too much protein and heart disease

[Guest guest]

from Drweil.com

 

This Week In HealthNutrition and Lifestyle News: Too Much Protein Raises Risk to Women's HeartsEating a lot of protein from red meat and dairy products can elevate the risk of dying from heart disease among older women. So reports a study - published in the February 1, 2005, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology - that included more than 29,000 postmenopausal women. The researchers demonstrated that risks for cardiovascular disease were highest among those who ate two servings of red meat daily rather than getting the same number of calories from carbohydrates. Eating a lot of fish and chicken didn’t affect the risk of heart disease. The research team found a 40 percent increased risk of dying from heart disease among women whose diets contained the most red meat and dairy products compared to women whose diets were lowest in these foods. Women who obtained vegetable protein

from beans, nuts, peanut butter and tofu had a risk of heart disease that was 30 percent lower than did women whose intake of these foods was lowest. In assessing the risks, the researchers took into account the women’s overall diets, including their consumption of fat, fiber and total calories as well as their weight, smoking history and exercise. Source: American Journal of Epidemiology, Feb. 1, 2005