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Eat Plant Proteins Instead Of Red Meat To Lower Chances Of Dying

Meat lovers everywhere have another reason to be more careful about their protein intake. A new study shows that too much red meat may be associated with a higher risk of death, CNN reports.

The solution is simple: replace animal protein with plant protein, which is linked to a lower risk of death, according to the study.

There has been a wide berth of studies connecting processed red meats to chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Now, this research adds to the evidence by revealing that these connections may still exist when looking at overall protein intake.

Dr. Mingyang Song, lead author on the study and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says,

While it is important to know how much protein people should consume to achieve the optimal health benefit, from a broad dietary perspective, what foods people choose to consume to get protein is equally important.

Song adds that their results have “important public health implications.” “They can help refine the current dietary recommendations about protein intake and really get to the point that it is not only the amount but also the food sources of protein that are critical for long-term health.”

The researchers analyzed data on how much protein 131,342 adults all over the United States ate in their daily diets. The data, from the 32-year-old national Nurses’ Health Study and the 26-year-old Health Professionals Follow-Up Study at Harvard, evaluated protein intake with surveys that participants filled out.

Song and his colleagues found that links between protein intake and mortality risk were limited to participants who had at least one unhealthy life habit or condition, such as smoking, alcoholism, obesity or physical inertia.

To be specific, a 10% increase in animal protein consumption was linked to a 2% increase in mortality, and an 8% increase in cardiovascular-related mortality. However, a 3% increase in plant protein intake was associated with a 10% decrease in overall death risks and a 12% decrease in cardiovascular death risks.

Song says that why animal protein seems to cause a higher mortality rate while plant protein does the opposite is largely a mystery. “But high animal protein intake has been linked to higher levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a protein that has been linked to worse health outcomes, whereas high plant protein intake has been associated with lower blood pressure … and improved insulin sensitivity,” he says. “Alternatively, it is possible that other components in the foods than protein per se may be the culprit.” Processed red meat, for example, is high in salt, nitrites and nitrates, which are all known to cause sicknesses.

The US 2015-20 dietary guidelines recommend a diet with less saturated fat, less salt and more vegetables and whole grains.

Good replacements for animal protein would be whole-grain bread, cereal, legumes and nuts, Song says. And while his team did not look at soy because not many Americans eat it, there is evidence that soy may also be a good protein source.

The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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