it has ZERO to do with “red meat” because people who DO eat a lot of red meat on a carnivore diet reverse Type 2 diabetes and have far less risk - due to carrying far less weight, having low insulin response levels, etc.

We do not need to look at 100,000 people on a standard American/European diet to see the impact of meat on health. To see it, all we need to do is look at people on a carnivore diet. If red meat is an issue, it WILL turn up there.

If it doesn’t then it isn’t the meat.

I’m SOOOO tired of the stupidity of research based on databases. It is just a cheap way to slap together a paper and get a headline.

This ranks up there with people claiming those who don’t eat lots of fiber never poop. We KNOW the answer, folks...

[sopo]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4418458/ Here is a beautiful old study. with some longitudinal follow up. Fits nicely with previous work in Samoa.

[mewzilla]

I call bravo sierra.

Significant link found between heme iron, found in red meat and other animal products, and type 2 diabetes risk

Check out this bit...

...“Compared to prior studies that relied solely on epidemiological data, we integrated multiple layers of information, including epidemiological data, conventional metabolic biomarkers, and cutting-edge metabolomics,” said lead author Fenglei Wang, research associate in the Department of Nutrition. “This allowed us to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the association between iron intake and T2D risk, as well as potential metabolic pathways underlying this association.”...

They got what they wanted to get.

[nickcarraway]

I thought they didn’t recommend iron pills anymore They wanted people to get it from food?

[Lent]

“On general principals I would say this is malarky. A 21st century report vs. millions of years of hunting-gathering. We should all be dead of diabetes by now.”

Exactly. Based on questionaires where there is no concern whatsoever if the subject is gorging on junk food and excessive carbohydrates. Only that their meat intake is consistent. Another useless study that is setting us up for anti-meat gov. sponsored marxism.

[ransomnote]

I don't believe the medical community much anymore. Our overlords want us to eat bugs.

National Diabetes Statistics Report - CDC

Among adults aged 18 years or older, the age-adjusted incidence of diagnosed diabetes was similar in 2000 (6.2 per 1,000 adults) and 2021 (5.8 per 1,000 adults). A significant decreasing trend in incidence was detected after 2008 (8.4 per 1,000 adults) through 2021. (Figure 4).  May 15, 2024

~~~~~

ransomnote: Australia and US diabetes statistics do not go past 2021. Why?

Beef consumption dipped between 2000 and 2021, rising in 2015 continuously until it hit a record high in 2021. This doesn't match diabetes numbers which were said to decline from 2008 through 2021.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/542890/beef-consumption-us/

 

ransomnote: What about experimental 'vaccines'?

Following vaccination, 70% of all post vaccination reports of diabetes reported to the CDC's vaccine database are for Covid 19 'vaccination'. The association isn't clear - maybe those who were pre-diabetic and didn't know it did not tolerate the 'vaccine', or maybe the vaccine triggered diabetes in otherwise healthy people. I don't know as I am not medical, but there is an association for Covid 'vaccines' unlike associations for all other vaccines in the CDC/FDA Vaccine database.

There's many more patient records in a second system the CDC created specifically for patients receiving the Covid 'vax' which restricts data access to CDC staff, so the numbers could be higher. I have heard anecdotes of people having rapid onset' of diabetes post Covid vax.

[Mariner]

BS

Meat cannot cause diabetes.

It has it’s own metabolic problems (saturated fat), but diabetes isn’t one of them.

[Grampa Dave]

More Junk science.

Always trying to make red meat look unappealing.

I’ll go with what my family members and acquaintances in their 80’s and 90’s, who have eaten with abundance their whole life, red meat.

My wife was the head RN in a big family practice. She and the doctor she worked for, noticed that their Italian and Spanish people ate balanced diets and had long and healthy life spans.

She and I went on their basic and balanced diet, now labeled as the MedDiet about 20 years ago.

Now, we are in our mid to late 80’s, and so are our friends and relatives, who live with the MedDiet.