More beef, pork boost risk of diabetes for males

A group of Japanese researchers said in a report that men who eat large amount of beef or pork may face a higher risk of developing diabetes, while the risk was not seen in women.

The researchers, who came from Japan's National Cancer Center and National Center for Global Health and Medicine, said Tuesday that the risk of diabetes of men who eat about 83 grams of beef or pork daily is 42 percent higher than those who eat about 15 grams of the meat.

The five-year research covered 64,000 people aged 45 to 75 at 11 areas across the country on the meat consumption in the late 1990s. About 1,200 people among them developed diabetes during the period.

However, the researchers said that they have not found relations between development of diabetes and the intake of meat products, such as ham and sausages, by male and female.

Kayo Kurotani, a senior researcher at the health and medicine center, said ferrum in the meat will make insulin that could reduce blood glucose level less effective and that is probably the reason for the link between meat intake and diabetes.

Kurotani said women have less ferrum than men in their bodies so that beef and pork have less impact on females.

She suggested that male eat more fish and chicken and pay much attention on their diet.