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

The researchers found habitually eating 50g of processed meat a day – equivalent to two slices of ham – was linked to a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

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 2 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.