• Diabetes
• Diet and Nutrition

Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk With This One Simple Tip

You may already know that grilling and barbecuing meat can create cancer-causing substances. But did you realize that how you cook meat may also increase your risk for type 2 diabetes?

Learn how to change the odds in your favor by choosing healthier cooking methods. 

The Link Between How You Cook Meat And Type 2 Diabetes

Healthy eating is a big step toward preventing chronic diseases. We already know meat cooked at a high temperature can produce hazardous chemicals, called carcinogens, which can cause cancer.

New research points toward a connection between high-heat meat cooking and type 2 diabetes. According to a study from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition, frequent use of high-heat cooking techniques to prepare beef and chicken — like broiling and barbecuing —increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Study participants who often ate meats and chicken cooked at high temperatures were 1.5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Exactly why this increases risk is not known. But the harmful chemicals generated during high-heat cooking can play a significant role in impacting your health.

These chemicals may trigger an inflammatory response, interfere with the normal production of insulin, or contribute to insulin resistance, which means the body cannot use insulin properly to regulate blood sugar levels.

The study also notes that people who frequently used high-temperature cooking methods are more likely to gain weight and be obese, which itself is a risk for developing diabetes.

New research points toward a connection between high-heat meat cooking and type 2 diabetes.

Cooking Methods You Should Avoid

A char-grilled steak may be delicious. But is it worth the risk? As tempting as it may be, it’s wise to skip cooking meats using high-heat and open-flame methods like:

• Grilling
• Barbecuing
• Broiling
• Roasting

Instead, opt for healthier ways to prepare meats that use lower temperatures, or brief periods of high heat, such as:

• Slow cookers
• Baking
• Sous-vide (a cooking method in which food is placed in a plastic pouch and cooked in a water bath)
• Boiling
• Steaming
• Stewing
• Sautéing
• Stir-frying

Sources: Harvard School of Public Health; American Diabetes Association; Diabetesincontrol.com