Swapping Red Meat Protein for Plant Protein Linked to 13% Lower Risk of Death in 416,000 People

Replacing 3% of daily calories from red meat protein with plant protein was linked to a 13% lower risk of death in men and 15% in women, in a 16-year study of 416,104 Americans. Swapping out egg protein was linked to an even bigger drop: 24% in men and 21% in women.

Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute, led by Dr. Jiaqi Huang and senior investigator Dr. Demetrius Albanes, analyzed 237,036 men and 179,068 women in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, recording 77,614 deaths. The findings are published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Overall, replacing 3% of calories from any animal protein with plant protein was linked to a 10% lower risk of death and an 11 to 12% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Each extra 10 g of plant protein per 1,000 calories was linked to a 12% lower risk of death in men and 14% in women, as the National Cancer Institute reports.

The authors conclude:

Our findings provide evidence that dietary modification in choice of protein sources may influence health and longevity.

Beans, lentils, nuts, soy and whole grains are easy places to find that extra plant protein.

The results match last year's Japanese study that linked swapping red meat protein for plant protein to a 34% lower risk of death, and the American College of Cardiology's recommendation of plant protein.

From Tokyo to Washington, the protein swap keeps paying off.