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Replacing meat-based protein with protein from nuts and beans can reduce your odds for heart disease<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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A 30-year study found benefits in preventing cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Beans and nuts contain compounds that can cut high blood pressure and lower cholesterol<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
MONDAY, Dec. 2, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Moving away from meat to plants as a main source of protein will do wonders for your heart, new research finds.<\/p>\n
The 30-year study found that folks with the highest ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein cut their odds of developing cardiovascular disease by 19%. They also had a 27% lower risk for coronary heart disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of us need to begin shifting our diets toward plant-based proteins,\u201d said study senior author Dr. Frank Hu<\/a>, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University. \u201cWe can do so by cutting down on meat, especially red and processed meats, and eating more legumes and nuts. Such a dietary pattern is beneficial not just for human health but also the health of our planet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is there a “sweet spot” for plant-versus-meat intake?<\/p>\n
The authors believe that a move to a wholly plant-based diet might work best when it comes to reducing risks for coronary heart disease (CHD), but benefits for cardiovascular disease (CVD) plateau at about a 1:2 ratio of plant to animal protein.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe average American eats a 1:3 plant to animal protein ratio,” said lead author Andrea Glenn<\/a>, who did the research as a visiting scientist at Harvard’s department of nutrition. “Our findings suggest a ratio of at least 1:2 is much more effective in preventing CVD. For CHD prevention, a ratio of 1:1.3 or higher should come from plants.” Glenn is now an assistant professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University.<\/p>\n
The new findings were based on three decades of follow-up on 203,000 men and women enrolled in the Nurses\u2019 Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals\u2019 Follow-up Study. Participants were surveyed every four years about their diets, including protein.<\/p>\n
Over the study period, more 16,100 CVD cases, including more than 10,000 CHD cases and more than 6,000 stroke cases, were documented.<\/p>\n
The Harvard team confirmed that a move to plant sources of protein cut the odds for both forms of heart disease. Those with the highest amounts of plant-based protein in their diets had a 28% lower risk of CVD and a 36% lower risk of CHD,\u00a0the researchers reported.<\/p>\n
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