As conversations continue around diet and chronic disease, new research reinforces that beef can be part of a healthy diet—even for those at risk for type 2 diabetes. A recently published study in the research journal Current Developments in Nutrition found that eating 6 to 7 ounces of beef per day did not negatively affect blood sugar control or other key health markers in adults with prediabetes. The checkoff-funded study compared diets that included beef with those containing poultry and found no meaningful differences between the two.
The clinical trial followed 24 adults with prediabetes who consumed either beef or poultry as part of their regular diets for one month at a time. Participants ate two meals per day featuring familiar foods such as burgers, fajitas, burritos, stew and stir-fry. After each diet period, researchers evaluated how the body managed blood sugar and related health indicators.
Results showed that regular beef consumption did not worsen blood sugar response, insulin function or inflammation compared to poultry. Researchers noted that one month typically is enough time to detect changes in these measures, adding confidence to the findings.
Study authors emphasized that when beef is consumed as part of a balanced diet, it helps provide essential nutrients without increasing cardiometabolic risk. For producers, the results add to a growing body of science supporting beef’s place in a healthy diet and underscore the importance of continued investment in research.