Tuesday, March 21, 2023
HomeHealth & MedicineHigh Plant Protein Diet Lowers Mortality

High Plant Protein Diet Lowers Mortality

Diets high with plant protein are associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, finds a meta-analysis published in The BMJ.

Diets with low carbohydrates and high protein have become the food trend in recent decades (Shan et al., 2019). Primary reasons behind the popularity of a high protein diet may be associated with its effect on weight loss, increased power, and integrity of muscle mass (Westerterp-Plantenga et al., 2012, Leidy et al., 2015).

Vegetables-Plant-Foods

Calorie Restriction Linked with Low Body Temperature, Health Benefits

Calorie Restriction Linked with Low Body Temperature, Health Benefits

Limiting calories is associated with a variety of health advantages, including a longer lifespan and a significantly lower risk of ...
Read More
green tea antioxidant

Green Tea Compound Aids Tumor-suppressing, DNA-Repairing Protein

Published in Nature Communications, a study of the interaction between p53 and a green tea compound EGCG, points to a ...
Read More

Diets with a higher amount of protein, particularly from plant sources, such as legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), whole grains, and nuts, are related to reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality (Chan et al., 2019). However, some studies failed to draw such a conclusion for animal and plant protein (Sun et al., 2019).

Because of the conflicting data, a group of international scientists based in the USA and Iran, conducted a dose-response meta-analysis (Naghshi et al., 2020) of prospective cohort studies to summarize the association between intake of both plant and animal protein and the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, and cancer, the primary cause of 26.9 million deaths worldwide in 2016 (WHO 2016).

plant protein long life
Photo: Simon Godfrey on Unsplash

The researchers reviewed 32 studies that estimated cardiovascular and cancer mortality risk in adults aged 19 or older. They used a statistical model to compare the effects of the highest versus lowest categories of protein intake and evaluated the dose-response relations between protein intake and mortality.

Of the total 715,128 participants during the follow-up period of 3.5 to 32 years, 113 039 deaths occurred of which 16 429 deaths were from cardiovascular disease and 22 303 from cancer, the study found. The analysis also revealed intake of plant protein was associated with an 8% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. However, the consumption of animal protein was not significantly associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.

Data obtained from the dose-response analysis showed that an additional 3% of energy from plant proteins a day was associated with a 5% lower risk of death from all causes.

DNA-Genome-Gene

Early Life Experiences Can Have Long-Lasting Impact on Genes

A new study on fruit flies led by UCL scientists demonstrates that early life events can have a lasting effect ...
Read More
vitamin D

Vitamin D Levels in the Blood Can Predict Future Health Risks and Death

Free, circulating vitamin D levels in the blood may be a better predictor of future health risks in aging men, ...
Read More

The mechanisms through which plant proteins could affect human health are not well known. It is believed that once the plant protein is digested, it produces beneficial health peptides that favorably change cholesterol and blood sugar levels and maintain blood pressure.

However, animal protein consumption was associated with increased concentrations of biomarkers that are associated with an increased risk of age-related diseases, such as cancers.

“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”—quoted the study in conclusion.

Related Publication and Further Readings

Chan, R., J. Leung, et al. (2019). “High Protein Intake Is Associated with Lower Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Men and Women.” The journal of nutrition, health & aging 23(10): 987-996.

Leidy, H. J., P. M. Clifton, et al. (2015). “The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance.” Am J Clin Nutr 101(6): 1320S-1329S.

Naghshi, S., O. Sadeghi, et al. (2020). “Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.” BMJ 370: m2412.

Shan, Z., C. D. Rehm, et al. (2019). “Trends in Dietary Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat Intake and Diet Quality Among US Adults, 1999-2016.” JAMA 322(12): 1178-1187.

Sun, Y., B. Liu, et al. (2019). “Association of Major Dietary Protein Sources with All-cause and Cause-specific Mortality: The Women’s Health Initiative (FS03-08-19).” Current Developments in Nutrition 3(Suppl 1): nzz046.FS003-008-019.

Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S., S. G. Lemmens, et al. (2012). “Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health.” Br J Nutr 108 Suppl 2: S105-112.

WHO. (2016). “NCD mortality and morbidity. World Health Organisation, 2016.”   Retrieved on 8/1/2020.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Post

ultra-processed-foods

Ultra-Processed Foods May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer

0
An observational study conducted by Imperial College London reveals that greater consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with a higher risk of developing...

MOST COMMENTED

Girl-Loneliness-Isolation-Depression

Social Connection as the Strongest Protective Factor for Depression—New Study Identifies

6
Active social connection is the most influential protective factor for depression, Additionally, reducing sedentary activities such as watching TV or taking a nap can also help lower depression risk.

RECENT UPDATE

Ultra-Processed Foods May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer

An observational study conducted by Imperial College London reveals that greater consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with a higher risk of developing...

Cannabis Use May Increase Risk of Preterm Birth

Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new study.

Coffee with Milk May Reduce Inflammation

Coffee is a popular beverage consumed in many parts of the world. It can be enjoyed either in black or with milk. Recent studies...

Weight Loss: Reducing Total Calories May Be More Effective than Intermittent Fasting

New research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that the size and number of meals were more important for weight...