Transcription
Does red meat cause diabetes? Well, two major studies were published this week in Natural Metabolism and The Lancet, arguing for a link between red meat intake and diabetes. As expected, the media has jumped all over it, claiming that red meat causes diabetes. But when we take a closer look at these studies, what do we see?
These studies boast tiny effect sizes, in the case of the meta-analysis, massive group heterogeneity, and substantial confounders like higher consumption of Western diets, more obesity, and more smoking. While there are statistical adjustments one can try to do, you can never adjust away confidently all of these factors. So, when you combine these things, including tiny effect sizes, large group heterogeneity, and significant confounders, what you're left with is basically a statistical quirk.