If You are a Meat Eater Don’t Read This

August 5, 2016 – A new survey study points to a lower risk of death from eating plant rather than meat protein. The survey compiles results from 131,342 participants over a 32 year period.

It concludes:

• Adjusting for major lifestyle and dietary risk factors, every 10% increment of animal protein from total calories ingested is associated with a 2% higher risk of death from all causes and an 8% risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
• Eating more plant protein is associated with a 10% lower risk of death from all causes for every 3% increment in total calories ingested and a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular death from disease.
• Increased mortality associated with eating more animal protein is more pronounced among participants who are obese and who drink alcohol heavily.
• The association between eating more plant protein and lower mortality is stronger among study participants who smoke, drink at least 14 grams of alcohol a day, are overweight or obese, and are physically inactive or younger than 65, or older than 80.
• Substituting 3% calories from animal protein with plant protein is associated with a lower risk of death from all causes: 34% in replacing processed red meat, 12% in replacing unprocessed red meat, and 19% in replacing eggs.

The conclusion, therefore, is vegans are healthier than omnivores. The study, however, doesn’t look at dietary deficiencies in a vegan diet including lack of vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3, calcium, iron and zinc. That means vegans have to take supplements to make up for these deficits.

The study also freely admits that it doesn’t take into consideration the components in protein-rich animal products that could explain the higher risk, such items as nitrates, nitrites and sodium which can be found in many processed deli meats.

The research is published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Related articles across the web

• The Vegan Trend Continues to Mushroom
• Vegan diet may be linked to eating disorders
• Plant-Based Diet Benefits: More Veggies Lowers Risk Of Heart Disease, Death
• Why you should eat more proteins like nuts, lentils over red meat, eggs