Vegetable proteinfrom such protein sources or dairy productswhile reducing red meat consumption could help people live longer. This is according to two preliminary studies presented by researchers at the Epidemiology and Prevention of the American Heart Association. The presentation took place at scientific sessions on lifestyle and cardiometabolic health.
Vegetable protein against meat consumption
The study consisted of more than 37,000 participants with an average age of 50 years. Of those, those who ate plant protein often were 27% less likely to die from various causes and 29% less likely to die from coronary heart disease specifically, compared to people who ate the least amount of plant protein.
While maintaining theNumber of calories, which participants consumed, the researchers were able to estimate the amount of plant protein compared to the animal protein consumed in the study. They found that:
- Replacing 5% of daily calories from total animal protein with the equivalent number of calories from plant protein was associated with a nearly 50% reduction in the risk of death from various causes, including coronary heart disease.
- They were able to associate the 2% of daily consumption from processed meat protein with a 32% lower risk.
However, it is not enough to just eat red meat andavoid milk. It's more about what you eat instead of red meat. Healthy plant-based proteins like nuts, legumes and whole grains contain more than just protein. They also contain other beneficial nutrients. These would be, for example, healthy fats, antioxidant vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant compounds). The latter are linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. Lead study author Zhilei Shan said. He is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Study results
The strengths of the study include the representative sample and the collection of data over a longer period of time. However, the researchers only evaluated the nutritional information at the beginning of the study. The results therefore do not take into account the dietary changes made later. Replacing one serving of red or processed red meat per day with the above foods was associated with up to 47% lower risk of coronary heart disease in men.
Additionally, replacing a daily serving of red meat with an equivalent amount of nuts without increasing the number of calories was associated with a 17% lower risk of heart attack. Replacing a serving of red meat with whole grains resulted in a 48% lower risk in men.
