Postmenopausal women who shed meat instead of plant-based alternatives are less likely to die prematurely, a study has found.
Eating nuts instead of red meat, poultry, milk, eggs and fish was linked to a lower risk for early death in a special study.
Meanwhile, eating nuts instead of eggs had a 47 per cent chance of dying out in the study but excluding red meat and milk for nut-based foods reduced the risk of early death. with 11 and 12 percent, respectively.
A study by the American Heart Association also found that vegan women who use nuts to supplement their diet protein were 56 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
Although the study did not look for a reason for the link, the researchers hope the findings will encourage older women to consider including more nuts in their diet instead of other proteins.
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Postmenopausal women who shed meat instead of plant-based alternatives are less likely to die prematurely, a study has found
The study employed 102,521 postmenopausal women with an average age of 63 between 1993 and 1998, and continued their life and health for 18 years.
Over this period nearly 26,000 women died with 6,993 dying from cardiovascular disease, 7,516 women dying from cancer and 2,734 deaths due to depression.
Follow-up and regular questionnaires revealed that about one in six women’s diet is protein.
The researchers then broke down where most of their protein came from and found that more than two-thirds (68.6 percent) came from animals, such as meat, eggs and milk.
The analysis showed that women who eat the highest levels of animal protein are more likely to be white, well-educated and rich.
They are also more likely to be smokers, heavy drinkers and lead sedentary lifestyles with little physical activity.
This ended with the group of women surveyed with higher rates of Type 2 diabetes and higher BMIs, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
In contrast, women who get more of their protein from plants also eat fewer calories each day, eat less saturated fat and have more fiber in their diet.
The study also found that even a small difference in a person’s diet can make a big difference because adding just five percent of animal protein to plant-derived foods reduces the risk of early death by 14 percent. .
‘Replacing animal protein with plant proteins was associated with a lower risk of morbidity, cardiovascular disease mortality, and depression mortality,’ the researchers write in their study.
‘Replacing whole red meat, eggs or dairy products with nuts was associated with a lower risk of mortality for all reasons.’
Lead author Dr. Wei Bao, of the University of Iowa, said: ‘Our findings support the need to consider dietary protein sources in future diet management.
The conventional diet guidelines focus heavily on the total amount of protein. Our findings show that different types of protein foods may have different health effects. ‘
Other findings from the study are that those who eat the most processed red meats, such as sausages and bacon, have a 20 percent higher risk of dying from depression.
Eating nuts instead of red meat, poultry, milk, eggs and fish was linked to a lower risk for early death in a special study. Replacing eggs with eggs reduces the risk by 47 percent but by adding red meat and milk to nut – based foods reduced the risk of early death by 11 and 12 percent, respectively. Pictured, roasted nut
Higher consumption of uncooked meat, eggs and milk was also found to be associated with a 12 percent, 24 percent and 11 percent higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, respectively.
Egg lovers are also 24 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and ten percent more likely to die from cancer.
However, people who ate the most eggs are at a 14 percent lower risk of dying from depression.
‘It is not clear in our study why eggs were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular death and cancer,’ Dr Bao said.
‘It may be related to the way people cook and eat eggs. Eggs can be boiled, scraped, poached, baked, boiled, fried, broken, thirsty or pickled or in combination with other foods.
In the United States, people usually eat eggs in the form of fried eggs and often with other foods such as bacon.
‘While we have carefully described many potentially controversial factors in the analysis, it is still difficult to fully ascertain whether eggs, other foods usually with eggs, or even factors could be. non-diet associated with egg consumption, leading to increased risk. of cardiovascular death and cancer. ‘
The researchers said the findings published in the Journal of the American Heart Association may not apply to younger women or men.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
Foods should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, whole grains, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. Fresh, frozen, dried and tinned fruit and vegetables count
• Base foods on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, especially whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholegrain bread and large baked skinned potatoes
• Choose some dairy or other milk options (such as soy drinks) to choose lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, vegetables, eggs, meat and other proteins (include 2 portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsalted oils and spreads and eat in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups / glasses of water daily
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guidance