Dive Brief:
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Women over 50 who follow a high-protein diet with a lot of meat may be at a high risk for heart failure, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016, and summarized in a press release.
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The study, funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, evaluated self-reported daily diets of 103,878 women between the ages of 50 and 79 from 1993 to 1998. It found the rate of heart failure for women with more total dietary protein intake was significantly higher than women who ate less protein or got more of the nutrient from vegetables.
- The findings were the same regardless of age, race or ethnicity, level of education, or other health conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, anemia or atrial fibrillation.
Dive Insight:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 610,000 people in the U.S. die of heart disease each year.
Nutritionists have long believed high levels of red meat intake increase your risk for coronary heart disease, so this finding fits with conventional wisdom. Most red meats are high in saturated fat, which raises blood cholesterol and increased levels of LDL cholesterol to increase the risk of heart disease.The World Health Organization linked red and processed meats to cancer last year.
However, every study hasn't said that red meat is as bad as its reputation. Some experts who have been looking at the data WHO used believe that less than 6% of the findings truly show a link to cancer. And meat consumption is getting much more popular, rising by almost 5% in 2011 to post its largest increase in 40 years, according to a report from the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory group
However clouded the picture may be about the hazards of meat, some food manufacturers are looking to other nutritional sources. Some are experimenting with supplements of soy protein, which is believed to increase heart health benefits and reduce heart disease.