Isophoric News · Sunday, October 18, 2026
Study of nearly 90,000 French adults links a sugar in red meat to higher diabetes risk, but the link weakens once total red meat is counted
A study of 89,953 adults in France found that people with the highest estimated intake of a sugar found in red meat, called Neu5Gc, had a 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest, according to preliminary findings presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan and published by ScienceDaily. The observational study followed adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 42 years old on average and 79% women, for a median of 7.2 years, during which 966 new cases of type 2 diabetes were recorded; intake was estimated from three 24-hour dietary records. The researchers said the link persisted after accounting for age, sex, exercise, overall diet, smoking and existing conditions, but when total red meat intake was also accounted for, it weakened and was no longer statistically significant, so they cannot say whether the sugar itself is responsible. It shows an association, not that Neu5Gc or red meat causes diabetes.
