If you want to live longer you should select beans for your protein over beef, suggests a new analysis.
“These findings have important public health implications as intake of plant protein can be increased relatively easily by replacing animal protein and could have a large effect on longevity,” the researchers reported.
Diets high in plant protein — such as legumes (peas, beans , and lentils), whole grains, and nuts — were associated with a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease , and stroke, whereas diets high in animal protein were associated with a variety of health issues.
Nonetheless, the association between various types of proteins and the likelihood of early death has been inconsistent, so a group of researchers reviewed 32 studies that examined the risk of death from heart disease , cancer and other cause in adults aged 19 and older.
Of the more than 715,000 participants in the studies, just over 113,000 deaths occurred during a follow-up of up to 32 years. High consumption of total protein has been associated with a lower risk of death from all causes.
Plant protein consumption was associated with an 8 per cent lower risk of death from any cause and a 12 per cent lower risk of heart disease death. Animal protein consumption was not significantly linked to the risk of death from heart disease or cancer.
According to findings published July 22 in the BMJ, data from 31 of the studies also showed that an additional 3 percent of energy from plant proteins a day was associated with a 5 percent lower risk of death from any cause.
Possible factors for plant protein’s beneficial effects include lower blood pressure , cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, which may help reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh, a nutrition professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues said.
Further research is needed but the results of the study “strongly support the existing dietary recommendations to increase consumption of plant proteins in the general population,” the researchers said in a news release.
SOURCE: The BMJ’s news release on July 22, 2020: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2412
