In a Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health study, researchers found a link between eating red meat and type 2 diabetes.

Those who ate just two servings of red meat per week may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The includes processed and unprocessed meats. The risk increases with greater consumption.

Data rfom 216,695 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) was analyzed. Diet was assessed with food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, for up to 36 years. During this time, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes.

Researchers also found that replacing red meat with healthy plant-based protein sources, such as nuts and legumes, or modest amounts of dairy foods, was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study was published on Thursday in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.