Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have carried out the largest study to date to compare the effects of protein diets from different sources and found that those based on animal sources , mainly cold cuts and red meat, were associated with a higher rate of mortality, while the healthiest included plant proteins , such as legumes and nuts. The results are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine .
According to Mingyang Song, from the Department of Gastroenterology of the hospital and one of the authors of the research, it shows the importance of protein sources in long-term diets: “while other studies focused on the amount of protein intake , which of course is important, we think that the origin of these proteins is equally fundamental. We even believe that in the long term the quality of the proteins influences more than the quantity “. This study has analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), in which there were statistics of more than 3.5 million people since the 1980s.
In that period of time, more than 36,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases were recorded, some 13,000 from cancer and 14,000 from other causes. After ruling out the risks of unhealthy lifestyles – smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle – the researchers found that a high intake of animal proteins – meat, sausages, eggs and dairy – corresponded with a higher percentage of deaths, while the consumption of vegetable proteins – bread, cereals, pasta, legumes, nuts … – was associated with a lower mortality rate.
According to research, a 10% increase in animal protein intake increases the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases by 8% and by 2% from other causes. On the contrary, increasing the consumption of vegetable proteins by 3% reduces the chances of dying from a cardiovascular problem by 12%. Interestingly, this relationship between animal protein and risk of mortality only occurred in individuals with at least one factor associated with unhealthy lifestyles: underweight or overweight; excessive alcohol consumption, smoking or sedentary lifestyle. The relationship did not occur in subjects with a healthy lifestyle. According to Song, “we should consider eating more plant protein than animal protein. And among animals, fish and chicken are the best option.”
