🥩 Does red meat increase the risk of type 2 diabetes?

The carnivore diet - a restrictive diet that only includes meat, fish, and other animal foods - is gaining traction on social media.

We hear a lot about the advantages of the carnivore diet online by influencers trying to push a narrative, but not much is said about its disadvantages.

A new study found that higher intake of heme iron - the type of iron found in red meat and other animal products - was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).

By looking at dietary intake, blood markers and by-products of metabolism, researcher found a…

• 26% higher risk of developing T2D among those with the highest intake of heme iron, compared to those with the lowest intake.

• 50% of the risk of T2D associated with unprocessed red meat was coming from heme iron

• Link between high amounts of heme iron intake, raised inflammatory markers and lower levels of beneficial markers

Because of this, the recommendation by researchers is to reduce heme iron intake, particularly from red meat, and adopt a more plant-based diet - containing on-heme iron - as a strategy for lowering diabetes risk.

However, there are many ‘buts’ and variables that were not accounted for in this study.

For example, the very low carb intake on a carnivore diet can ‘de-skill’ the body’s ability to process them. So when carbs are eaten, the body may not be able to handle them as effectively.

Heme iron is also very reactive - meaning it can kick start certain cellular processes. This reactivity in the intestine is often offset by interactions with other nutrients - like fibre, but these are missing from a carnivore diet.

🥊 Punchline

Short answer is Yes, maybe - very high intakes of red meat can increase risk of type 2 diabetes.

Long answer is - the carnivore diet is neither healthy, nor sustainable - as evidence by emerging research (and influencers dropping out of this trend despite preaching it). However, lean red meat and animal products can be part of a well rounded diet, with intakes tailored to individual circumstances.

🤼 Cutting a few calories won't hurt your workout

We heard that ‘dieting drains workout energy’ or 'I don't have enough energy, so I'll make up for it by not exercising'

However a new study in mice demonstrated that cutting up to 40% of calorie intake did not significantly reduce the distance that mice voluntarily chose to run each day.

Voluntarily is the important factor here - meaning that there was a motivation to engage in physical activity

This was done in mice because tracking what lab mice choose to do is much easier than chasing humans across the day.

However, there was a 11% reduction in distance by ‘high runner’ mice when on a 40% calorie restriction. This wasn’t really significant as these mice were already running 3x the distance of normal mice

The hypothesis is that running is a self-rewarding behaviour because is gives the ‘runner’s high’ - due to increasing of ‘feel good’ hormones dopamine and cannabinoid in the brain

There is also some type of compensation mechanism happening if food intake is reduced by 40% but weight doesn't go down much - such as reducing other types of activities or becoming metabolically more efficient.

This experiment however only lasted 2 weeks and we know from previous research that long-term calorie restriction - especially a 40% reduction - can be very hard to sustain, especially by those with a very active lifestyle.

🥊 Punchline

Unless performance is your goal when training, calorie restriction as a short term strategy should not affect your workouts.

🥦 Want to improve kidney and heart health? Fruit and veg may be the answer

It is common for people with high blood pressure to take medications to help manage their symptoms and reduce risk of heath and kidney damage.

The DASH diet - The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension - is the recommended first-line treatment for primary high blood pressure because rich in fruits and vegetables.

But the DASH diet is under-prescribed and under-implemented. It is often easier and quicker to prescribe medications than to coach patients to change dietary habits.

A gold standard study - a 5-year interventional randomized control trial - across 153 patients found that

• Both fruits and vegetables (and sodium bicarbonate supplement) improved kidney health

• Only fruits and vegetables (not sodium bicarbonate supplement) reduced blood pressure and improved markers of cardiovascular disease risk.

Only fruit and vegetables reduce cardiovascular risk because rich in potassium, fibre and other beneficial compounds. For once, potassium can counteract the action of sodium on blood pressure.

Because of this, fruits and vegetables should be 'foundational' treatment for patients with hypertension, while the need for medications is to be assessed on an individual basis.

🥊 Punchline

Fruit and vegetables can help accomplish 3 goals in patients with high blood pressure - kidney health, lower blood pressure, and reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Because of this, treatment of high blood pressure should begin with fruits and vegetables, despite the many challenges to get patients to implement them.