The meat and dairy industries are two of my biggest bugbears as far as ill-informed, persistent marketing to the public in order to stay the centre of people's plates in the developed world. So I was happy to see two major studies be published in journals as well as major news sites in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and NZ that highlight the truth about what animal protein does to the body. Here are the summaries of these two studies. These studies draw the same conclusions as decades of previous studies which haven't had the same public exposure - that plant protein is far superior for long term health. The authors of third study in the same journal found that a high protein diet is as bad for your health as smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
Low Protein Intake Is Associated with a Major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and Overall Mortality in the 65 and Younger but Not Older Population
Morgan E. Levine,Jorge A. Suarez,Sebastian Brandhorst,Priya Balasubramanian,Chia-Wei Cheng,Federica Madia,Luigi Fontana,Mario G. Mirisola,Jaime Guevara-Aguirre,Junxiang Wan,Giuseppe Passarino,Brian K. Kennedy,Min Wei,Pinchas Cohen,Eileen M. Crimmins,Valter D. Longo
Eating a diet high in animal protein leads to an earlier death, compared with people who consume less, according to a new study analyzing data from 6,381 American adults aged 50 and older. Participants who ate the most animal protein had a 5-fold increase risk of death related to diabetes. Those younger than 65 who ate the most animal protein had a 74 percent increase risk for death from any cause and a 4-fold increase in death related to cancer, during a follow-up of 18 years. Risks for death were diminished or absent when protein sources were plant-derived.
Highlights
Link to the study: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(14)00062-X
In the news: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2014/03/04/deli-dilemma-meat-and-cheese-linked-to-earlier-death/
Morgan E. Levine,Jorge A. Suarez,Sebastian Brandhorst,Priya Balasubramanian,Chia-Wei Cheng,Federica Madia,Luigi Fontana,Mario G. Mirisola,Jaime Guevara-Aguirre,Junxiang Wan,Giuseppe Passarino,Brian K. Kennedy,Min Wei,Pinchas Cohen,Eileen M. Crimmins,Valter D. Longo
Eating a diet high in animal protein leads to an earlier death, compared with people who consume less, according to a new study analyzing data from 6,381 American adults aged 50 and older. Participants who ate the most animal protein had a 5-fold increase risk of death related to diabetes. Those younger than 65 who ate the most animal protein had a 74 percent increase risk for death from any cause and a 4-fold increase in death related to cancer, during a follow-up of 18 years. Risks for death were diminished or absent when protein sources were plant-derived.
Highlights
- High protein intake is linked to increased cancer, diabetes, and overall mortality
- High IGF-1 levels increased the relationship between mortality and high protein
- Higher protein consumption may be protective for older adults
- Plant-derived proteins are associated with lower mortality than animal-derived proteins
Link to the study: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(14)00062-X
In the news: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2014/03/04/deli-dilemma-meat-and-cheese-linked-to-earlier-death/
The Ratio of Macronutrients, Not Caloric Intake, Dictates Cardiometabolic Health, Aging, and Longevity in Ad Libitum-Fed Mice
Samantha M. Solon-Biet,Aisling C. McMahon,J. William O. Ballard,Kari Ruohonen,Lindsay E. Wu,Victoria C. Cogger,Alessandra Warren,Xin Huang,Nicolas Pichaud,Richard G. Melvin,Rahul Gokarn,Mamdouh Khalil,Nigel Turner,Gregory J. Cooney,David A. Sinclair,David Raubenheimer,David G. Le Couteur,Stephen J. Simpson
"If you're interested in a longer life span and late-life health, then a diet that is low in protein, high in carbohydrate and low in fat is preferable. Certainly we found and we expected to find that high-protein diets led to weight loss and led to increased muscle bulk, but this was associated with worse outcomes, whether it was blood pressure or diabetes or life span. The best diet for a long life is low protein and high in carbs - essentially a vegetarian diet."
Highlights
Link to the study: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(14)00065-5
In the news: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273533.php
Samantha M. Solon-Biet,Aisling C. McMahon,J. William O. Ballard,Kari Ruohonen,Lindsay E. Wu,Victoria C. Cogger,Alessandra Warren,Xin Huang,Nicolas Pichaud,Richard G. Melvin,Rahul Gokarn,Mamdouh Khalil,Nigel Turner,Gregory J. Cooney,David A. Sinclair,David Raubenheimer,David G. Le Couteur,Stephen J. Simpson
"If you're interested in a longer life span and late-life health, then a diet that is low in protein, high in carbohydrate and low in fat is preferable. Certainly we found and we expected to find that high-protein diets led to weight loss and led to increased muscle bulk, but this was associated with worse outcomes, whether it was blood pressure or diabetes or life span. The best diet for a long life is low protein and high in carbs - essentially a vegetarian diet."
Highlights
- Food intake is regulated primarily by dietary protein and carbohydrate
- Low-protein, high-carbohydrate diets are associated with the longest lifespans
- Energy reduction from high-protein diets or dietary dilution does not extend life
- Diet influences hepatic mTOR via branched-chain amino acids and glucose
Link to the study: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(14)00065-5
In the news: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273533.php