Love a Good Steak or Burger? Scary News
A sizzling steak or hamburger on the grill may be what's for dinner this weekend, but eating too much of these fatty staples could lead to type 2 diabetes, according to new research from the University of Minnesota.
Doctors have long suspected a link between diabetes and saturated fat or animal fat, but no actual biological evidence has ever been produced--until now. This study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concludes that as the level of fatty acids increase, the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes also increases. In other words, eat too many steaks and burgers and you're more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
The study: To come up with the biological smoking gun, lead researcher Lu Wang measured the levels of fatty acids in the blood of 2,909 adults ages 45 to 64 and followed the participants for nine years. Fatty acids accumulate over time. The more saturated fat you eat, the higher the level of fatty acids.
The results: 11.5 percent, or 252, of the men and women developed type 2 diabetes. Fatty acids were significantly associated with the risk for diabetes even after adjusting for other known risk factors, such as age, gender, body mass index, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, physical activity, education, family history, and more.
What can you do now to lower your risk of getting diabetes later? Lose weight, exercise, and eat a diet that is rich in fish and vegetables and low in animal fat. A recent study from Harvard University even suggests one or two glasses of wine or beer daily can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in pre-menopausal women.
You can still eat the steak. Just make it an occasional treat instead of a regular meal.
The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A sizzling steak or hamburger on the grill may be what's for dinner this weekend, but eating too much of these fatty staples could lead to type 2 diabetes, according to new research from the University of Minnesota.
Doctors have long suspected a link between diabetes and saturated fat or animal fat, but no actual biological evidence has ever been produced--until now. This study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concludes that as the level of fatty acids increase, the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes also increases. In other words, eat too many steaks and burgers and you're more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
The study: To come up with the biological smoking gun, lead researcher Lu Wang measured the levels of fatty acids in the blood of 2,909 adults ages 45 to 64 and followed the participants for nine years. Fatty acids accumulate over time. The more saturated fat you eat, the higher the level of fatty acids.
The results: 11.5 percent, or 252, of the men and women developed type 2 diabetes. Fatty acids were significantly associated with the risk for diabetes even after adjusting for other known risk factors, such as age, gender, body mass index, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, physical activity, education, family history, and more.
What can you do now to lower your risk of getting diabetes later? Lose weight, exercise, and eat a diet that is rich in fish and vegetables and low in animal fat. A recent study from Harvard University even suggests one or two glasses of wine or beer daily can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in pre-menopausal women.
You can still eat the steak. Just make it an occasional treat instead of a regular meal.
The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
I do love steaks and burgers 
