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Comparison Live longer with vegetable proteins
Many people who want to pay special attention to their figure take as few carbohydrates and increase the proportion of protein in their diet. However, it is still controversial whether plant and animal proteins have the same effect. American scientists have now found in an investigation that vegetable protein protects the health.
Increased life expectancy of vegetarians
No question: meat-free nutrition is healthy: only recently scientists in the journal "The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association" reported on an increased life expectancy of vegetarians. These live almost four years longer than meat consumers. American researchers have now also found that herbal diet is healthier. According to them, the consumption of animal protein increases the risk of death.
Nutritionists often reduce carbohydrates on their diet and prefer proteins. Vegetable proteins, such as those found in legumes or cereals, are healthier than animal ones, according to scientists. (Image: Lukas Gojda / fotolia.com) Influence of proteins in the diet
Previous studies have mostly looked at how the overall level of protein in food affects health. But scientists around Mingyang Song of Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, wanted to break down the influence of dietary protein in more detail. "Our goal was to understand how animal and vegetable proteins are related to mortality."
Inclusion of animal protein increases the risk of death
The researchers were able to draw on information from over 130,000 Americans from about 30 years ago. "We used the data from two ongoing cohort studies. In these two studies, participants are regularly asked about their lifestyle; every four years on their dietary habits. We linked this data to participants' health data and investigated the relationship between protein uptake and mortality. "The analysis found that the uptake of animal protein was associated with a higher risk of death than that of plant proteins.
The researchers published their findings in the journal "JAMA Internal Medicine". Song, a researcher at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), said in a statement from the clinic, "While previous studies have focused primarily on total protein intake, our findings also have an 'impact on public health'..
Recommendations for protein intake
They can help refine "current recommendations for protein intake, especially considering that it's not just the amount of protein that counts, but also the specific food sources that are critical to long-term health."
Earlier studies have shown that it is healthy to replace carbohydrates with proteins. In the current study, the main sources of animal protein were processed and unprocessed beef and pork, chicken, dairy, fish and eggs. The vegetable protein came mainly from bread, cereals, pasta, nuts, beans and legumes.
Data from two long-term studies evaluated
To get their results, the researchers used data from two long-term studies that recorded the health and dietary habits of healthcare professionals. Overall, the data sets of 85,013 women and 46,329 men were evaluated. The data came from the years 1980 to 2012.
Every two years, the subjects had to provide a detailed questionnaire about their lifestyle and their health, and every four years they would report in detail on the foods they ate on average. In the study period, 36,115 of the participants died, 8,851 from cardiovascular disease, 13,159 from cancer and 14,105 from other causes.
Pronounced association in overweight and alcohol users
In the analysis, the scientists found a connection between the amount of animal protein ingested and the risk of death. According to the data, the relationship was particularly pronounced in overweight people and those who drank a lot of alcohol. In addition, the experts calculated how the increase and decrease of animal and plant proteins in the diet affect the risk of death.
"When we took lifestyle differences into account, we found that this relationship between protein and mortality applies only to people who are unhealthy," Song said. According to the report, the mortality risk after adjustment for lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight was increased by two percent if the proportion of animal protein increased by ten percent relative to the total caloric intake.
The risk of dying from cardiovascular disease actually rises by eight percent. In contrast, the risk of death drops by ten percent if three percent more vegetable protein is included in the diet.
Fish and chicken are the better choice
The correlation became even clearer when animal proteins were partially replaced by plant-based proteins. Especially the conversion of processed beef and pork such as sausages and eggs to vegetable protein was worthwhile. "Our findings suggest that people should consider eating more plant proteins, and if they choose among the sources of animal protein, fish and chicken are probably the better choices," Song said.
"Health risk of meat consumption"
According to a report by the news agency APA, the study result for Heiner Boeing from the German Institute for Nutrition Research in Potsdam-Rehbrücke is not surprising. This confirms the research with long-term data in which his institute participates.
"Two well-known long-term studies are the basics and the statistical analysis and evaluation have been done very carefully," said Boeing. "The study shows that plants are a very good source of protein and that there is a health risk for eating meat in addition to the environmental problems of meat production."
High protein intake for weight loss
Although Bernhard Watzl from the Max Rubner Institute, Federal Research Institute for Food and Food in Karlsruhe also considers the underlying surveys to be "scientifically very good", it is questionable whether the results are transferable to the general population, since all subjects in the medical environment working. "At present, some experts recommend high protein intake, including as a weight-loss measure. However, the long-term effects of such a diet are not known. "The study now provides important evidence of health differences between the different protein sources.
More and more vegetarian food on offer
The market share of meatless foods continues to increase: Vegan or vegetarian foods are taking up more and more space on the shelves of German supermarkets. "The market is booming and there is no end in sight," says the Cologne Institute for Trade Research (IFH). But not only vegetarians and vegans are buying the meatless products. According to the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK), "the real carriers of the veggie boom in Germany" are the so-called flexitarians. Years ago, around ten percent of Germans were classified as flexitarians.
Last generation, which has meat on the table every day
The consumption of meat has generally decreased in recent years among many consumers. Often, the health aspect is in the foreground. A meat-rich diet, for example, causes increased uric acid in the body, which in the long term in some people can lead to kidney stones or gout. In addition, studies have shown that over-consumption of red meat increases the risk of colon cancer or heart attack.
Meanwhile, more and more sausage and meat products producers are discovering the market for themselves and expanding their product ranges with meatless variations. The owner of the sausage manufacturer Rügenwalder, Christian Rauffuss, said according to APA: "We will probably be the first and last generation, which has meat on the plate every day." (Ad)