Postmenopausal women who ditch meat instead of plant-based alternatives are less likely to die prematurely, research shows.
Eating nuts instead of red meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs and fish was associated with a lower risk of early death in a groundbreaking study.
Meanwhile, eating nuts instead of eggs reduced the risk of death by 47 percent in the study, while switching from red meat and dairy products to nut-based meals reduced the risk of premature death by 11 and 12 percent, respectively.
Research from the American Heart Association also found that vegan women who consume nuts to get their dietary protein are 56 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
While the study didn’t look at the 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.
Scroll down for video
Postmenopausal women who ditch meat instead of plant-based alternatives are less likely to die prematurely, research shows.
The study recruited 102,521 postmenopausal women with an average age of 63 between 1993 and 1998, and tracked their lives and health for 18 years.
In this period nearly 26,000 women died, of which 6,993 from cardiovascular disease, 7,516 women from cancer and 2,734 from dementia.
Regular follow-ups and questionnaires showed that an average of about one-sixth of the women’s diet consists of protein.
Researchers then determined where most of their protein came from and found that more than two-thirds (68.6 percent) were of animal origin, such as meat, eggs and dairy products.
The analysis found that women who eat the most animal protein are more likely to be white, educated and wealthy.
They are also more likely to have smoked in the past, drink heavily, and lead sedentary lives with little physical activity.
This culminated in the studied cohort of women 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 consume fewer calories per day, eat less saturated fats, and have more fiber in their diet.
The study also found that even making small changes to a person’s diet can make a dramatic difference, as replacing just five percent of animal protein with plant-derived foods reduced the risk of premature death by 14 percent.
“Replacement of animal protein with vegetable protein was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and dementia,” the researchers write in their study.
“Substituting whole red meat, eggs or dairy products with nuts was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality.”
Lead author Dr. Wei Bao, of Iowa University, said: “Our findings support the need to consider dietary protein sources in future dietary guidelines.
‘The current dietary guidelines mainly focus on the total amount of protein. Our findings show that different types of protein foods can have different health effects. ‘
Other findings from the study are that those who eat the most processed red meat, such as sausage and bacon, have a 20 percent higher risk of dying from dementia.
Eating nuts instead of red meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs and fish was associated with a lower risk of early death in a groundbreaking study. Replacing eggs with nuts reduced the risk by 47 percent, while switching red meat and dairy products for nut-based meals reduced the risk of premature death by 11 and 12 percent, respectively. Pictured, a roast nuts
Higher consumption of unprocessed meat, eggs, and dairy 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 have a 14 percent lower risk of dying from dementia.
“It is unclear in our study why eggs were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality,” said Dr. Bao.
‘It may have to do with the way people cook and eat eggs. Eggs can be boiled, scrambled, poached, baked, broiled, fried, folded, coddled, or in brine 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 carefully considered many potential confounding factors in the analysis, it is still difficult to fully ascertain whether eggs, other foods commonly consumed with eggs, or even non-dietary factors associated with consumption of eggs can lead to the increased risk. of cardiovascular and cancer mortality. ‘
The researchers said the findings published in the Journal of the American Heart Association may not apply to younger women or men.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 servings of different fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables count
Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grain
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as any of the following foods: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole grain cereal cookies, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread and large baked potato with the skin
• Provide a number of dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) and opt for less fat and less sugar
Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat, and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups / glasses of water per day
• Adults should have less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide