Iron from meat increases risk of diabetes
Higher intake of haem iron, the type found in red meat and other animal products – as opposed to non-haem iron found mostly in plant-based foods – was linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in this new study from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following over 200,000 adults for 36 years, they found those who consumed the highest amount of haem iron had a 26 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those consuming the least.
Wang F, Glenn AJ, Tessier AJ et al. 2024. Integration of epidemiological and blood biomarker analysis links haem iron intake to increased type 2 diabetes risk. Nature Metabolism. 6 (9) 1807-1818.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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