Bacon and sausage linked to Type 2 diabetes, new study finds. Here’s what to know

Additives in bacon, sausage and other processed meats may be linked to an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a large-scale study completed in France.

Using data from 104,168 participants, researchers examined the connection between food consumption and diabetes risk, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Medicine on Jan. 17.

As part of the study, participants self-reported their diets and medical history, lifestyle choices and sociodemographic information.

The researchers, who are affiliated with a nutrition lab at the Sorbonne in Paris, found that participants who reported consuming elevated levels of nitrites in food additives had a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

“This is the first largescale cohort study to suggest a direct association between additives-originated nitrites and type-2 diabetes risk,” the authors wrote in a news release.

The link applies to all processed meats containing nitrites, including pink ham, sausage and bacon, Dr. Bernard Srour, one of the study co-authors, told McClatchy News.

Nitrites are naturally occurring compounds that are widespread in the environment and present in plant-based foods. They are also used in certain fertilizers and in meat processing for “microbiological purposes to (increase) shelf life and to prevent botulism associated with pork meat,” Srour said.

Meat-processing companies had already been under pressure to remove nitrates and nitrites from the curing process because of potential cancer risks posed by the compounds, according to a study published in the journal Antioxidants.

Additionally — nitrites aside — diets high in processed meat have long been associated with myriad other health risks, including cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.

Swapping meat-heavy diets for plant-based foods, poultry and seafood “has the potential to reduce risk of chronic diseases and premature death,” according to the study.