Decoding Nutrition and Heart Health: The Impact of Protein Selection

June 18, 2023

by Cathe Friedrich

Are you eating a heart-healthy diet? If you want to avoid a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, take a closer look at your diet. In 2021, around one in five deaths were related to heart attack or stroke related to cardiovascular disease. The good news is cardiovascular disease is a lifestyle disease, meaning how you live and what you eat plays a major role in whether your vessels stay healthy and clear of plaque.

While the complexities of some diseases leave us scratching our heads, the influence of diet on heart disease risk is well-established. What you eat matters for heart health. Plus, if you combine a heart healthy diet with physical activity, you’ll add an extra layer of protection against heart attacks and stroke. In other words, lifestyle matters for the health of your heart, as well as your blood vessels.

Eating for Heart Health: The Role of Protein

You might wonder what type of diet is best for keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. Research published in the esteemed journal Circulation sheds light on a simple yet powerful way to reduce your risk: change the type of protein you consume, or at least diversify it.

A study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital yielded intriguing findings related to diet and heart health. It followed over 80,000 middle-aged women as part of the Nurses’ Health Study. The women completed dietary questionnaires every four years over a remarkable twenty-six-year span, giving researchers a glimpse into their eating habits and heart disease incidence.

Are you curious about the connection between diet and heart health? Then, you’ll find the results of a fascinating study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital intriguing. The study followed over 80,000 middle-aged women for twenty-six years, as part of the Nurses’ Health Study. Every four years, the women completed dietary questionnaires, providing researchers with valuable insights into their eating habits and the incidence of heart disease.

The findings? The type of protein these women included in their diets played a sizable role in their heart disease risk. Those who opted for nuts, fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than their counterparts who chose red meat. Since this was an observational study, it does show that eating meat caused cardiovascular disease, just an association. It’s hard to carry out randomized clinical trials, the gold standard, for nutritional studies.

Replace Some Red Meat with Non-Red Meat Sources of Protein

Delving deeper into the data, the study uncovered a captivating trend. By replacing a serving of red meat with a daily serving of nuts, participants experienced a remarkable thirty percent reduction in their heart disease risk. Substituting fish for red meat resulted in a significant 24% reduction, while poultry boasted a 19% risk reduction.

This isn’t the first study to show that a diet high in red meat isn’t optimal for heart health. Another study found that people who ate two servings of red meat weekly had a 3% greater risk of cardiovascular disease, while those who ate similar amounts of processed meat had a 7% higher risk. So, the evidence for meat being harmful to heart health is stronger for processed meat.

What about plant sources of protein? Plant-based foods contain a variety of phytonutrients with anti-inflammatory activity. So, it’s not surprising that studies show that eating more plant-based foods and less meat is linked with a lower cardiovascular risk – and you have lots of options.

Plant-based protein sources include tofu, tempeh, seitan, legumes, and nuts and they also contain fiber, another heart-healthy dietary component. These foods offer an alternative to animal-based protein sources and will add diversity to your diet. A study published in 2019 in the journal Lancet found that if plant-based diets became the preferred eating approach, it could save over 11 million lives yearly around the world.

Plant-Based Protein Sources Have Anti-Inflammatory Activity

By increasing the amount of plant-based foods in your diet and reducing or eliminating meat consumption, you can potentially lower your risk of cardiovascular conditions. The good news is you have an enticing area of plant-based protein sources to choose from. Tofu, tempeh, seitan, legumes, and nuts are all exceptional sources of plant-based protein, offering alternatives to animal-based protein sources.

Plus, putting these options on your plate gives your diet color and greater diversity. Plus, it’s fun to experiment with new, plant-based recipes. In addition, these foods contain phytonutrients with anti-inflammatory activity and that’s beneficial for your heart and blood vessels.

A notable study published in 2019 by the esteemed Lancet Journal shed light on the remarkable potential of plant-based diets. If adopted as the prevailing dietary approach, such diets could potentially save over 11 million lives annually worldwide. That sounds like a good reason to explore the world of plant-based protein, right?

Why Red Meat Could Contribute to Heart Disease Risk

But why does the type of meat matter? Some experts suggest the high iron content in red meat could contribute. While iron is crucial for healthy red blood cells, too much iron has prooxidant activity, which damages cells and tissues Your body stores excess iron in the liver and too much can be harmful to your liver, as well as your heart.

High iron levels have been linked to inflammation, which is a key driver of heart disease. This can contribute to elevated systolic blood pressure and unfavorable blood lipid profiles. The fat and sodium content, particularly in processed meats, may also contribute to the issue.

As some studies show, a metabolite called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) may also explain some of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in meat eaters. Gut bacteria produce TMAO in response to a diet that contains red meat. Some studies link high blood levels of TMAO with a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and Type 2 diabetes. However, this is an area that needs more research as studies conflict.

Then there’s the saturated fat in red meat. Eating a diet rich in saturated fat is linked to elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, some studies suggest that saturated fat isn’t as strong of a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as previously thought. It’s an area of scientific thought that’s still being debated and studied.

Still, health agencies point out that replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from sources like nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, and fatty fish may have heart health benefits and is a smart move for health. For example, the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to only 5 to 6% of calories.

Not All Studies Agree

Before hastily removing red meat from your diet, be aware that red meat offers valuable nutrients, such as protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Plus, there’s still conflicting evidence for the role that red meat plays in driving cardiovascular disease. But why not diversify the protein sources in your diet? Include more plant-based protein, and you’ll get more fiber and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients too.

Conclusion

To mitigate your risk of heart disease, consider making chicken or fish your preferred animal-based protein source, or explore the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. When it comes to nurturing your heart, the choices you make regarding protein consumption matter. So, choose wisely and empower your heart and long-term well-being. You don’t have to give up red meat entirely but explore other ways to meet your body’s protein needs too.

References:

com website. “Switching Protein Sources May Reduce CHD Risk”.
Nutr. September 2008 vol. 138 no. 9 1746S-1751S
Chemicals produced in the gut after eating red meat may contribute to heart disease risk. www.stroke.org. Published August 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.stroke.org/en/news/2022/08/01/chemicals-produced-in-the-gut-after-eating-red-meat-may-contribute-to-heart-disease-risk
“Protein and Heart Health | American Heart Association.” 26 Mar. 2017, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/protein-and-heart-health.