Eating Plant or Animal Protein Makes No Difference When It Comes to Mortality
We all know that nutrition is one of the pillars of health. To live a long and healthy life, it is important to get the right details, and a continuous subject of food research is proteins. Like carbohydrates and fats, quantity and quality are important.
Nutritional research is delicate, often based on observation studies which offer clues but not final answers. A recurring debate is whether vegetable proteins are healthier than animal proteins. Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario have recently decided to explore this issue.
Their study, published in Physiology, nutrition and metabolism appliedexamined the data of nearly 16,000 adults. Surprisingly, it does not seem important that proteins come from plants or animals with regard to overall mortality, although animal proteins have shown a slight protective effect against cancer deaths.
Confusion around protein consumption
The recommended food allowance (GDR) for proteins in Canada and the United States is 0.8 gram per kilogram of body weight per day. Another way to approach the quantities of protein is the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR), which is wider, 10 to 35% of daily calories. Most people already fall comfortably in this range, often several times higher than the GDR.
The debate remains on the amount of optimal protein, especially for the elderly. Some studies suggest that more protein supports muscle health and longevity, while others raise concerns. A study has linked high protein intake with a 75% increase in overall mortality and a risk of cancer four times higher in adults aged 50 to 65.
Interestingly, this risk has disappeared when the protein came from plants, lending support to directives such as Canada’s food guide, which promotes plant proteins. But instead of focusing on the quantities of protein, McMaster’s researchers have examined the usual amounts of protein, differing only in the protein source.
“There is a lot of confusion around proteins – how much to eat, what genre and what it means for long -term health. This study adds clarity, which is important for anyone who tries to make informed decisions based on evidence on what they eat,” said the co -author of Stuart Phillips study, professor at McMaster, in a press release.
Learn more: How many proteins do you really need in your diet?
Animal protein plant
To give clarity, the team analyzed the data of the third national survey on health and nutrition exams (Nhanes III), which collected food information from American adults between 1988 and 1994. Nearly 16,000 people, aged 19 and over, were included.
Researchers have used advanced statistical methods, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method and multivariate modeling of the Markov Monte Carlo chain, to take into account daily fluctuations in protein intake.
“It was imperative that our analysis uses the most rigorous and rigorous methods to assess the risk of the usual contribution and mortality. These methods have allowed us to take into account fluctuations in daily protein intake and provide a more precise image of long -term eating habits, ”said Phillips.
The results have shown no link between total, animal or plant protein and the risk of death of any cause, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Even when the two protein sources were analyzed together, the results remained stable. There was an index that animal proteins could slightly reduce cancer mortality, but no significant relationship has emerged for vegetable proteins.
Protein that promotes health and longevity
The point to take? The data do not support the idea that a protein source is intrinsically more harmful or beneficial for the longevity than another. If anything, animal proteins can be slightly protective against cancer deaths, but the difference is low.
As with all observation studies, the results cannot prove the cause and the effect. However, when combined with decades of evidence of clinical trials, the results provide insurance to people who benefit from mixed food.
“When observation data like this and clinical research is taken into account, it is clear that food for animal and plant proteins promote health and longevity” concluded that the first author Yanni Papanikolaou in the declaration.
This article does not offer medical advice and should be used for information purposes only.
Learn more: Adding more plant proteins to your diet could increase your life expectancy
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