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+--- Thread: Research Sugar molecule in red meat linked with 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (/thread-21442.html)
Sugar molecule in red meat linked with 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes - C C - Sep 28, 2026
Sugar molecule in red meat linked with a 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in those with highest consumption
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1145371
EXCERPTS: Preliminary results of an observational study being presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2), reveal that a sugar called dietary N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), which is common in red meat, is independently associated with a 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in those with the highest versus lowest consumption, even after taking into account other T2D risk factors such as level of physical activity, overall diet, smoking status and other health conditions.
The association was weaker but remained significant after also accounting for body mass index (BMI).
“Our findings support chronic inflammation as a specific mechanism linking red meat consumption with T2D, partly beyond the amount of red meat a person eats and partly independent of body fat,” said lead author Dr Leopold Fezeu from the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, France,
The analysis found that the higher the levels of Neu5Gc, the greater the risk of developing T2D. As Dr Fezeu explained, " Although we do not know exactly what levels of Neu5Gc trigger an immune response, our data suggest that higher intakes of meat-derived Neu5Gc are associated with a progressively higher risk of T2D.”
Most mammals naturally produce a sugar known as Neu5Gc, but humans lost this ability due to an ancient genetic mutation in the CMAH gene. This carbohydrate is found in red meat (particularly beef and lamb), and to a lesser extent in dairy products.
When people consume these foods, animal Neu5Gc is absorbed and metabolically incorporated into human tissues, where it acts as a foreign molecule, a so-called xeno-autoantigen. The immune system produces antibodies against it, and the resulting chronic immune activation (xenosialitis) has previously been linked to cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
But until now, no large-scale prospective study has examined whether Neu5Gc may trigger chronic inflammation and promote T2D.
[...] The researchers found a statistically significant association between meat-derived Neu5Gc and T2D risk, with the risk increasing steeply at higher exposure levels. This suggests that a threshold mechanism may be at play, whereby the immune system is overwhelmed once tissue incorporation of Neu5Gc exceeds a certain level.
The analysis found that people in the highest meat-derived Neu5Gc quintile had a 63% higher risk of developing T2D compared to those in the lowest quintile, even after adjusting for potential confounding factors, including age, sex, physical activity, dietary quality, smoking status and underlying health conditions.
The association was observed in both men and women, with no statistical evidence that it differed between the sexes (see tables in notes to editors).
[...] “Together, these findings suggest that the association between Neu5Gc and T2D may depend on its dietary source, with meat-derived Neu5Gc showing a stronger association with T2D risk than total dietary Neu5Gc,” said Dr Fezeu. “There may be differences between sources, or other components of red meat may contribute.”
He added, “Given how common red meat is in Western diets, the strong association between meat-derived Neu5Gc and T2D risk is an important finding. Future research should explore whether reducing exposure to meat-derived Neu5Gc, for example by favouring poultry or plant-based proteins over beef and lamb, which have the highest Neu5Gc content, could help prevent T2D. Studies directly measuring anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in large cohorts would also help to directly test the xenosialitis mechanism in humans.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)