Animal Protein Linked to Increased Diabetes Risk

Diabetes risk increases with higher intake of total protein and animal protein, according to a new study in this month’s issue of Diabetes Care. Researchers analyzed the diets of 38,094 Dutch participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study and found that for every 5 percent of calories consumed from protein instead of carbohydrate or fat, the risk of developing diabetes increased 30 percent. Increased animal protein intake coincided with increased intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron, and with increased body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Vegetable protein intake was not associated with diabetes risk.