Women who regularly consume large servings of processed meats are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who are rare- or non-consumers of processed meats.

This study investigated the relationship between the consumption of processed and unprocessed red meat and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Using validated dietary questionnaires, researchers examined the processed and unprocessed red meat intakes of 66,118 disease-free French women. The relative risk of diabetes of each participant was also assessed in this study.

Researchers discovered that subjects who consumed 5 or more servings of processed meats per week had higher chances of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed less than 1 serving per week. On the other hand, increased intake of unprocessed meats was found to have little or no effect on type 2 diabetes risk in this study. The findings of this study reveal that high consumption of processed meats may promote the development of type 2 diabetes among French women.