It’s not just high sugar foods like cookies, cakes and white bread that are associated with increased risk of diabetes. Evidence has shown that red meat intake is directly linked to elevated diabetes risk; the more red meat in the diet, the greater the risk. Dietitians and other health professionals always emphasize that red meat should be eaten less frequently than lower fat meats to prevent HEART disease. But often, there is no mention of how red meat’s nutritional components can impact blood sugar and diabetes risk.
Red meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which impact blood cholesterol, body weight and promote inflammation. These same negative effects are attributed to the development of diabetes! So it’s time to recognize the total body impact of excessive red meat intake.

A recent article describes the results of a large meta-analysis study, revealing how processed and unprocessed red meats impact diabetes risk. See the link below to read the article.

Recommendations: limit red meat intake to no more than once per week. This includes high fat processed meats such as salami and pepperoni. Instead, eat a variety of protein- rich foods like  chicken, turkey, beans, low-fat dairy, fish and nuts to help keep you full and healthy.

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=655704

This prospective study was included in the meta-analysis described in the above article:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/9/2108.long