Boston: Mutton and beef contain a type of iron that may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
A study published in the journal Nature Metabolism found that people who ate foods rich in heme (usually beef or mutton) had a 26 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate less.
The researchers found that heme iron was found to be responsible for more than half of the risk of type 2 diabetes associated with unprocessed red meat. However, non-heme iron (found in plant-based foods) was not associated with type 2 diabetes.
Researcher Frank Ho from the Harvard TH China School of Public Health said the study highlights the importance of healthy food choices for diabetes prevention.
They added that reducing heme iron consumption and increasing consumption of plant-based foods may be effective strategies to reduce the risk of diabetes.
