How You Cook Meat May Affect Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Did you know that the type of cooking method you choose to cook meat with can make a great difference in your risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

• Researchers from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition analysed the data of more than 289,000 men and women who were followed for 12 to 16 years. They discovered that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 1.5 times greater in subjects who most frequently consumed meats cooked at high heat, compared to those who consumed the least.

• High-heat cooking methods include roasting, barbecuing, grilling, and broiling.

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The researchers hypothesized that the elevated type 2 diabetes risk could be attributed to the harmful chemicals (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic aromatic amines, and nitrosamines) generated during high-heat cooking. These chemicals may hinder the normal insulin production or cause insulin resistance (inability to properly utilise insulin to regulate blood sugar).

So What Should You Do?

It’s best for you to avoid cooking meats using high heat. You may use moderate-temperature cooking methods (e.g. steaming, stir-frying, sautéing, and boiling) instead.