Meat Proteins Increase Cardiovascular Risk, While Plant Proteins Do the Reverse

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the number one killer in the whole world. More people die from these conditions every year than any other cause of death. It’s no wonder why scientists are focused on learning more about this health threat.

Just recently, a large study was published regarding the cardiovascular implications of diets high in animal proteins (specifically: meat) versus plant-based proteins (think: nuts and seeds). The results bolster existing evidence that plant foods tend to be gentler for overall heart health. 

Researchers from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California and AgroParisTech and the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Paris, France referenced data gathered from the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort—over 81,000 people. Their results were published online in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The study is one of the first of its kind to focus specifically on meat when referring to “animal proteins” in comparison to plant-based proteins. The researchers discovered that people who ate a significant amount of meat protein experienced 60 percent increase in CVD rates., compared to people who ate a significant amount of nut and seed proteins and experienced a 40 percent decrease in CVD rates.

“While dietary fats are part of the story in affecting risk of cardiovascular disease, proteins may also have important and largely overlooked independent effects on risk,” author Gary Fraser, MB ChB, PhD, from Loma Linda University told Science Daily. This discovery will likely usher in a new focus in medical research: no longer looking solely at dietary fats and their effects on cardiovascular health, but also considering the bigger picture—including how proteins interact with heart health.

If you are interested in replacing animal proteins with plant-based sources of this macronutrient, there are tons of foods that contain plenty of it. You can also look at specifically increasing how many nuts and seeds you eat quite easily nowadays; these tiny powerhouses have tons of additional health benefits and delicious applications in the kitchen. Get creative when breaking free of the Standard American Diet and embrace the nutritional power of plants!