Does eating spam make you more likely to get diabetes?
Associations of processed meat and unprocessed red meat intake with incident diabetes: the Strong Heart Family Study.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at what American Indian adults ate and whether they got diabetes over 5 years. They wanted to see if eating processed meats like spam or hot dogs was linked to diabetes, and if regular red meat like steak was different.
Surprising Findings
Hot dogs and breakfast sausages weren’t linked to higher diabetes risk, but spam and lunch meat were.
Most public health messaging groups all processed meats together. This study shows not all processed meats carry the same risk—even within the same category.
Practical Takeaways
Swap spam or canned meats for fresh or frozen unprocessed meats when possible.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at what American Indian adults ate and whether they got diabetes over 5 years. They wanted to see if eating processed meats like spam or hot dogs was linked to diabetes, and if regular red meat like steak was different.
Surprising Findings
Hot dogs and breakfast sausages weren’t linked to higher diabetes risk, but spam and lunch meat were.
Most public health messaging groups all processed meats together. This study shows not all processed meats carry the same risk—even within the same category.
Practical Takeaways
Swap spam or canned meats for fresh or frozen unprocessed meats when possible.
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
2012
Authors
A. Fretts, B. Howard, B. McKnight, G. Duncan, S. Beresford, M. Mete, S. Eilat-Adar, Ying Zhang, D. Siscovick
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Claims (6)
Regular red meat, like steak or roast, isn't the same as processed stuff like bacon or hot dogs — they're made differently and might affect your health in different ways, so experts say we shouldn't treat them the same when studying their health effects.
Eating a lot of Spam might double your chances of getting type 2 diabetes, especially in American Indian communities where it's commonly eaten.
Eating unprocessed red meat like beef or pork doesn’t seem to raise the risk of getting type 2 diabetes in American Indian adults — people who eat the most don’t have a higher chance than those who eat the least.
If you're an American Indian adult, eating more processed meat like bacon or hot dogs might increase your chances of getting type 2 diabetes over time—especially if you eat a lot compared to others.
Eating a lot of lunch meat might increase the chance of getting type 2 diabetes in American Indian adults — especially if you eat the most compared to others — but hot dogs, sausage, and other processed meats don’t seem to have the same effect.