A new study links consuming more plant-based protein to a lower risk of heart disease.
- A recent study examined the potential effects
that consuming different forms of protein may have on heart health.
- The researchers were interested in the ratio of
plant vs. animal-based protein people consumed and their long-term health
outcomes.
- The researchers learned that consuming a higher
ratio of plant to animal protein could lead to a reduction of both
coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
With deaths attributed
to heart disease holding the top spot in the U.S., researchers wonder how to cut that
number. While medications and technological interventions help, diet remains a
focus point for those looking to prevent heart disease or improve their health
after being diagnosed with it.
Researchers at the
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently released the results of a
30-year study that analyzed the effect consuming more plant-based protein than
animal-based protein has on heart health.
While the research did
not yield a specific ratio of plant to animal protein to incorporate into
dietary guidelines, the researchers did learn that people who consume more
plant-based protein generally have lower ratios of both CHD and CVD.
People with the highest
ratio of plant to animal protein had a 19% lower risk of CVD and a 27% lower
risk of CHD.
The study was published
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Shifting the
focus to plant-based protein sources
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, heart disease is the
leading cause of death for both adult men and women. In 2022, around 1 out of 5
deaths were attributed to heart disease.
There are many reasons
someone can develop heart disease,
such as genetics, poor dietary choices, and habits such as smoking tobacco products
and drinking alcohol.
People concerned about
their heart disease risk can lower it by exercising and making better food
choices. For example, choosing lean meats vs.
fatty red meats can reduce heart disease risk.
While protein is a
staple in a diet, and focusing on lean proteins is more beneficial for the
heart, some researchers wonder if people should focus more on consuming
proteins derived from a non-animal source.
Diets that focus on
plant-based proteins have increased in recent years as vegetarianism and veganism rise. Quinoa, edamame, and chickpeas are examples of
the plant-based proteins people use.
With the benefits of
consuming non-animal sources of protein in mind, researchers in the current
project accessed data compiled in a 30-year study to develop a better
understanding of how higher ratios of plant-based protein impact the heart.
The study involved more
than 200,000 participants. People who signed up to participate who already had
CVD or cancer were excluded.
The participants
provided information about their health every two to four years, and completed
food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) every four years. With the FFQ, the
participants reported how often they consumed specific foods over the past
year, which the researchers used to determine their daily ratio of plant to
animal protein intake.
Throughout the study, if
a participant reported having a major illness that would potentially cause them
to make changes to their diets, the researchers stopped tracking their FFQs.
Once the study
concluded, the researchers analyzed dietary intake and CVD and CHD outcomes.
A higher
ratio of plant-based protein yield heart benefits
By the end of the
30-year study, 16,118 participants reported developing CVD, and 10,187
participants reported developing CHD. Additionally, 6,137 participants reported
having strokes.
The researchers compared
this data to the plant-animal protein ratio to see if they could find any
connections between the ratio and CVD/CHD risk.
Participants
with higher plant-to-animal protein ratios showed a significantly reduced risk
of CVD compared to those who had the lowest plant-to-animal protein ratio –
they had a 19% lower risk. The reduced risk for CHD was even more impressive at
a 27% lower risk.
The researchers said
that a plant-to-animal protein ratio should be 1:2 to lower the risk of CVD and
1:1.3 for CHD.
The scientists noted
that over the 30-year study, participants with a higher plant-to-animal protein
ratio had lower BMIs, were less likely to be smokers, and were more active.
While the researchers
found positive benefits for a higher plant-to-animal protein ratio for reducing
the risk of CVD and CHD, they did not find such benefits associated with
stroke.
The study authors
pointed out that despite these findings, they have not identified an optimal
plant-to-animal protein ratio and said more research is needed.
Nutrition
tips for consuming more plant protein
John Higgins, MD, a cardiologist at UTHealth Houston, who was not
involved in the study, spoke with Medical News Today about
the study.
Higgins said the findings are “consistent with prior
studies that recommend plant-protein-based diets or Mediterranean diets as the best diets to prevent CVD as well as reduce further
events.”
The Mediterranean diet focuses on eating plant-based foods, healthy fats, and whole
grains.
Since the authors noted
different optimal ratios for preventing CVD and CHD, Higgins offered an
explanation for this.
“A higher ratio
for prevention of coronary heart disease might further improve blood lipids,
blood pressure, and inflammatory markers – because of the fact that plant
proteins are accompanied by high amounts of fiber, antioxidant vitamins,
minerals, and healthy fats,” he noted.
Higgins suggested that
people interested in improving their plant-to-animal protein ratio should cut
back on red meat and focus on eating more healthy nuts.
“Eat more healthy nuts
daily as a source of protein. Nuts are a good source of protein, fat, and
fiber, have a low glycemic index, reduce CVD and some cancers, and improve
cognitive functioning too,” he added.
Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of
the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in
Laguna Hills, California, who was not involved in the study, also spoke
with MNT.
Chen said the study
findings were “entirely consistent with many previous studies which found that
eating more plant-based protein instead of red meat reduces the risk of many
cardiometabolic conditions including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, high
cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.”
When asked whether
adjusting the plant-to-animal protein ratio would be difficult for most people,
he said it should be doable.
“A 1:2 plant-to-animal
protein ratio means that 33% of protein intake comes from plant sources. As the
average American currently gets [just over a quarter] of their protein from plant-based sources (1:3 ratio), we are talking
about replacing only a relatively small amount of animal protein with plant
protein in order to get significant benefits to heart health,” Chen pointed
out.
HOW TO EAT MORE PLANT PROTEIN
“Some
strategies would be to reduce the amount of meat in a dish, and replace it with
ingredients such as beans, tofu, and nuts. One could strive to eat more
protein-rich vegetables and grains such as quinoa, spinach, tomatoes, and
mushrooms.”
— Cheng-Han Chen, MD
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