Research
Mixed
Higher dietary intake of heme-iron is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
High intake of heme-iron (found in red meat) is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Consider diversifying your protein sources to include more plant-based or poultry options to manage your heme-iron intake, especially if you have other risk factors for diabetes.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The combined RR comparing the highest and lowest category of heme-iron intake was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.21–1.43)
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 4 prospective cohort studies with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%).
Source
Body Iron Stores and Heme-Iron Intake in Relation to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Zhuoxian Zhao et al. · PLoS ONE · 2012
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0041641
Meta-analysis · 16 studiesCited 225×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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