Research

Macro partitioning

Replacing animal protein with plant protein in the diet is associated with lower cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality, particularly when substituting processed red meat.

To support long-term heart health and longevity, prioritize plant-based protein sources (legumes, grains, nuts) over animal sources, especially processed red meats. You do not need to eliminate animal protein, but shifting the balance toward plants is linked to lower mortality risk. Ensure you are eating a variety of plant proteins to cover essential amino acid needs.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
A high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality... The substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially that from processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein sources.
Ólöf Guðný Geirsdóttir et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2023

Why this rating

Based on multiple meta-analyses of observational cohort studies; the paper notes inconsistent findings in some SRs and highlights that isolating protein per se is difficult.

Source

Protein – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Ólöf Guðný Geirsdóttir et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2023

DOI 10.29219/fnr.v67.10261

narrative_reviewCited 10×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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