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 Researchers followed almost 71,000 middle-aged Japanese adults for
an average of almost two decades. Compared to people who consumed
the smallest amount of plant protein, participants who consumed the
largest amount were 13% less likely to die during the study and 16%
less likely to die of cardiovascular causes.
"Previous studies have found higher consumption of animal protein is
associated with increased chronic diseases and mortality, whereas
higher consumption of plant protein is associated with lower risk,
but most of these studies were conducted in Western populations, in
which consumption of animal protein is much higher than plant
protein," said Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the department of nutrition at
the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
"In this Japanese study, consumption of plant protein is quite high,
whereas the consumption of animal protein is quite low compared to
that in Western populations," Hu, who wasn't involved in the study,
said by email."
Animal protein didn't appear to influence longevity in the study,
researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Overall in the study, 12,381 people died, including 5,055 fatalities
from cancer, 3,025 from cardiovascular disease, 1,528 from heart
disease, and 1,198 due to cerebrovascular disease.
People who replaced just 3% of red meat with plant protein were 34%
less likely to die of any cause, 39% less likely to die of cancer,
and 42% less likely to die of heart disease during the study.
And, people who replaced just 4% of processed meat in their diet
with plant protein were 46% less likely to die of any cause and 50%
less likely to die of cancer.
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"When individuals eat more plant protein foods such as nuts, soy,
and lentils, there is a significant improvement in cardiovascular
risk factors such as blood lipids, blood pressure, and body weight,"
Hu said.
"It is worth noting that these plant foods contain not just protein,
but also other beneficial nutrients such as healthy fats,
anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals," Hu added. "On
the other hand, diets high in red and processed meats have been
associated with a wide range of health consequences such as
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers."
The current study wasn't a controlled experiment designed to prove
whether or how the amount or type of protein people consume might
directly impact their longevity.
One limitation of the research is that participants' diets were only
assessed once, at the start of the study, and it's possible their
eating habits changed over time, study coauthor Dr. Norie Sawada of
the National Cancer Center in Tokyo and colleagues write in their
report. Sawada didn't respond to requests for comment.
"The take-home message is that to live longer, one should swap red
and processed meat with healthy, plant proteins like nuts, beans,
lentils, and whole grains," Hu advised. "Such a dietary pattern is
not only beneficial for human health but also more environmentally
sustainable."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2ZhGhDF JAMA Internal Medicine, online August
26, 2019.
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