Two slices of ham a day can raise type 2 diabetes risk by 15%, research suggests

Researchers analysed data from 31 study groups through InterConnect – a project funded by the EU to understand more about type 2 diabetes and obesity in different populations

Consuming 50 grams of processed meat a day – equivalent to two slices of ham – is associated with a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, scientists have found (Richard Griffin/Alamy Stock Photo)

Eating processed or red meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, with just two slices of ham a day raising the danger by 15%, the largest study of its kind suggests.

Research led by the University of Cambridge and involving two million people worldwide provides the most comprehensive evidence yet of a link between meat and the disease that presents one of the most pressing dangers to global health.