High consumption of red and processed meat has been linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, a new research has claimed.According to the Elsevier study, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been added to the list of diseases associated with a Western diet that includes relatively high consumption of red and processed meat.World meat consumption has increased during the last decades, and evidence is mounting that high consumption of red and mainly processed meat is unhealthy to humans and is related to chronic diseases such as cancer, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
“NAFLD is considered as the hepatic component of the metabolic syndrome, with insulin resistance and inflammation as key factors in its pathophysiology,” explained lead investigator Shira Zelber-Sagi.
“Unhealthy Western lifestyle plays a major role in the development and progression of NAFLD, namely, lack of physical activity and high consumption of fructose and saturated fat. Our study looked at other common foods in the Western diet, namely red and processed meats, to determine whether they increase the risk for NAFLD.”In order to test the association of type of meat and cooking method with NAFLD and insulin resistance, investigators undertook a cross-sectional study among individuals 40-70 years old who underwent screening colonoscopy and who agreed to participate in a metabolic and hepatic screening study between 2013 and 2015.NAFLD and insulin resistance were evaluated by ultrasonography and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Meat-type and cooking method were measured by food frequency and detailed meat consumption questionnaires.
Unhealthy cooking methods were characterised as frying or grilling to a level of well done or very well done. These methods produce heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are pro-inflammatory compounds, and their intake was also calculated.After excluding some of the participants due to factors such as viral liver disease and alcohol abuse, close to 800 subjects were included in the main analysis, of which a sub-sample of 357 subjects completed the meat questionnaire.
